Simple and Effective Home Exercises W
inter weather and busy holiday schedules are common obstacles to our exercise time. Driving to and from a gym when time is in short supply and the likelihood of winter weather causing slippery and dangerous roads can lead many people to skip their workout altogether. According to the Centers for Disease Control, only 28 percent of Americans are meeting appropriate exercise guidelines. If you’re one among the 72 percent struggling to get enough exercise, these simple, yet effective home exercises can be done year round with fewer obstacles.
Bicep curl: Sit or stand upright. Keeping your elbows in tight with your body, bend at your elbow and bring the weight up near your chest. Lower the weight in a controlled manner until your arm is straight again.
UPPER BODY Push-ups
The push-up is a great chest and triceps exercise that’s easy to modify based on your strength level. Start with your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart and fingers facing forward. Lower your body while maintaining a straight trunk. When your elbows reach a 90 -degree angle, simply push back up. To make this exercise easier, perform the push-up with your knees touching the ground instead of your feet. If getting down to and up from the floor is difficult, place your hands against a wall or sturdy object and perform the movement. The higher your hands and the greater angle your torso makes with the ground, the easier the movement will be. Progress by using objects closer to the floor, gradually decreasing the angle between your torso and ground and increasing difficulty.
Lateral raise: Sit or stand upright with your hands to your side and palms facing in toward your body. Keeping your arms straight, raise your hand until your arms are parallel with the floor. Slowly lower the weight down to the starting position.
Dumbbell exercises
A variety of upper body dumbbell exercises are simple to perform and can be done using household objects if you don’t own dumbbells. Objects like a can of soup can be used in place of a dumbbell as long as the weight is appropriate for the exercise. 28
BOONE HEALTH
Winter 2024
Make sure you don’t hurt yourself by using objects too heavy or difficult to hold. However, if you can’t find objects heavy enough to present a challenge, add extra reps or decrease rest time to increase difficulty.
