When I was 9 years old I started exercising in earnest and haven’t stopped for the last 33 years. I have ran in 5k’s and 10k’s, tried martial arts, surfed, swam and worked with trainers. Looking back I would say that the hardest part is getting and staying motivated as well as keeping it interesting. When I see patients in my office I try and explain to them that many of their problems can be resolved without medications. When I tell them that they need to start exercising regularly and intensely most of them tell me they don’t have time or they don’t know how. It may be possible to not have time some of the time but not all the time. Ideally, I would like people who are starting an exercise program to work with a trainer or in a class setting, however some people can just budget 30 minutes at home and this works too. Here is a simple workout which can be done at home in 30 minutes or less. The beginner work out is geared towards people who haven’t exercised in years. The advanced work out is for people who are trying to regain a basic level of fitness in order to resume an active lifestyle.
Basic Workout (repeat circuit three times)
High knees marching in place 30-60 seconds. This can be more or less intense either by slowing down, speeding up, or increasing the duration. If marching in place is too difficult then hold on to a chair or table top to assist with balance.
Plank or Modified Plank 30-60 seconds. There are a lot of variations on this exercise. To make it less difficult, reduce the time. To increase difficulty lift one foot or one arm off the floor for 10 seconds then go to the next limb. This is an excellent exercise for strengthening your abdominal muscles, improving balance, and building overall core streng
Military Press with resistance band. Repeat 15-20 repetitions slowly. The goal of this exercise is to build up the muscles in the shoulder girdle. The resistance bands require stabilization of the shoulder which will decrease the likelihood of rotator cuff injuries in the future.
Sit ups 15-20 repetitions. Another variation is a reverse sit up where your back if flat on the ground and you roll your lower back up so your knees come up towards your torso
Standing lunges are great for balance and hip flexibility. Start in the neutral position, step forward with alternate legs. In order to get back to neutral, press off with your front leg. To make the exercise easier take a smaller step and go less deep into the lunge
- Stand on 1 foot 30 seconds each side. Excellent for balance, core strength and hip stabilization. To make it less difficult hold onto a table or chair with just your fingertips. To make it more difficult, flex forward at your waist and extend the tucked foot towards the wall behind you.
Body weight squats 15-20 repetitions. The goal of this exercise is to build strength and flexibility in the lower extremities. Keep your feet approximately shoulder width with toes rotated slightly outward. Squat down with you butt over your heels and your back as straight as you can If you start to flex forward at your waist, move your feet a little wider and do not go as deep into the squat.
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