5 Easy Toning Exercises You Can Do Anywhere
Regular bouts of exercise should be part and parcel of our daily routines, especially as we grow older. A daily regime of light exercise (at any age) helps keep us fit and in shape, which in turn helps increase our life expectancy.
So why do so many of us shy away from regular exercising if it is so good for us?
The most common excuse for not taking daily exercise is, “I haven’t got the time” or “I don’t have enough space”.
The fact is. If we exercised our bodies on a ‘Daily basis’, it wouldn’t need to take up more than 10 minutes of our whole day, and as for the space issue. You can get a good healthy workout in any area that is large enough for you to lay flat in.
So, with the excuses out of the way…
Here are 5 easy toning exercises that can be done at home, in the office, or even on vacation, within just a few minutes. Each one individually easy to implement but all together, extremely effective exercises.
1. The Bridge Butt Lift
Sounds like a plastic surgery technique but it is an easy way to tone your buttocks. Lay down with feet flat on the floor, legs shoulder width apart. Place your hands, palm side down, on either side of your body. Pushing with your feet, squeeze your gluteal muscles and lift your butt off the floor. Hold the position for a count of five to ten and release down to the floor. – 5 to 10 repetitions.
2. Squats
Squats work the butt, the hamstring muscles and the quadriceps. If you aren’t sure of proper form, you can use a chair. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and feet firmly planted. Push your butt back as if you were preparing to sit in a chair. Keep your abs tight and your upper body straight. Once you reach chair level stop and hold the position for a count of two to five and release. At the lowest point, place all of your weight on your heels for balance and maximum toning. – 5 to 10 repetitions.
3. Reverse Lunges
Lunges work the quadriceps muscles. They can be hard for people with knee problems. A reverse lunge still tones the right muscle groups but with less pressure on the knee. Stand with feet together and arms at your sides. Take one leg and move it backwards until you are in lunge position: front leg bent at a 90 degree angle and back leg extended until you are on the ball of your foot. From this position lower yourself down until the back knee almost touches the floor. Hold for a count of two and return to starting position. – 5 to 10 repetitions.
4. Pushups
This is a classic toning exercise that works all areas of the arms plus the chest muscles. If you aren’t comfortable or strong enough to perform a pushup on your toes, lower your body to your knees. Be sure your arms are tucked into the body and your back straight as you lower and lift your body. – As many as you feel comfortable with.
5. Crunches
Abdominal muscles can be worked every day to build strength and
muscle tone. Lying on the floor in sit up position, lace your fingers behind your head. Squeezing your abdominal muscles, lift your upper body until your lower back is about to come off the floor. Hold for two to five counts and return to starting position. – Start with 5 then build up (over time) to as many as you feel comfortable completing.
These five exercises can be done whenever you have a spare ten minutes and with minimal space, but the best thing about them is that the effects are cumulative with regular use and you will notice a significant difference within just a couple of weeks.
Daily exercise should be fun, so have fun. Don’t go pulling any muscles or tearing any ligaments with any desire to achieve the body beautiful, and don’t go at it as if you were training for the Olympics. These are only toning exercises, so take your time and go at your own pace with each exercise, but more important – Have Fun.
