Update; and a New Feature
I walked last night. And my assures me that both girls played extensively at the beach Sunday while I was gone. Additionally, the oldest did a lot of swimming and beach play on Saturday during a girl scout campout.
Well, not so much a campout as a sleepover at a beach house. Roughing it…
So, we’re back on track.
Now, that new feature:
I believe variety is the key to any exercise program. I always burn out quickly when I go into the old gym routine of “This day we do chest and arms, and that day we do back and legs, and these are the specific exercises you need to do.”
Last year, I tried some modified (because I’m too fat!) crossfit exercises and loved it. I also enjoy bodyweight exercises, and used them quite a bit when I was younger. I used to do hundreds of pushups 3 times a week, using various pieces of furniture in the house (well, ok, it was my apartment) to elevate my feet and work the entire chest, shoulders, back, etc. I loved this routine, and if I ever get this weight back down to the 230-240 range, I’ll be able to do them again.
No, really, I will!
Anyway, enough of that, here’s the feature: I’ll be highlighting one exercise each day, probably built around a theme. For instance, this week, I really want to get into a solid core-strength routine so my back will be able to hold up better as I increase my walking distances. So the first exercise is directly from Crossfit - Air Squats. Click the link to go Crossfit’s video demonstration if you need to see it.
Basically, this is a bodyweight squat, and you need to focus on form to get it right. Keep your body vertical and your shoulders back to get a good curve in your back. Keep your weight on your heels, and drop until your hips are below your knees.
Below your knees! It’s better to do 10 squats properly than 20 squats improperly. If you want to strengthen your core, your hips have to be involved in this one.
So, that’s today’s exercise. Tomorrow will be another. How do I pick them? Well, it’s just what I feel like doing on a particular day. There’s no plan here, and in fact, a plan would defeat the purpose of building variety. This week will be a bunch of core exercises, and you’ll be able to mix and match on those days you want to work your core going forward. And, I’ll be posting more core in the future, so you won’t be stuck doing only what I’m profiling this week.
Enjoy, and let me know how many or how long you can do this for.
Tags: exercise