Getting Started

This is the “getting started if you’ve never exercised” exercise routine to which I referred last Tuesday (December 5, 2006) on the “Virginia This Morning” show hosted by Cheryl Miller and Bill Bevins.

Don’t forget, make sure you have a physical exam from your family doctor and an exercise stress test before beginning any sort of regular exercise program if you are 35 years of age or older, have not exercised in a long time, are obese, or have never exercised at all.

Do these exercises in the order that they are listed. Although it may appear that the directions are complicated, you’ll easily get the hang of them after a couple of times through. It may seem that I have described them in too much detail, but I would rather there be too much detail than a lot of confusion.

If you ever experience any pain or discomfort with any exercise at any time, stop immediately. If any exercise causes you discomfort because of a particular position that is required of you to assume, skip that exercise and go to the next one.....

For the first four weeks, do ONE SET of 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise with no added resistance weight THREE TIMES EACH WEEK (Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, OR Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday).

For the second four-week period, do TWO SETS of 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise with no added resistance weight THREE TIMES EACH WEEK.

For the third four-week period, do THREE SETS of 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise with no added resistance weight THREE TIMES EACH WEEK.

Never skip rest days. Your body needs rest so that your muscles can recover.

For each additional four-week period after the initial 12 weeks, you may begin to add very light amounts of weight with light dumbbells (1 lb or 2 lbs) or even canned fruits/vegetables held in your hands in gradually increasing amounts as your strength and endurance progress. You may also very slowly increase the amount of time of the “cardio” portion at the very last exercise ( i.e., number 11).

OK, here goes:

(1) warm-up: walk or march in place for 3 minutes (fairly briskly with arms swinging fully at your sides).......

(2) continue to warm-up: “Swing Throughs”: clasp hands (or hold a light weight after the initial 12 weeks of this program as described above) and let your arms hang in front of your pelvis; gently bend your knees and do a quarter squat or a half squat; then swing your clasped hands and arms up over your head as your straighten your legs and stand back up; then return your clasped hands with arms hanging down in front of your pelvis, and repeat........

(3) “Standing Chest Press”: make fists (or hold light weights in each hand) and start with them at chest level, shoulder width apart, elbows bent and out to the sides, arms parallel to the floor; then extend arms straight out in front of your chest (exhale); then return fists (or the light weights) to the front of your chest, elbows bent as before (inhale) and repeat.......

(4) “Standing Military Press”: make fists (or hold light weights in each hand) and start with them at shoulder level, shoulder width apart, palms facing inward (towards your head), elbows bent, arms perpendicular to the floor (elbows pointed down to the floor); then extend arms straight up over your head (exhale); then return fists (or light weights) to shoulder level with elbows bent and pointing downward (inhale) and repeat......

(5) “Standing Biceps Curl”: make fists (or hold light weights in each hand) and start with them hanging at each side with palms facing forward, elbows straight; curl your fists (or light weights) in an arc motion up to your shoulders by bending your elbows so that your palms are then “facing” your shoulders (exhale); then return to the starting position by straightening your elbows (inhale) and repeat. The pictures at the top of this page demonstrate this exercise using paint cans for the weights......

(6) “Standing Triceps Extension”: clasp hands together (or very firmly hold a single light weight) over and behind your head with elbows bent; then extend your clasped hands (or the very firmly held light weight) directly over your head ‘til your arms are straight up (exhale); then bend your elbows and return to starting position (inhale) and repeat.....

(7) “Seated Abdominal Crunch”: sit in a kitchen chair or a dining room table chair with your arms folded across your chest; bend forward as far as you can comfortably, then return back up to the starting position and repeat.......

(8) “Seated Leg Raises”: sit in a kitchen chair or a dining room table chair holding on with your hands to the sides of the seat of the chair, both feet on the floor in front of you; then one at time, raise each leg upwards in an alternating fashion (RIGHT then LEFT) keeping the knees bent (exhale with each raise); each thigh should raise upwards one at a time with the foot coming up off the floor; return to starting position (inhale) and repeat.........(raising the RIGHT leg and returning to starting position PLUS raising the LEFT leg and returning to starting position constitutes ONE repetition)

(9) “Seated Trunk Twisters”: sit in a kitchen chair or a dining room table chair; clasp your hands together directly in front of your chest with your arms extended, elbows are straight; remaining seated, turn your trunk (and arms) first to the RIGHT (exhale) then return to the starting position (inhale); then turn your trunk (and arms) to the LEFT (exhale) then return to the starting position (inhale) and repeat.... (turning to the RIGHT and returning to starting position PLUS turning to the LEFT and returning to starting position constitutes ONE repetition)

(10) “Standing Calf Raises”: using a door frame or a wall for support, while standing, raise up on your toes (on the “balls of your feet”) so that both of your heels are off the floor (exhale), then lower your heels back down to where your feet are flat on the floor (inhale), and repeat........

(11) then finish-up this routine by walking or marching in place for 5 to 10 minutes.......

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Monday, December 11, 2006