Lie on your back on the floor. Keep your body relaxed, and your head and spinal chord aligned. Clasp your hands behind your right thigh and pull it towards your chest slowly. The motion should take about five seconds. Keep the opposite leg flat on the surface of the table. Maintain the position for 10 seconds. Switch legs and repeat for five sets of ten repetitions.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Lower Back: Roll Your Hips
Lie on your back on the floor using your lower abdominal muscles to keep your lower back on the floor. Bend your knees at 90 degrees and keep your feet flat on the table. Cross your arms over your chest. Turn your head and trunk to the right as you turn both knees to the left. Allow your knees to relax and go down without forcing them. Bring knees back up, and head to center. Reverse directions. Do five sets of ten repetitions for each side.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Lower Back: Pelvic Lift
Lie on your back on the floor. Bend your knees 90 degrees, and place your feet flat on the floor. You can cross your arms over your chest or keep them relaxed, not working, on your sides on the floor. Tilt your pelvis and push your lower back to the floor. Then slowly lift your buttocks off the floor as far as possible without straining. Hold for five seconds. Lower your buttocks to the floor. Breathe regularly.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Lower Back: Floor Contractions
Lie on your back on the floor with your abdominal muscles pressing down on your lower back. Place your feet flat on the surface with your legs extended and toes pointed. Maintain your pelvic tilt for the curl up exercises.
Exhale and contract from deep inside, using your emotions to guide you. Slowly reach your arms in front of you as much as possible, curling your trunk. Your head follows last. Keep your neck straight with your back. Go up for four seconds and lower to starting position for four seconds. Repeat for two sets of ten repetitions.
Confidence and core strength increases.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Exhale and contract from deep inside, using your emotions to guide you. Slowly reach your arms in front of you as much as possible, curling your trunk. Your head follows last. Keep your neck straight with your back. Go up for four seconds and lower to starting position for four seconds. Repeat for two sets of ten repetitions.
Confidence and core strength increases.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Lower Back: Relax Your Back with Full Back Release
This exercise is even more relaxing than the previous one. Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Keep your head aligned with your back and hips. Relax your shoulders. Distributed your weight evenly between your buttocks and your feet.
Curl your neck, upper back and low back slowly forward, allowing your hands to reach the floor so your palms are touching the floor. Hold for five seconds. Straighten up slowly, one vertebrae at a time, until you bring your head up last. Return to the starting position, and repeat ten times. Each time you do this exercise, you can add a second and five repetitions.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Curl your neck, upper back and low back slowly forward, allowing your hands to reach the floor so your palms are touching the floor. Hold for five seconds. Straighten up slowly, one vertebrae at a time, until you bring your head up last. Return to the starting position, and repeat ten times. Each time you do this exercise, you can add a second and five repetitions.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Lower Back: Arm Lifts
This is a relaxing exercise that will have results for your whole back. Lie on your belly on a mat. Keep your nose to the floor, with your head aligned with your back and hips. Stretch your arms over head and slightly out to the side. Keep your thumb pointed upward. Bring this arm down and repeat the motion with the other arm. Raise and lower your arm slowly. Lift one arm, with your hand positioned so that the thumb points upward. Keep the rest of your body relaxed. Do five sets of ten repetitions.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Lower Back: Press Up
Lie on your belly on a mat. Bend your elbows and place your hands palms down under your shoulders. Straighten your arms, raising your upper trunk off the floor. Your pelvis is against the mat, allowing your lower back to arch. Hold for ten seconds. Return to starting position and repeat for five sets of ten repetitions.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Lower Back: Wag Your Tail
This is the beginning of a series of lower back exercises, a part of the body often neglected. It is especially important to make sure your lower back is strong when you work out your abdominal muscles, so that the front and back of your waist, and back are balanced.
Kneel on a mat and assume the "all-fours" , with knees at 90 degrees. Keep your head in a neutral position, aligned with your back and hips. Look down at the floor.
Keep your shoulders still, and move your right hip toward your right shoulder as far as you can. Slowly return to the starting position then move your left hip toward your left shoulder as far as you can go. Do five sets of ten repetitions on each side. Now, starting at the neutral position, move your hip up, curving your back in a convex way and then down, curving you back in a concave way. Do five sets of ten repetitions on each side.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Kneel on a mat and assume the "all-fours" , with knees at 90 degrees. Keep your head in a neutral position, aligned with your back and hips. Look down at the floor.
Keep your shoulders still, and move your right hip toward your right shoulder as far as you can. Slowly return to the starting position then move your left hip toward your left shoulder as far as you can go. Do five sets of ten repetitions on each side. Now, starting at the neutral position, move your hip up, curving your back in a convex way and then down, curving you back in a concave way. Do five sets of ten repetitions on each side.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Smith Single Leg Split Squat
Preparation
Place a bench or platform behind the smith bar. With the bar at upper chest height, position the bar on the back of the shoulders and grasp it on the sides. Extend one leg back and place top of foot on bench. The other front should be flat on the floor under your shoulder and hip. Do not place your knee in front of your toes. Disengage the bar and start squats with one leg in a normal position and one on the bench or platform.
Execution:
Lower the body by flexing the knee and hip of the front leg until the knee of the rear leg is almost in contact with floor, so that the front knee is at 90 degrees and the back knee is almost at 90 degrees. Return to the original standing position. Do four sets of ten repetitions, and repeat with the other leg in the front.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Place a bench or platform behind the smith bar. With the bar at upper chest height, position the bar on the back of the shoulders and grasp it on the sides. Extend one leg back and place top of foot on bench. The other front should be flat on the floor under your shoulder and hip. Do not place your knee in front of your toes. Disengage the bar and start squats with one leg in a normal position and one on the bench or platform.
Execution:
Lower the body by flexing the knee and hip of the front leg until the knee of the rear leg is almost in contact with floor, so that the front knee is at 90 degrees and the back knee is almost at 90 degrees. Return to the original standing position. Do four sets of ten repetitions, and repeat with the other leg in the front.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Step Up
You will step up to a platform and step back down. Stand with legs shoulder width apart and dumbbells grasped to sides facing the side of a bench.
Execution
Place foot of first leg on bench. Stand on bench by extending the hip and knee of the first leg and place the foot of the second leg on the bench. Step down with second leg by flexing the hip and the knee of the first leg. Return to original standing position by placing foot of first leg to floor. Do four sets of ten repetitions for each leg stepping up first.
Stepping a distance from the platform emphasizes the gluteus maximus, and stepping close to the bench emphasizes the quadriceps.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Execution
Place foot of first leg on bench. Stand on bench by extending the hip and knee of the first leg and place the foot of the second leg on the bench. Step down with second leg by flexing the hip and the knee of the first leg. Return to original standing position by placing foot of first leg to floor. Do four sets of ten repetitions for each leg stepping up first.
Stepping a distance from the platform emphasizes the gluteus maximus, and stepping close to the bench emphasizes the quadriceps.
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Rear Lunge
This is a great lunge variation and places emphasis on your gluteus muscles! Place one or two platforms, at least four inches above the ground. Stand with legs shoulder width apart.
Execution:
Extend one leg back on forefoot until both knees are bent at 90 degrees. Extend the hip and knee of the forward leg to return to the original standing position. Repeat by alternating the rear lunge with the opposite leg.
Do five sets of ten repetitions. Then you may need bed rest!
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
Execution:
Extend one leg back on forefoot until both knees are bent at 90 degrees. Extend the hip and knee of the forward leg to return to the original standing position. Repeat by alternating the rear lunge with the opposite leg.
Do five sets of ten repetitions. Then you may need bed rest!
Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional, such as a physician.
My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.
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