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Six Ways to Strengthen
Here are some basic strength-training exercises to get you started. They can be done at home without any equipment, requiring only your own body weight to be effective. While these exercises focus on major muscle groups, such as chest, back, abdominals and buttocks, they also work many surrounding muscles.
Perform a single set of each strengthening exercise two to three times per week, using slow, controlled movements when lifting and lowering to avoid relying on momentum.
Push-up
Strengthens your chest and arms. Stand about two feet away from a wall with your arms outstretched directly in front of your chest, your hands against the wall and your fingers facing upward. Lower your body toward the wall, keeping your elbows close to your sides. Press your body back to your starting position, then repeat. (Perform 8-12 repetitions.)
If you want to work harder, perform your push-ups on the floor on your hands and knees, with your ankles crossed. (Perform 12-16 repetitions.)
Back Builder
Tones and strengthens your back. Lie face down on the floor with your legs together and your arms stretched above your head with your palms facing the floor. Slowly and simultaneously, raise your right arm and your left leg. Hold for up to 6 seconds, then lower. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg. (Alternate arms and legs 12 times.)
For more of a challenge, raise both arms and legs at the same time.
Waist Whittler
Focuses on the oblique muscles that crisscross your midsection like a corset, giving you a more defined waistline. Lie down on the floor on your back, with your feet hip width apart and your toes pointing upward (this gives you a better pelvic tilt). Place your hands behind your head with your elbows out to the side. Lift at a diagonal and reach with your hand over toward the opposite knee as you do so. As you lower yourself back toward the floor, place your hand behind your head and repeat lifting toward the other side. (Perform up to 20 repetitions, alternating sides. Increase the repetitions for more of a challenge.)
Seated Leg Lengthener/Inner Thigh Strengthener
Works the upper quadriceps and inner thighs. Sit on the floor with your back against the wall (if you have a bad back, you may lie down). Bend one leg and extend the other out in front of you. Raise your lower leg, keeping it straight, until it reaches the height of the other knee, then lower it back toward the floor. Keeping that same leg extended in front of you, close to the floor, squeeze your leg out to the side, then return to your starting position. (Perform up to12 repetitions. Repeat with other leg.)
Better Buttocks
Tones your buttocks and hamstrings. You may either lie face down on the floor or go onto your hands and knees. Lift and extend one leg behind you. Keeping your knee extended in a straight line from your hip, slowly raise your heel toward your buttocks, squeezing with the back of your leg as you do so. Extend that leg back out to your starting position and repeat. (Perform 12-20 repetitions per leg.)
Here are some basic strength-training exercises to get you started. They can be done at home without any equipment, requiring only your own body weight to be effective. While these exercises focus on major muscle groups, such as chest, back, abdominals and buttocks, they also work many surrounding muscles.
Perform a single set of each strengthening exercise two to three times per week, using slow, controlled movements when lifting and lowering to avoid relying on momentum.
Push-up
Strengthens your chest and arms. Stand about two feet away from a wall with your arms outstretched directly in front of your chest, your hands against the wall and your fingers facing upward. Lower your body toward the wall, keeping your elbows close to your sides. Press your body back to your starting position, then repeat. (Perform 8-12 repetitions.)
If you want to work harder, perform your push-ups on the floor on your hands and knees, with your ankles crossed. (Perform 12-16 repetitions.)
Back Builder
Tones and strengthens your back. Lie face down on the floor with your legs together and your arms stretched above your head with your palms facing the floor. Slowly and simultaneously, raise your right arm and your left leg. Hold for up to 6 seconds, then lower. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg. (Alternate arms and legs 12 times.)
For more of a challenge, raise both arms and legs at the same time.
Waist Whittler
Focuses on the oblique muscles that crisscross your midsection like a corset, giving you a more defined waistline. Lie down on the floor on your back, with your feet hip width apart and your toes pointing upward (this gives you a better pelvic tilt). Place your hands behind your head with your elbows out to the side. Lift at a diagonal and reach with your hand over toward the opposite knee as you do so. As you lower yourself back toward the floor, place your hand behind your head and repeat lifting toward the other side. (Perform up to 20 repetitions, alternating sides. Increase the repetitions for more of a challenge.)
Seated Leg Lengthener/Inner Thigh Strengthener
Works the upper quadriceps and inner thighs. Sit on the floor with your back against the wall (if you have a bad back, you may lie down). Bend one leg and extend the other out in front of you. Raise your lower leg, keeping it straight, until it reaches the height of the other knee, then lower it back toward the floor. Keeping that same leg extended in front of you, close to the floor, squeeze your leg out to the side, then return to your starting position. (Perform up to12 repetitions. Repeat with other leg.)
Better Buttocks
Tones your buttocks and hamstrings. You may either lie face down on the floor or go onto your hands and knees. Lift and extend one leg behind you. Keeping your knee extended in a straight line from your hip, slowly raise your heel toward your buttocks, squeezing with the back of your leg as you do so. Extend that leg back out to your starting position and repeat. (Perform 12-20 repetitions per leg.)
