Fitness & Exercise



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Fitness & Exercise
Bike Safety
Cold-Weather Sports and Your Family
Compulsive Exercise
Do You Know How to Feed Your Child Athlete?
Exercising During Pregnancy
Fitness and Your 13- to 18-year-old
Fitness and Your 2- to 3-year-old
Fitness and Your 4- to 5-year-old
Fitness and Your 6- to 12-year-old
Fitness for Kids Who Don't Like Sports
Home and Away: How to Keep Toddlers Active
Is Your Preschooler Too Active?
Kids and Exercise
Motivating Kids to Be Active
Motivating Preschoolers to Be Active
Motivating School-Age Kids to Be Active
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Preventing Children's Sports Injuries
Raising a Fit Preschooler
Signing Kids Up for Sports
Sportsmanship
Steroids
Strength Training and Your Child
Nutrition & Weight
After-School Snacks
Binge Eating Disorder
Body Mass Index (BMI) Charts
Breakfast Basics
Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding
Caffeine and Your Child
Calcium and Your Child
Carbohydrates, Sugar, and Your Child
Cholesterol and Your Child
Cooking With Kids
Cooking With Preschoolers
Cooking With School-Age Kids
Cystic Fibrosis and Nutrition
Deciphering Food Labels
Do You Know How to Feed Your Child Athlete?
Eating Disorders
Eating During Pregnancy
Egg Allergy
Egg Allergy Diet
Failure to Thrive
Family Meals
Fats and Your Child
Feeding Your 1- to 2-Year-Old
Feeding Your 1- to 3-Month-Old
Feeding Your 4- to 7-Month-Old
Feeding Your 8- to 12-Month-Old
Feeding Your Newborn
Fiber and Your Child
Food Allergies
Food Safety for Your Family
Healthy Eating
Hunger and Malnutrition
Hunger and Your Preschooler
Iron and Your Child
Keeping Portions Under Control
Kids and Food: 10 Tips for Parents
Milk Allergy Diet
Nut and Peanut Allergy
Nut and Peanut Allergy Diet
Overweight and Obesity
Pica
School Lunches
Snacks
Snacks for Preschoolers
Snacks for Toddlers
Strategies for Feeding a Preschooler
The Food Guide Pyramid
Toddlers at the Table: Avoiding Power Struggles
Vegetarianism
What Should Preschoolers Drink?
Your Child's Weight
Nutrition & Fitness Q&As
Can Too Much Juice Discolor Teeth?
Does Skim Milk Provide the Same Nutrients as Whole Milk?
How Can I Calculate Calories From Fat?
How Can I Get My Child to Eat Vegetables?
How Much Exercising Is Too Much?
How Should I Deal With a Picky Eater?
Is Caffeinated Soda OK for Kids?
My Child May Have an Eating Disorder — What Can I Do?
My Son's BMI Report Card From School Says He Is Overweight - What Do I Do?
Should I Start My Child on an Exercise Program?
What Are the Symptoms of an Overeating Disorder?
What Can I Do for a Child With an Eating Disorder?
When Can Young Kids Start Exercising?
When Should Kids Switch to Skim Milk?
Why Does My Toddler Eat Dog Food?
Why Is Breakfast So Important?

Body Mechanics for Back Protection
Your body undergoes so much stress on a daily basis. The last thing your body needs is additional stress caused by improperly lifting, bending, or simply getting out of bed. Simply put, our leg muscles are stronger than our back muscles, so use them! Below are some simple techniques that will help keep your spine healthy:

Getting up from floor: Roll onto your side first, and then push through your hands to come to an upright position. Come to a kneeling position, then place one foot forward on the floor. Place your hands on your forward knee. Use your legs and arms to push yourself to a standing position.

Getting out of bed: Roll onto your side first, and then push through your hands to come to an upright position. Swing legs over the side of the bed and sit up, then use legs and arms to come to a standing position. For individuals with weak abs (such as new mothers or previously sedentary individuals), is important to roll to your side to sit versus pulling yourself straight up, which places a lot of stress on your abdominal muscles.

Doing laundry: Always squat or kneel to get clothes in and out of the dryer. Avoid twisting back and forth from machine to laundry basket. When folding clothes, sit with clothes in front of you, or have them on a surface that allows you to stand up straight.

The guidelines may seem like commonsense, but when you're busy (or just not thinking about it) it's easy to make mistakes here and there. Just because it doesn't hurt now doesn't mean that you aren't causing some damage. Protect your back now to avoid problems in the future.

Time Involved: A couple seconds to think and correct
Body Benefit: Less back pain now and in the future

Back Pain
Arthritis
Shin Splints
Knee Pain

Aerobic Exercise
Strength Exercise
Stretching
Anaerobic Exercise
Warm Up, Cool Down
Exercise Intensity
Body Composition

Stretching Exercises

Upper Body

Biceps and Shoulder Stretch
Neck Stretch
Shoulder Stretch
Torso Stretch
Triceps Stretch


Lower Body

Calf Stretch
Gluteal and Outer Thigh Stretch
Groin Butterfly Stretch
Hamstring Stretch
Quad Stretch

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Core Excercises


Beginners


Back Extension
Banana
Bridge-Ups
Crunches
Crunches with Ball
Crunches with Twist
Dolphin Pose
Dumbbell Side Bends
Hip Flexor
Low Mount Hip Flexor with Band
Modified Pendulum with Medicine Ball
Modified Plank
Modified Side Plank
Reverse Crunch
Seated Twist with Medicine Ball
Side Plank on Ball
Standing Side Bend with Towel
Superman
Swimming





Advanced






Airplane Pose
Back Extension with Ball
Balancing Seated Twist with Medicine Ball
Bicycle Crunches
Clamshell Crunch with Ball
Dumbbell Crunches
Elbow to Knee Crunch
Hip Flexor & Extension
Jackknife with Ball
Kneeling Rollout with Ball
Leg Lifts with Ball
Low Mount Crunches with Band
Low Mount Double Crunches with Band
Low Mount Reverse Crunches with Band
Lying Straight Leg Raises
Pendulum
Pendulum with Ball
Plank
Reverse Crunch with Ball
Seated Knee Lifts with Chair
Side Plank
Slow Swimming on Ball
T Stand
Wheelbarrow Walk with Ball

Lower Body Excercises

Beginners

Bridges
Calf Raises with Chair
Calf Raises with Wall
Calf Rocking with Chair
Calf Rocking with Dumbbells
Dumbbell Squats
Forward Lunges
Lateral Lunges
Low Mount Abduction with Band
Low Mount Adduction with Band
Low Mount Leg Curls with Band
Lying Abduction
Lying Abduction with Band
Lying Adduction
Lying Hamstring Curls with Ball
Lying Leg Curls
Lying Single-Leg Raises
Modified Lunges
Seated Leg Extensions
Seated Leg Extensions with Band
Single Leg Squats with Chair
Skater Squats
Squats
Standing Abduction
Standing Adduction
Step-Ups
Wall Squats
Wall Squats with Ball
Wide Leg Squats with Dumbbell

Advanced

Bridges on Ball
Calf Raises on Step
Dumbbell Squat with Calf Raise and Overhead Press
Forward Lunge with Dumbbell Press
Forward Lunges with Dumbbells
Genie Sit
Hamstring Flexion with Ball
Lateral Lunges with Overhead Dumbbell Press
Lunge & Twist with Medicine Ball
Lunges with Step
Lying 45-Degree Abduction with Band
Lying Double Leg Raises
Runner's Lunges
Single Leg Bridge-Ups
Single Leg Calf Raises at Wall
Single Leg Calf Raises on Step
Single Leg Dumbbell Squats with Ball
Single Leg Hamstring Flexion with Ball
Single Leg Lateral Squat with Ball
Single Leg Squat & Bend
Single Leg Squats with Ball
Single Leg Squats with Toe Touch
Squats with Medicine Ball
Walking Lunges
Wall Squats with Dumbbells & Ball
Wide Leg Wall Sit with Calf Raises

Stretching during Pregnancy



The Basics



This set of full body stretches can be used whether you are just starting out or are more experienced. It will prepare you for just about any workout or physical activity. The stretches themselves are basic and easy to follow. Remember to warm up first and never stretch to the point of pain. Know your body’s limits. Hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds, repeating two or three times, depending on how you feel.


Neck Stretch: Keep torso upright, shoulders down and back, and spine neutral.With your left hand, gently grasp the left side of your head while reaching your opposite hand behind your back. Tilt head down towards shoulder until a gentle stretch is felt.


Biceps and Shoulder Stretch: Begin this stretch in a standing position with your feet approximately shoulder width apart. Clasp your hands together behind your back. Roll your chest out and raise your arms up towards the ceiling.


Triceps Stretch: Stand tall, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Extend one arm overhead. Bend the extended arm so that you are reaching down the center of your back with the palm of your hand. Hold that arm down at the elbow with your opposite hand.


Chest Stretch (Corner Stretch): Stand in the corner of a room, facing the walls, feet planted about 2-3 feet away from the corner. With feet flat and legs straight, place on palm on each wall, wrists in line with your shoulders. Bending at the elbows, lower your body toward the corner, elbows pointing backward.


Back Stretch (Angry Cat Stretch): Begin on your hands and knees on a soft surface. Your knees should be directly below the hips, hands directly under the shoulders, head and spine in a neutral position. Inhale and tuck your chin into your chest, drawing your lower abdomen in towards the spine as you round your back.


Hamstring Stretch:Begin by standing upright, facing the seat of a low chair, stool, or step. Carefully place the heel of your right foot onto the chair (using a wall or another object for balance, if necessary). Keep your back leg slightly bent and abs tight to help with balance. Keeping torso straight, bend over from the waist, lowering your upper body towards your extended leg.


Quadriceps Stretch:Begin standing next to a sturdy chair or wall. Feet and legs should be together, abs pulled in. Place your right hand onto the chair or wall for balance. Grasp your left ankle or foot with your left hand. Keeping back flat and thighs together, gently pull your left heel toward your left buttock until you feel a stretch in the front of your thigh.


Hip Flexor Stretch:Begin with both knees on the floor, and body upright. Use the floor or a low piece of furniture for balance (if necessary) and place your right foot in front of you, flat on the floor, knee bent. Your right knee should be directly over your right ankle, and your spine should be upright. Place your hands on your front thigh or on your hips. Keeping your torso upright, deepen the bend in your right knee (the knee may move in line with the toe at this point), and lean your hips forward.


Lower Back Stretch (Child’s Pose):Begin on hands and knees with hands directly below shoulders, palms flat, and knees directly below hips. Slowly extend arms out in front of you as your lower your buttocks towards your heels. Allow your head and arms to settle toward the mat, keeping shoulders pulled down away from your ears. Lengthen through the spine as you push your torso back.


Full Body Stretch (Downward Dog):Begin on your hands and knees, keeping hands directly underneath shoulders and knees underneath hips. Slowly straighten the knees as you lift your hips upward and lower your heels to the ground. Breathe steady as your lengthen through the spine and pull your shoulders down away from your ears. If your flexibility allows, lengthen through the arms and lower your chest, shifting your weight back into your heels.




Benefits of Stretching
Safety Tips
Injury Prevention
The Basics
Quick & Easy
DeskBound
Standing & Walking
A Challenge!