Home Fitness Help

Sitting at a desk all day can really take a toll on your muscle tone. When muscles are not exercised often enough they begin to atrophy. This means that the muscle wastes away and is replaced by jiggling fat.There are ways to counteract this effect, however. Taking just a couple minutes out of your day to do a couple sets of calf raises will greatly help improve the condition of your legs. Calf raises can yield that same result as the calf machines at the gym.

All you need to do is find a step, stand so that your heels are hanging off the edge of the step, and push up until you’re standing on your tippy toes. Then, come back to your starting position and repeat 20 times. Place your hands on a wall, or hold on to a rail for more support.

Working out at home is convenient because you can do it when, and as often as you like. Buying home exercise is a good way to get the whole family to workout. But, if you plan on using any heavy hand weights it’s important that you have a safe place to store them.

A dumbbell rack is the safest place you can store your heavy weights. Weights that are left on the floor are accidents waiting to happen. You’ll end up paying a lot more money for that visit to the emergency room to stitch up that jagged cut you got from tripping over that stray weight than you will for a dumbbell rack.

It seems like everyone has an older relative that’s broken a hip. Many times seniors who suffer broken hips never return from the hospital because the injuries are so difficult to recover from. Seniors do, however, have some control over how quickly they recover from a hip injury, or whether they succumb to a hip injury in the first place. Daily exercise is one way to practice injury prevention.

The hip extension is an exercise seniors can do at home with the use of adjustable ankle weights. The hip extension strengthens the buttocks and lower-back muscles. Seniors with health problems or past injuries should consult their physicians before beginning the exercise.

Hip Extension

1. Standing 12 to 18 inches from a table or chair with the feet slightly apart.
2. Bend forward at hips at a 45-degree angle; hold onto a table or chair for balance.
3. Slowly lift one leg straight backwards without bending your knee, pointing your toes, or bending your upper body any farther forward.
4. Hold the position for 1 second.
5. Slowly lower leg. Pause.
6. Repeat with the other leg.
7. Do two sets of 8 to 15 repetitions on each leg.

Pilates was originally formed to aid in the rehabilitation of veterans returning home from World War I. Joseph Pilates founded the exercise form because he thought that mental and physical health were synonymous with one another. Pilates’ methods use the mind to control the muscles. Core muscles are strengthened in hopes of keeping the body balanced and supporting the spine. Those who practice this exercise form are encouraged to focus on breathing techniques and spinal alignment.

Pilates equipment may include pilates chairs, pilates reformers, pilates balls, videos and books. As recently as three years ago, there were nearly 14,000 pilates instructors in the United States and 11 million people who regularly practiced the discipline. Most people who practice pilates aim to work toward connecting the mind and body, so that the body will begin to naturally move gracefully and with balance.