By Laurie Sweig
Published April 20 2017
Spring feels like the time of year to exhale. After being wrapped up and shut in for the winter everything is uncurling stretching and getting ready for new growth. It is a time that inspires movement. And movement is needed to get everything ready for the long days of summer.
In the first article of this series Spring Clean-up I touched on the benefits of being able to move our bodies in many different ways. That is called our range of motion or ROM for short. Hopefully you had a chance to try some of the exercises I recommended. Today we are moving on to three strengthening exercises that will help you with shaking out the cobwebs that may have formed.
The first exercise is the rocket jump. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Bend your knees to lower your buttock toward the floor and touch the floor with your hands. Then reverse the movement to get yourself back to a standing position and then reach way above your head. If you’re up to jumping at this point do so. If not stand on your toes. That is one repetition. Complete 10 to 20 reps or as many as you safely can.
The second exercise is the frog lunge. Start crouched down with you feet on either side your hands. One way of doing this is step back with one foot and then the other landing with your feet together in a straight arm plank position. Then step one foot and the other back to the start position. The other option is to jump with both to the straight arm plank position and the back again. Again aim for 10 to 20 reps.
The last exercise is the burpee. Everyone I know hates this exercise. Consider yourself warned. It’s movement that puts the first two exercises together. Start by standing as you did in the rocket jump. Crouch down and put your hands on the floor and then either step your feet back one at a time or jump them back together. Return to the position by reversing the movement and then finish the repetition by standing and jumping up or reaching up on your toes. Complete five to 10 reps of this exercise.
Attempt to do this mini workout two to three times a week. Keep the movement very slow and listen to your body. What have you got to lose? Consider it spring training.
Something to think about.
Laurie Sweig is a certified personal trainer and spinning instructor. She is one of the founders of The Point for Fitness: www.thepointforfitmess.com.
