1. Wall sit Muscles worked: thighs, hamstrings, and buttocks ina Standing position, put your back against a wall with your feet approximately 18 inches from the wall and shoulder width apart. Now slowly lower yourself as if you’re going to sit In an invisible chair, keeping your back against the wall, until your knees are bent almost ata 90-degree angle. If your knees extend beyond your toes. move your feet further from the wall, 2 Outer leg lift Muscles worked: hips Lie on your left side, supporting your head with your left hand and your body with right, as shown. Tighten your abdominal muscles, lift your right leg 45 degrees, then lower. Remember to keep your top hip aligned over your bottom hip; in other words, don’t lean back while performing the exercise. 3. Inner leg lift Muscles worked: inner thighs Lie on your left side as in the exercise above keeping your left leg straight , cross your right over you left leg. Grab your right ankle for support. Tighten your...
Undoubtedly the best workouts for your heart are aerobic activities like walking, running, swimming, biking, dancing, or really vigorous housework or yard work. But aerobic exercise ism’t the only kind shown to help your heart. Strength training—the type of exercise that builds muscle mass—imay also be important to your heart (and it’s certainly important to the rest of your body). In a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, strength training lowered total cholesterol 10 percent and LDL cholesterol 14 percent, and also reduced body fat in 24 women who worked out for 45 to 50 minutes three times a week. Strength training also guards against osteoporosis, helps protect your joints, and revs your metabolism, since muscle tissue burns calories much faster than fat tissue does, And of course being strong lets you put more muscle behind everyday tasks like carrying groceries and grandkids, so you’ll tire less easily and be less prone to injury. A side benefit: When...
To get your heart pumping hard enough to provide cardiac benefits, all you need is a decent pair of walking shoes. According to the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, which followed 80,000 women for more than 20 years, just a half hour of brisk walking a day—that’s 30 minutes, or the time it takes to watch one sitcom—can slash your risk of a heart attack by 30 to 40 percent There are many reasons we chose walking as the core of the exercise plan. Among them: Walking is safer than jogging. Because a walker lands with just onefifth the force of a runner, walking is much easier on your joints and ligaments. Anyone can walk. It’s a good option ever for people who are pregnant, have arthritis, have heart disease, or are just recovering from a heart attack. It’s inexpensive. A pair of shoes and socks are all you need, (Well, vou should wear clothes. ) You’ll stick with it. Only 25 percent of people who walk for exercise quit, compared to 50 or 60 percent of those who start other exercises...
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