At Home Exercise Demonstrations.

Try these exercises at home!

WALL SIT

Lean against a solid wall, with your feet out in front of you approximately 12 inches and shoulder width apart. Hold dumbbells to your side, palms facing inward.

Slowly lower your body from the hips until you reach 90 degrees at the knees. Hold that position. Slowly raise your fully extended arms to your side. Don’t lock your elbows. Raise the dumbbells to shoulder level and return to the starting position. Try raising the dumbbell in the wall sit position 10-12 times. Repeat.

(May do this exercise with or without dumbells or using your arms)

PLANK

Begin this exercise by lying on your stomach with your forearms on the floor pointing straight forward, your feet together and your spine in a neutral position. Your feet should be touching or no more than an inch apart.

Lift your body up on your forearms and toes, keeping your body as straight as possible. Maintain this position for as long as possible and challenge yourself to longer periods in the plank position. Try to hold the position for 60 seconds in the beginning, working your way up in 30 second jumps until you can hold the position for 3 minutes or longer.

LUNGES

Stand with your feet about 6 inches apart from each other toes pointed forward.

INHALE: Step forward with one leg and lower your body to 90 degrees at both knees. Don’t step out too far. There should be 2 to 2.5 feet between your feet at this point. Keep your weight on your heels and don’t allow your knees to cross the plane of your toes.

EXHALE: Push up and back to the starting position to complete one rep. Repeat all reps on one leg, then switch to complete one set.

DIPS

Sit tall on the edge of a sturdy chair or step and wrap your fingertips over the front edge. Place feet on the floor in front of you with knees bent. Lift hips and butt up and slightly forward.
Bend elbows about 90 degrees and lower hips toward the floor. (If you feel pain in the shoulders, your elbows are bent too much). Press up until elbows are straight, but not locked.

WALL PUSH UPS

Start facing wall, arms length away, feet slightly apart, legs straight (but knees not locked). Place hands onto wall, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

EXHALE: Keeping head in neutral position, bend elbows to lower head/chest toward wall, coming as close as you can to it but not touching it.

INHALE: Straighten arms and return to starting position for one rep.

SQUATS

Stand tall with back straight, feet wider than the hips, toes turned out, abs engaged and arms at your sides.
Slowly bend the knees, squatting straight down, hands supported on your thighs, until you feel a stretch through the inner thighs.

Breathe deeply and hold for 10-30 seconds.

Picture demonstrations and descriptions courtesy of Spark People.