Tips For A Stronger and Healthier You!

During the rest of this week and the upcoming week, we will concentrate on strengthening our muscles. 

For a muscle to grow, it has to be challenged and that is where weight training comes in.  It will increase lean muscle mass, bone density, metabolism, and balance.   It will cause sports enhancement, protect joints from injury, help you feel and look better, decrease stress levels, and decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and other diseases.  Too little work on strengthening muscles will have little effect on your fitness level.  Having an exercise partner will encourage you and make exercising more fun!

Try the following to strengthen your muscles:

1. Do push-ups, keeping back and head in straight alignment (modify by kneeling to lessen the amount of body weight in exercise).  Do wall push-ups if you haven’t been exercising.

2. Do wall squats: place your back against wall, take a couple of steps forward so your feet are out in front of you, let your back slide down until thighs are horizontal to floor, maintain position for a few seconds, then push up maintaining your back flat against the wall.  Never let knees extend over your toes (legs at 45 degree angle) as that will increase stress on knees.

3. Hold on to back of chair, maintain upper body straight and immobile, then raise right leg out to side, hold for 5 seconds, return to start position; repeat on left.  Do 10-12 repetitions.

4. Take weight or a can, keep upper arm in contact with your side while bending elbow up bringing forearm up toward shoulder.   This is working the bicep muscle.  Use a 2-second lift and a 4-second return.  This keeps you from momentum, which can result in injury to a muscle or joint.

5. While holding weight, point your elbow to ceiling with elbow bent to 45 degree angle.  Keep upper arm stationary while you straighten out your forearm; return to bent elbow position 45 degrees.  This will work the back of upper arms, the triceps.

6. Do crunches for abdominal muscles. Lie flat on floor; maintain lower back flat to floor while doing crunches.  This is accomplished by doing a pelvic tilt, which flattens the back to floor while tightening abdominal muscles.  Lift head and shoulders off floor, keep back flat, hold for 2-3 seconds and return to start position.  Repeat until muscles are fatigued.

7.  Lie on abdomen and slowly lift opposite arm and leg, hold for 3-5 seconds.  Use right arm and left leg, then left arm and right leg. You should not feel pain, but muscle contraction in lower back and buttocks.  Repeat 10-12 times. The longer you hold arm and leg up, the more muscle fatigue you will have.

Keep a positive attitude and think of yourself as an athlete in training.   Include good nutrition, plenty of water, daily exercise, and sufficient sleep in your daily routine.  

Remember, good habits have to be mentally conceived to be physically achieved!