March 29, 2024

Build your Lower Body Strength

Fit Body:

Single Leg Bridge for Lower Body Strength

The Bridge is an effective exercise to strengthen your glutes, hamstrings and core muscles. It’s important to maintain proper spine alignment with your belly button in throughout the range of motion. Lie down on the floor on your back. Bend both knees, with your feet flat. Extend your left leg straight up toward the ceiling. Place each arm straight on the floor along side your body. Keeping your back aligned, press through your right heel and lift your hips about 3 inches off the floor, and then lower. Be sure to keep your hips level, and your shoulders down. Do 10 reps, and then return your left foot the floor. Next, extend your right leg straight up, press through your left heel and lift your hips, then lower. Do 10 reps, and then release.

 

*Consult your physician before performing exercise.

Master Your Squat

Fit Body:

Master Your Squat… First

The Squat exercise is a foundation exercise for countless moves. Once you master proper form, adding in weight combo exercises, balance and agility challenges and even flexibility moves, will keep workout boredom away. Master your squat form first though to prevent injuries and increase exercise effectiveness.

Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart. Bending from your knees and hips, lower your body until your hips are just about level with your knees. To allow the sit-back angle, bring both arms forward to counter-balance your weight. Both feet should be flat on the floor. Both knees should be lined up over your ankles. Your hips should be back. Both shoulders should be down and back with your spine lined up (your spine should not be vertical, but should be in proper alignment.) Your chin should be slightly down toward your chest further insuring proper spinal alignment, which includes the cervical spine of your neck.

Squat and Reach Exercise

Fit Body:

Squat and Reach Exercise

The squat is a functional exercise. A functional exercise means you perform the squat-motion many times throughout the day. This is the exact motion used to pick something up off the floor. Practice this motion with a Squat and Reach Exercise. Begin with your feet slightly wider than your hips. Bend your knees and hips, and sit back and down into a squat. Lower your body about six inches. Pause and reach your right hand forward and toward the floor, then return to standing to complete one rep. Repeat your squat and reach forward with your left hand, then return to standing. Do 10 reps total.

 

*Consult your physician before performing exercise.

Your Essential Exercise

Fit Body:

Squats with Dumbbells

Squats are an essential exercise. You sit down and stand up many times during the day, so adding a squat exercise into your weight routine is functional. A functional exercise helps us gain strength to perform a daily activity. Here’s how to start: Begin holding one weight in each hand. Bending from your knees and hips, sit back and lower down about six inches. Pause for one second. Return to standing to complete one rep.

 

*Consult your doctor before performing exercise.

 

 

Make the Squat Your Essential Exercise

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Make the squat your essential exercise!

A squat is a functional exercise. A functional exercise is a movement required often during your activities of daily living. How many times do you sit down and sit up during your day? Lots! Make the squat movement pattern your essential exercise. That means your main focus during a workout is to master, progress and challenge your squat exercise. Doing so will make this motion during your day much easier!

Here’s how to begin:

Hold a weight in each hand. Stand with your feet hip width apart. Bending from your knees and hips, sit back and lower your body down about ten inches. Pause for one second to reduce momentum, then stand up to complete one rep. Do eight to twelve reps in a slow and controlled pattern. Keep your spine aligned and belly button in.

 

*Consult your physician before performing exercise.

Balance + Strength= Fit Legs!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Single Leg Squat

Do a Single-Leg Squat exercise to improve your balance and strength. Stand on your right leg only. Bending from your knee and hips, sit back and lower your body down into a squat. Maintaining balance and proper alignment, reach forward with your left hand and touch the floor in front of you. Stand up straight to complete 1 rep. Do 10 times standing on your right leg. Next, stand on your left leg only. Bending from your knee and hips, lower down into a squat. At the same time, reach forward with your right hand and touch the floor in front of you. Do 10 reps.

 

*Consult a physician before performing exercise.

Build Total Leg Strength

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Squat for total leg strength!

Hold one weight with both hands in front of your body. Bending from your knees and hips, sit back and lower your body into a squat. Keep your torso aligned and abs pulled in tight. Return to your starting position to complete 1 rep. Start with 10 reps.

 

*Consult your physician before beginning exercise.

Post-Workout Stretch

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Standing Hamstring and Low Back Stretch!

Begin standing. Place your right foot forward of your left about 2 feet and slightly wider than your hip. Keep both knees slightly bent. Bend forward slowly and place one hand on either side of your right leg for support. Another option is to place both hands on your right thigh for support. Tuck your chin into your chest. Hold for one deep breath, then release and return to a standing upright position. Repeat with your left foot forward.

This stretch is for those without injury or balance concerns.

 

*Consult your physician before performing exercise.