The body achieves what the mind believes” — that’s my mantra. I’d always look at fitness models and wish I had a six-pack too. Then, one fine day, I decided I’ll give it whatever it takes to achieve it. Today, I have six-pack abs that I’ve achieved naturally because I believed in myself and worked towards it. When it comes to fitness, there are no boundaries. Any person of any age, shape, or size can choose to stay fit.
The other day, I went to my parents’ room and, to my surprise, I saw my mom doing a plank. I was so puzzled that she even knew what a plank was and it felt great to see her practising it with utmost dedication.
Well, fitness is one thing which doesn’t just help you physically but mentally and emotionally also. It induces positivity and helps one feel better. All you need is motivation to work towards a better you. I choose to stay fit, so should you! So, here are four simple exercises, which engage most body parts effectively, that anyone can do anywhere they want, to get you started.
Alternating Side Lunge Touch
Steps:
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
Step to the side with your right leg and touch your right foot with your left hand.
Return to the starting position and repeat the movement with your left leg.
Benefits: Great exercise for the legs and glutes. Lateral movement targets the inner and outer thighs. The rotation of torso targets obliques. This works as a great warm up exercise as well, as it prepares you for more challenging exercises.
Sumo Squat:
Steps:
Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and turn your feet out, externally rotating your hips.
With your hands clasped together at your chest, push your hips back — and squat down, keeping your back straight and your upper body lifted.
Add weights if you can to increase resistance.
Benefits: Sumo Squats are ideal for working glutes, hamstrings and inner quadriceps. Other benefits include: they burn more calories, they are a compound exercise, they can improve mobility and flexibility, they build balance and stability, they are highly versatile, they can be done anywhere, and they strengthen your core.
Russian twist
Steps:
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
Step to the side with your right leg and touch your right foot with your left hand.
Return to the starting position and repeat the movement with your left leg.
Benefits: Great exercise for the legs and glutes. Lateral movement targets the inner and outer thighs. The rotation of torso targets obliques. This works as a great warm up exercise as well, as it prepares you for more challenging exercises.
Plank Push Up
Steps:
A plank push-up starts like any other push-up: With your toes on the floor, lift your body off the ground using your arms, and lift your knees off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your heels to the back of your neck.
Instead of bending your elbows to lower down as you would with a traditional push-up, slowly lower one arm until your forearm and elbow are resting on the ground. Carefully lean on that forearm, and bring your other arm down to rest on the ground. You’re now in the plank position.
Hold the plank for one count, and then slowly return to the push-up position, one arm at a time. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Benefits: This exercise combines the core workout of a plank, with the added arm, shoulder and back workout of a push-up. These muscle groups engage in one exercise that you can do without any equipment. The plank half of the plank push-up engages your core, which offers a myriad of additional benefits. Push-ups pull together multiple motions to build strength quickly, and it can be done almost anywhere. Not only does it strengthen your shoulders, arms and chest, but it’s a mighty core builder as well. Modified push-ups like the plank ups offer even more muscle engagement and strength-building.
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