Saturday, November 14, 2015

Jump for Your Abductor Muscles

Place a yoga mat on the floor.  Bend your elbows and hold your hands together in front of your chest. Jump from side to side over the thinner part of your yoga mat for four sets of ten repetitions. This works your abductor muscles. It may seem easy when you are doing it, but you will most likely feel it on the side of your hips for days later.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Medicine Ball and Swiss Ball for Abdominal Muscles

This is a tough abdominal exercise. Get a medicine ball that will give you a workout and that you can use for four sets of ten repetitions.
Lie down on the floor. Keep your back flat against the floor. Spread your arms and legs straight above and beneath you. Place a medium-sized Swiss ball between your ankles. Hold the medicine ball with your hands.

Lift your arms and legs straight until they meet above you. You are using your abdominal muscles to squeeze the Swiss ball between your ankles. For an advanced exercise, lift your hips an inch or two inches off the floor when your legs are up. Inhale when you lower your arms and legs and exhale when you lift them. Repeat for four sets of ten repetitions.
 

My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on http://www.authorhouse.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, November 10, 2015

Stability Ball Plank Rotations

This is a tough abdominal exercise. Grab a medium-size stability (Swiss) ball. Place your forearms on it. You can grasp your hands together or just keep them close. Stabilize your legs on the balls of your toes. The rest of your body is straight, neck, back, hips and legs aligned.

First, rotate the stability ball clockwise for two sets of ten repetitions (full circles). The rest of your body does not change position. Then, rotate the stability ball counterclockwise for two sets of ten repetitions. If you can, repeat these four sets.

For an even tougher exercise, lift your right leg sideways to a 90-degree angle to your left leg and bring it back to center for each circle of the first clockwise set. Do the same with your left leg for the first counterclockwise set. Then repeat starting with the left leg for the first counterclockwise repetition and then the right leg for the next counterclockwise repetition.

Stretch by hugging your knees for 10 seconds. Then lie down on the floor and stretch your arms and legs straight away fro your center for 10 seconds.




Tuesday, November 03, 2015

Plank with Triceps

This is an advanced exercise. Get into a plank position. (Search for the original plank post.) Rest on your left forearm and on the balls of your feet. Keep your body straight and off the floor except for your forearm and the balls of your feet. Keep our head, neck, spine and hips aligned. Use a free weight for your right arm that will give you a workout and that lift for four sets of ten repetitions. Keep your right elbow near your right side. Extend your right arm backwards to work out your triceps. After four sets, place your right forearm on the floor and repeat the exercise for your left arm.


My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on http://www.authorhouse.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