The Earth is pushing back on you with as much force as you push on the Earth so you are exerting yourself, albeit in a subtle way, as you read this post.
Astronauts have to engage in intense, resistance exercise while in space in order to maintain their bone mass. This is because in space there is no gravity. We have gravity on Earth and this makes the whole Earth a gym, yoga studio, martial arts dojo, etc.
Utilize the gravitational field in your location to exercise.
Have you noticed that standing on one leg is harder, causes you to exert more effort, than standing on two legs? What if you stood on one leg for five minutes? What about one-legged mini or half squats?
Can you see your location as a personal exercise space?
Tune in on Monday....
***DISCLAIMER- This blog is for informational purposes only
. Always seek your doctor’s advice
before beginning any exercise program.
I am so happy to see this kind of information available. For people who have little experience with exercise or those who have only used gym equipment, finding ways to exercise in any environment can seem daunting. Dr. Girard "hit the nail on the head" with his suggestion of simple bodyweight exercises. After all, what could be more important than being able control your own body during movement? When you strengthen yourself in this way, you also improve balance and strengthen the muscles that stabilize you - everything gets stronger together, leading to SAFER more useable movement. This is something that is sometimes lacking when using gym based equipment. I look forward to reading more from Dr. Girard!
ReplyDeleteI agree with both LMJ and Dr. Girard. Utilizing the environment is a simple but effective way to build a strong foundation for both mind and body. It's amazing what exercises can be performed without the use of weights, or large gyms. The simple front plank incorporates multiple muscles throughout the body...and no, it does not always have to be done on the floor. Planks are great to build strength around the midsection (core), hips, scapula stabilizers, rotator cuff, and quads to name a few and can easy be performed against a wall for the novice, to on the desk, floor and even physioball for the advanced. The key is to be creative, think outside the box. As Dr. Girard had mentioned, the single leg squat can do wonders for the core, hip, knee and ankle...never mind you are constantly working on balance (proprioception). Simply by standing on an unstable surface, ie pillow/cushion will challenge your neuromuscular system to new levels. As always, contact your healthcare practitioners before trying anything new, it's better to be safer than sorry. Be creative with exercise, it can be fun.... and your body and mind will love you for it. Joe Z
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