Fitness experts agree that the focus has shifted towards functional exercises which use multiple muscles and joints in one go. This way of working out helps t o improve your endurance, strength and coordination, as well as your posture, agility and balance. Here are some great exercises that can improve your wellbeing and fitness.
Medicine ball with a squat
Although you lift things all the time with your arms, from your kids to your shopping, your legs and back are also key players in this movement. Exercises which strengthen these areas are fantastic – this one also improves the strength in your shoulders and glutes too. Using a medicine ball, stand with your feet wide and the ball in front of you – hold it with both hands and squat down. Moving your rear back and keeping your knees over your ankles, lower the ball to the floor and keep your back straight. Return to the starting position and lift the medicine ball over your head. You need to repeat this with three sets of ten repetitions, and as you get stronger you can increase the weight of the ball.
Stair climb with a bicep curl
Using stairs as a part of your fitness programme is clever exercising, as they will keep your legs toned and your back strong, as well as improving your cardiovascular health. Pairing the stair climbs with bicep curls will also improve the strength in your arms and improve your ability to carry things, in everyday life and when walking up the stairs. Stand at the bottom of your stairs holding a five to eight pound dumbbell in each hand. As you climb the stairs you should perform bicep curls – as you walk or run down the stairs, you should hold the weights but don’t do any curls. Repeat this five to ten times. As you get stronger you can increase the weight of the dumbbells, as well as repeating the exercise a few more times each session.
Hip extension with reverse fly
This exercise helps to improve your coordination and balance, as well as strengthening your mid and lower back, shoulders, legs and glutes. Standing straight and tall, hold a five pound dumbbell in each hand and extend your right leg back, placing your toe on the floor and keeping your right leg straight. Lean forward slightly at the hips and lift your right leg beihind you as you bring your chest towards the floor. Keep your back straight throughout this and lift your arms straight out in front of you to form a T and your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and keep your head in line with your neck. Return to the starting position and repeat 10 to 15 times for each leg. As your fitness improves, you can slowly increase the weight of the dumbbells and the amount of repetitions you do each time. This is a great exercise for building your strength and stamina.
Diagonal reach with a medicine ball
This exercise pays close attention to how your body moves, meaning you can workout a number of areas in one go – your arms, shoulders and legs all get a workout. Stand up tall and hold a medicine ball at your chest with both hands. Lift the ball diagonally overhead to your right and straighten your arms, whilst extending your left leg to the side, so that you make a diagonal line from the ball to your toes. Lower the medicine ball to the starting position and then repeat 10 to 15 times for each leg. As you get stronger, you may wish to try strapping some ankle weights to your ankles to increase the workout.