simple no-equipment exercises from realage.com
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these exercises were suggested to me by my realage.com results, which said I am 4.4 years OLDER than my calendar age!
Roll with It Roll your shoulders forward for a count of 10 and back for 10. Swim shoulders back for 10 and forward for 10. Your goal is trying to get full range of movement with your shoulders. Notice any areas that you don't move fluidly, and try to open them up by relaxing as you move your hands in full circles. Between sets, get in the habit of rolling your shoulders five times forward and five times back. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
The Chest Cross Strengthens chest and shoulders: Cross your arms in front of your chest in a series of quick horizontal motions.. Do it with both hands face up, then face down. Next move your hands rapidly up and down. Then twist your arms back and forth like you have tennis balls in your hands. Try to do each of these variations 25 times. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
The Clapper Stretches chest: In a standing position and keeping your chest up, clap in front of you; then bring your hands behind your back and clap your hands together. Keep your hands as high as you can during the movement. Do 10 times. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
Push-Up Pride Strengthens chest: Get in the appropriate "up" push-up position for you by either staying on your toes or keeping your knees on the ground. Lower yourself until your chest nearly touches the ground and push back up. As you straighten your elbows, push your spine towards the ceiling (to help engage your back muscles). Keep a long, solid body. Pull your heels away from your shoulders, keeping a long, solid body. Don't let your stomach hang down toward the ground, because that will cause unnecessary tension on your lower back. Instead, keep your stomach tight to strengthen your belly muscles. If your lower back starts to hurt, raise your butt slightly. Keeping your chin slightly up, look 6 inches past your fingertips. This forces you to use your chest and not overextend your neck while doing push-ups. Do as many push-ups as you can (this is called exercising to failure, and it's what helps build strength proteins in your muscle). If these are too hard, just hold your chest off the ground without moving. Or you can do a pyramid push-up routine: Do 5 push-ups, then hold in the up position for 5 seconds. Then do 4 and hold for 4 in the up position, all the way down to 1. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
Meet You at the Corner Stretches chest and arms: Face a corner of a room and stretch your arms to the side in line with your shoulders with elbows at right angles. Put pressure on your arms to stretch your chest by leaning into the wall for 20 seconds. Keep your chin up and face directly into the corner. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
The Hippie Stretches hips and hamstrings: With your feet flat on the ground, bend forward at your waist. Alternate bending one knee and keeping the other leg straight (but still keeping feet flat), and let your head dangle down, releasing all your tension. Stretch each side for 15 seconds. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
Steady on the Plank Strengthens abs and shoulders: Get into a push-up position with your elbows and toes on the floor, while pushing the area between your shoulders towards ceiling and keeping your stomach pulled in towards lower back, to support it. Keep your buttocks tight and your eyes looking at the floor (ignore the fact that you suddenly realize you have to vacuum). Hold the position for as long as you can. If you can last more than 1 minute, make it more difficult by dropping your chin 20 times out in front of interweaved hands, or by trying to balance on one foot. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
Whose Side Are You on, Anyway? Strengthens obliques (the muscles at the side of your abdominals): Turn to the side by putting an elbow on the floor and rotating the opposite hip toward the ceiling. Keep your body in a straight line and resist pushing your butt back. Keep your abs tight as you hold the position for as long as you can. Alternate sides. If you can hold for more than 1 minute, you can increase difficulty by repeatedly dropping your hip, tapping it on the mat and bringing it back into the lateral plank. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
Up, Dog, Up Stretches abdominals and obliques: From a down push-up position, with your hands below your shoulders, lift your chest and torso up into the air so your upper body is nearly perpendicular to the floor as you come onto the tops of your bare feet. Lean backwards to stretch your abdominals, but keep your butt relaxed. Hold for 10 seconds, then look over your right shoulder for 10, then your left shoulder for 10, then back to center. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
Leg Drop Strengthens entire abdominal areas: Lie on your back and put your knees at a 90-degree angle and your feet in the air. Drop your heels down, tap the mat, and bring back up to 90-degrees. Do as many as you can (to failure). Advanced: Do it with straight legs. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
X Crunch Strengthens upper abdominals: Lie on your back with your feet on the ground and knees at a 45-degree angle. Cross your arms behind your head, putting your opposite hand to opposite shoulder forming an x behind your head. Rest your head in this x and keep your neck loose (in the beginning, you can put a tennis ball under your chin as a reminder). Using your abdominal muscles, crunch up about 30 degrees from the floor. Without holding your breath, you need to suck in your belly button to the floor to tighten the natural girdle you have (it's a muscle called the transverse abdominis) to keep the entire 6-pack tight. Also pull up your pelvis muscles (like when you are holding in your pee) to strengthen the bottom of the natural girdle. Do as many as you can. Stretch your abdominals afterward (see Up Dog Up). Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
The Rickety Table Strengthens upper back: Put your hands and knees flat on the floor with your fingers spread apart and pointing directly forward. Keep your back flat and parallel to the floor. Look down 6 inches above your fingertips. Reach your right hand forward and your left foot back and stretch them as far away from each other as possible, keeping your right hand higher than your head. The higher your arms goes up, the more work your back has to do and the more effective the exercise. Now, bring your right elbow to your left knee. Do 20 on this side, then alternate and do it with the other leg and arm. For more advanced, you can move your arm and leg out at a right angle from body, keeping them above your spine. Your stomach should be pulled in the entire time, supporting your lower back. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
Superman Strengthens lower back: Lie flat on your stomach, reaching your arms out in front of you with palms down. Spread out your extremities straight out in all four directions and lift your arms and legs simultaneously for enough repetitions to cause some mild fatigue. Continue to look down during the movement, and don't over extend your neck up. This exercise is about how long you can make your body-not how high you can get it. Focus on squeezing your butt as you lift. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
The Seated Pretzel Stretches lower middle and upper back: Sit down with legs stretched in front of you. Bring your right foot up and set it down on the outside of your left knee. For back support, put your right hand behind your right butt cheek. Bring your left toe straight up. Reach your left hand up like a stop sign and drop your chin, and then twist to right and bring your left tricep to outside of the right thigh. To go deeper, twist more to apply pressure against your right thigh. Act like a string is pulling the top of your head up to elongate the spine. Breathe by expanding your rib cage like you are blowing up a balloon. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
Seated Drop-Kick Strengthens quadriceps: Sit with your legs straight out in front of you. Bend your right leg up with knee pointing towards the ceiling. To keep your back straight, interweave your hands around this knee. Act like there is a string pulling from the top of your head elongating your spine (and don't bob your head). Lift your left straight leg 6 inches of the ground, keep your left toe pointed towards the ceiling. Lift for 25 times, then switch legs. Do each leg twice. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
Invisible Chair Strengthens entire leg: Sit in a chair position (with no chair!) with your back against a wall, and with your hands palms up resting on your knees. Keep furniture near you or under you, so you can grab it to help yourself back up when you're done. Keep your heels directly below your knees and at a 90-degree angle; your shoulders should be rolled back and the back of your head against wall. Hold for as long as you can, and try to work up to 2 minutes. Keep your face relaxed and breathe. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
Nice Thighs Stretches quadriceps: While standing on one leg, bend the knee of the opposite leg and grab the foot behind your back with one hand (use one arm to hold something to keep balanced). Pull the foot toward your butt while lifting your chest forward and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Switch legs. Keep your abs pulled in the entire time, to support lower back. Hold each for 20 seconds. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
Step Taps Stand in front of a set of stairs. Place one foot two steps up; leave it there as you raise the other foot up tapping that step for 20 consecutive times and then switching legs. Using your arms to propel you up, as a sprinter would do. You barely want to hear your foot tap back down and back up. The softer it hits the more burn you get and the less impact on your knees. Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz |  |
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