Easy Exercises You Can Do At Home
Do you know that in order to keep your heart healthy and your weight under control, you need to walk at least 10,000 steps each day? This may sound daunting but many activities you're doing everyday such as running errands or doing household works can add up to a few hundred or even thousand of steps for you.
To maintain your health and make sure you achieve the 10,000 steps each day, here are some simple and easy exercises that you can do at home. These exercise routines not only help to keep you fit but also will tone your body as they work on some specific muscle groups. They are a lot more effective than the general exercises such as running errands and doing house chores. Here are the exercises you can easily do at home:
- Stretching exercises. Stand with both of your hands against a wall and move your left leg back so that your foot is flat against the floor. Hold for a few seconds; then repeat this move with the right leg. Another great stretching exercise you can perform is to lie on your back, use both hands, bring up your right knee to your chest and hold it for a few seconds. Repeat this routine with your left leg.
- Curl is very easy to do. Just lie on your back with both hands behind your head and raise your upper body. Repeat this move for 15-20 times.
- Leg exercises can be done by lying down on your side and lifting each leg repeatedly for 15-20 times. You can also stand and hold on to the back of a chair and lift your legs backward repeatedly.
- Arm exercises. This is important to improve muscle tone. For arm exercises, you can use an exercise band. Place both feet on one end of the band, hold the other ends with each hand and then repeatedly raise and lower the band (in an up and down motion for 10-15 minutes). If you have a pair of dumbbell, you can also use them to exercise your arms.
- If you are working at home and sitting in front of your computer most of the time, try to press down on your toes in an up and down motion frequently. This activity will help to keep the blood circulation flowing in your legs.
- If you know how to dance, put on a music CD and dance for about 20-30 minutes. This is a great cardiovascular workout. You can also incorporate push-ups, sit-ups and jumping rope into your daily home exercise routine.
- Abs workout. I have found a great 8 minute video showing you how to do abs workout at home. You can watch the video at "Best Abs Workout At Home - Only 8 Minute".
NOTE: Always do some stretching to warm up before starting any exercise routine to prevent injury.
Leon is an Infopreneur dedicated to sharing his online discoveries across the net. You can visit his blogs at Leon's Self-Improvement Blog and Health Buzz Zone.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leon_Lioe


Other Recent EzineArticles from the Health-and-Fitness:Exercise Category:
Is Bicycling a Good Exercise For Burning Calories?
How Weight Lifting Makes You Healthier And Happier
Slim Down Tone Up Look Great This Summer
Get Walking!
How To Get 6-Pack Abs
Increasing Pull-Up Power And Strength Even If You Can't Even Do One Pull-Up
Preventing Elbow Injury And Pain
4 Major Annoyances At The Gym
Benefits Of Cross Training
Exercise For Free And Get Paid
Naps Mats Help Kids Concentration
Diet And Fitness - How To Get In Shape
3 Entertaining Excuses For Avoiding Exercise
The Truth About Six Pack Abs on How to Get Rock Hard Abs
Finding Your Fitness Flavor
Most Viewed EzineArticles in the Health-and-Fitness:Exercise Category (90 Days)
Sexy Female Abs - Oh My, How Tight The Tummy Looks In Sexy Female Abs
Arm Exercises For Women - Get Rid Of Batwings
Best Exercises to Flatten Your Tummy
Building a Six Pack Abs Workout
Spare Me 45 Minutes Of Your Time For A Great Workout To Shed Off Belly Fat
Metabolism Jump Start Tips - 10 Ways to Increase Your Metabolism Naturally and Easily
Easy Ab Workouts
Legs R Us - How to Get Nice Hot Beautiful Legs - Warning, Don't Make This 1 Mistake
Exercises For Waist And Stomach
Female Abs - Guide to Women 6 Pack Abs
3 Exercises to Reduce Waist Size
Secret to Getting the Sexiest Butt and Flattest Abdominals at the Gym
How To Get Abs Fast - Avoid This Big Mistake!
Stomach Fat Exercises That Are Effective
How To Tighten Your Stomach Muscles By Summer
Most Published EzineArticles in the Health-and-Fitness:Exercise Category
Building a Six Pack Abs Workout
Creating An Exercise Plan That You Will Enjoy And Lose Weight And Inches
The Scale of Perceived Exertion
Plyometrics - How Watered Down Can It Get?
Sexy Female Abs - Oh My, How Tight The Tummy Looks In Sexy Female Abs
Walking For Exercise
Female Abs - Guide to Women 6 Pack Abs
Is This Fat Loss Workout Too Much To Handle?
Arm Exercises For Women - Get Rid Of Batwings
Exercises To Reduce Belly Fat
Best Leg Exercises For Women
The Quick And Effective 4 Week Massive Chest Building Workout
Lose Your Fat Butt Exercises
Spare Me 45 Minutes Of Your Time For A Great Workout To Shed Off Belly Fat
Stomach Fat Exercises That Are Effective

Cardiovascular Exercises:
1. Walking
Walking is the simplest, cheapest and easiest form of cardiovascular exercise.
It is the best starting point for anyone who is just starting to exercise.
It is very low impact and is extremely convenient.
Start slowly, then gradually work up to walking longer and faster.
Finding a walking partner can help keep you motivated.
2. Jogging/Running
This is a step up from walking. It is harder and puts more impact and stress on the body.
If you are just starting an exercise program, work through fast walking before moving up to jogging.
3. Cycling
Riding a bike is an excellent, no-impact form of cardio.
Be sure to follow the rules of the road and ALWAYS wear a helmet.
4. Swimming
Swimming involves all the major muscles of the body.
It is no-impact and is very useful for injury recovery
The major drawback is that you must know how to swim.
Resistance Exercises:
1. Chest
Wall Push-Ups
Stand facing a wall with your feet about 1 to 2 feet back from it.
Place your hands on the wall just outside shoulder-width apart.
Bending only at the elbows, lower yourself forward towards the wall then push yourself away from it.
Keep your body stiff and straight during the movement.

2. Back
Standing Rows
These are done from a standing position.
Loop a towel around a vertical pole or column or another fixed object so that the ends of the towel are pointing towards you and the towel is wrapped around the far side of the pole.
Have your feet close up to the pole and lean back gripping on the ends of the towel and keeping your body stiff and straight.
Row yourself up with both arms.
Keep your back arched and row with your back.
3. Shoulders
Presses
Use something around the house for weight, e.g. soup cans or milk jugs with water in them.
From a seated or standing position, hold the weights just above your shoulders.
Push them up overhead slowly.

4. Legs
Squats
Place your feet about shoulder width apart.
Keeping your torso vertical and a slight arch in your lower back, start the movement by bending the knees.
Go only as far down as you feel comfortable when first starting out. If you can go down until your thighs are just below parallel, do so. This is the full range goal.
Using leg power, push yourself back up to the start position. Use your grip on the bar only for balance unless you absolutely need to pull yourself up.
As you get stronger with squats, don't use the bar anymore. When you can do good, full-range reps without the bar, you can start using weight.
For weight, use two duffel bags (evenly loaded) or two milk jugs, etc. Hold them at your sides and squat.
5. Abdominals
Crunches
Lie down flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.
Hold your hands wherever you feel comfortable (on your chest or beside your head - just be sure you don't pull on your head).
The typical crunch is taught by instructing you to simply roll your upper torso forward. This is fine to start with.
To increase the effectiveness of the crunch movement, push your chest and head up towards the ceiling pushing your lower back flat onto the floor.
Your anatomy will automatically cause you to follow a crunching pattern.
Hold at the top of the movement for a second and squeeze hard.
6. Biceps
Curls
Stand with your knees slightly bent, arms at your sides, holding your resistance bags or two dumbells in your hands.
The curl movement happens only at the elbow. With your upper arm pinned at your side and bending only at the elbow, lift the weight up to shoulder level.
Your palm should be facing forward all the way up and all the way down.
Squeeze hard at the top then lower slowly.
Do the same with the other arm, alternating back and forth.
7. Triceps
Bench Dips
These can be done on the edge of a chair or bench.
Sit on the side edge of a flat bench or the front edge of a chair.
Place your hands on the edge of the chair right beside your glutes and grip the edge.
To start with, your feet should be flat on the floor about two feet in front of you with your knees bent.
Move yourself off the chair so you are now supporting yourself on your hands.
Bend your arms, dipping your body down. Go down only as far as you feel comfortable, being careful not to bounce out of the bottom.
Push back up, squeezing the triceps.
It is important to keep your back close to the edge of the bench as you do these to minimize shoulder stress.
When you're done the set, push yourself back onto the chair.
8. Calves
Standing Calf Raises
This exercise can be done on the edges of stairs, wood blocks, books, etc.
Do both legs at the same time to start with then, as you get stronger, do them one leg at a time.
Hold a bag in your hand for resistance as you get stronger
Stand on the edge of the block with only the balls of your feet on the block.
Keeping knees stiff and bending only at the ankles, lower your heels down towards the floor.
Go down until you feel a strong stretch in your calves.
Reverse the direction without bouncing and push up as high as you can.
Do this movement slowly to feel the contraction all the way up.

• 10 Things You Can Do To Lose Fat Without Even Trying
• How To Lose Fat NOW - A Basic Fat-Loss Program That You Can Put To Work Today!
• Road Warrior Training - Keep in Shape While Traveling!

Fitness Pages
Abdominal Exercises
Basic Fitness Tips
Body Mass Index
Choosing a Treadmill
Compulsive Exercise
Dealing with Injuries
Easy Exercises
Exercise and Caffeine
Exercise and Pain
Exercise Mistakes
Exercise Regimens
Fall Exercises
Family Exercises
Fitness Goals
Fitness Apparel
Fitness Guide
Fitness Motivators
Fitness Myths
Fitness Retreats
Flat Abs
Gym Safety
Home Exercises
Maximize Your Routine
Mini Exercises
Mom's Fitness
Muscle Strength
Personal Training
Plateau Secrets
Post Workout Soreness
Prevent Injuries
Recovery foods
Sports Physiotherapists
Sports FitnessSports Therapy
Stay Fit During Holidays
Stick to your Goals
Strengthen Joints
Stretching
Too Much Exercise
Winter Fitness
Links
Email Mama
Cross Country Skiing
Cross Training
Hiking
Pilates
Playing Ball
Running and Walking
Rowing
Skating
Skiing
Snowboarding
Snowshoeing
Surfing
Swimming
TaeKwon-DoTennis tips
Trail Running
Yoga
Avoid Weight lifting mistakes
Nutrition for Athletes
Exercise Videos
Inexpensive Treadmills
Fitness Accessories

Exercises
Neck
Sternocleidomastoid
Splenius
Shoulders
Deltoid
Anterior
Lateral
Posterior
Supraspinatus
Upper Arms
Triceps Brachii
Biceps Brachii
Brachialis
Forearms
Brachioradialis
Wrist
Flexors
Extensors
Pronators
Supinators
Back
General
Latissimus Dorsi & Teres Major
Trapezius
Upper
Middle
Lower
Levator Scapulae
Rhomboids
Infraspinatus & Teres Minor
Subscapularis
Chest
General
Pectoralis Major
Sternal
Clavicular
Pectoralis Minor
Serratus Anterior
Waist
Rectus Abdominis
Transverse Abdominus
Obliques
Quadratus Lumborum
Erector Spinae
Hips
Gluteus Maximus
Abductors
Flexors
Deep External Rotators
Thighs
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Hip Adductors
Calves
General
Gastrocnemius
Soleus
Tibialis Anterior
Popliteus

Exercise

Exercise Quiz: How Realistic are You Ab...Childhood Obesity

Personal Trainers for Kids

Bright Side of Exercise

Exercise Quiz: Are You Afraid to Exerci...



Best Ab Exercises

How to Lose Weight

Butt Exercises

Core Exercises for Ab strength- Exercise Ball

Exercises for Your Triceps

Weight Loss

Walking

Bodybuilding

Sports Medicine

Exercise
22 Ways to Stop Feeling Tired
7 Causes of Fatigue
Identifying Bugs and Their Bites
The Flat Belly Diet
Sex Myths vs. the Facts
Bumps and Rashes Kids Get
12 Embarrassing Body Problems
Help for Soda Lovers
9 Skin Care Myths
What Does MRSA Look Like?
Can You Ease RA Pain With Exercise?
Got Diabetes? 5 Steps to Healthy Feet
Blast Fat in 20 Minutes
Considering Weight Loss Surgery?
How Exercise Can Boost Your Mood
8 Exercise Tips for Allergy Sufferers
7 Tips for Working Out Without 'Leaks'

7 Most Effective Exercises
Experts offer their favorite moves for making the most of your workout time.
By Barbara Russi SarnataroWebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Experts say there is no magic to exercise: You get out of it what you put in. That doesn't mean you have to work out for hours each day. It just means you need to work smart. That said, experts agree that not all exercises are created equal. Some are simply more efficient than others, whether they target multiple muscle groups, are suitable for a wide variety of fitness levels, or help you burn calories more effectively. So what are the best exercises? We posed this question to four fitness experts and compiled a list of their favorites.
1. Walking.
Any exercise program should include cardiovascular exercise, which strengthens the heart and burns calories. And walking is something you can do anywhere, anytime, with no equipment other than a good pair of shoes.
It's not just for beginners, either: Even the very fit can get a good workout from walking.
"Doing a brisk walk can burn up to 500 calories per hour," says Robert Gotlin, DO, director of orthopaedic and sports rehabilitation at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. Since it takes 3,500 calories to lose a pound, you could expect to lose a pound for every seven hours you walk, if you did nothing else.
Don't go from the sofa to walking an hour day, though. Richard Cotton, a spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, says beginners should start by walking five to -10 minutes at a time, gradually moving up to at least 30 minutes per session. "Don't add more than five minutes at a time," he says. Another tip: It's better to lengthen your walks before boosting your speed or incline.
2. Interval training.
Whether you're a beginner or an exercise veteran, a walker or an aerobic dancer, adding interval training to your cardiovascular workout will boost your fitness level and help you lose weight.
"Varying your pace throughout the exercise session stimulates the aerobic system to adapt," says Cotton. "The more power the aerobic system has, the more capacity you have to burn calories."
The way to do it is to push the intensity or pace for a minute or two, then back off for anywhere from two to -10 minutes (depending on how long your total workout will be, and how much time you need to recover). Continue doing this throughout the workout.

3. Squats.
Strength training is essential, the experts say. "The more muscular fitness you have," says Cotton, "the greater the capacity you have to burn calories." And our experts tended to favor strength-training exercises that target multiple muscle groups. Squats, which work the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals, are an excellent example. "They give you the best bang for the buck because they use the most muscle groups at once," says Oldsmar, Fla., trainer David Petersen. Form is key, though, warns Petersen. "What makes an exercise functional is how you perform the exercise," he says. "If you have bad technique, it's no longer functional." For perfect form, keep feet shoulder-width apart and back straight. Bend knees and lower your rear, says Cotton: "The knee should remain over the ankle as much as possible." "Think of how you sit down in a chair, only the chair's not there," suggests Gotlin. Physical therapist Adam Rufa, of Cicero, N.Y., says practicing with a real chair can help. "Start by working on getting in and out of a real chair properly," he says. Once you've mastered that, try just tapping the chair with your bottom, then coming back up. Then do the same motion without the chair. Gotlin sees lots of patients with knee pain, and says quadriceps weakness is the cause much of the time. If you feel pain going down stairs, he says, strengthening your quads with squats may very well help.
4. Lunges.
Like squats, lunges work all the major muscles of the lower body: gluteals, quadriceps, and hamstrings.
"A lunge is a great exercise because it mimics life, it mimics walking," only exaggerated, says Petersen.
Lunges are a bit more advanced than squats, says Cotton, helping to improve your balance as well.
Here's how to do them right: Take a big step forward, keeping your spine in a neutral position. Bend your front knee to approximately 90 degrees, focusing on keeping weight on the back toes and dropping the knee of your back leg toward the floor. Petersen suggests that you imagine sitting on your back foot. "The trailing leg is the one you need to sit down on," he says. To make a lunge even more functional, says Rufa, try stepping not just forward, but back and out to each side.
"Life is not linear, it's multiplanar," says Rufa. And the better they prepare you for the various positions you'll move in during the course of a day, the more useful exercises are.
5. Push-ups.
If done correctly, the push-up can strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and even the core trunk muscles, all at one time. "I'm very much into planking exercises, almost yoga-type moves," says Petersen. "Anytime you have the pelvis and the core [abdominals and back] in a suspended position, you have to rely on your own adherent strength to stabilize you."

5. Push-ups. continued...
Push-ups can be done at any level of fitness, says Cotton: "For someone who is at a more beginning level, start by pushing from the kitchen-counter height. Then work your way to a desk, a chair, the floor with bent knees, and, finally, the floor on your toes."
Here's how to do a perfect push-up: From a face-down position, place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Place your toes or knees on the floor, and try to create a perfect diagonal with your body, from the shoulders to the knees or feet. Keep the glutes [rear-end muscles] and abdominals engaged. Then lower and lift your body by bending and straightening your elbows, keeping your torso stable throughout.
There are always ways to make it harder, says Rufa. Once your form is perfect, try what he calls the "T-stabilization" push-up: Get into push-up position, then do your push-ups with one arm raised out to the side, balancing on the remaining three limbs without rotating your hips.
6. Abdominal Crunches.
Who doesn't want firm, flat abs? Experts say that when done correctly, the familiar crunch (along with its variations) is a good choice to target them.
For a standard crunch, says Cotton, begin lying on your back with feet flat on the floor and fingertips supporting your head. Press your low back down and begin the exercise by contracting abdominals and peeling first your head (tucking your chin slightly), then your neck, shoulders, and upper back off the floor.
Be careful not to pull your neck forward of the rest of your spine by sticking the chin out; don't hold your breath, and keep elbows out of your line of vision to keep chest and shoulders open.
For his part, Petersen teaches his clients to do crunches with their feet off the floor and knees bent. He says that with feet kept on the floor, many people tend to arch the back and engage the hip flexors.
"Crunches can be excellent, but if they're not done correctly, with the back arching, they can actually weaken the abdominals," Petersen says.
To work the obliques (the muscles on the sides of your waist), says Cotton, take the standard crunch and rotate the spine toward one side as you curl off the floor.
"Twist before you come up," he says. "It's really important that the twist comes first because then it's the obliques that are actually getting you up."
But keep in mind that you won't get a flat stomach with crunches alone, says Cotton. Burning belly fat requires the well-known formula: using up more calories than you take in.
"Crunches work the ab muscles; [they're] not to be mistaken as exercise that burns the fat over the abdominals," he says. "That's the biggest myth in exercise going."

7. Bent-over Row.
Talk about bang for the buck: This exercise works all the major muscles of the upper back, as well as the biceps. Here's how to do it with good form. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, then bend knees and flex forward at the hips. (If you have trouble doing this exercise standing up, support your weight by sitting on an incline bench, facing backward.) Tilt your pelvis slightly forward, engage the abdominals, and extend your upper spine to add support. Hold dumbbells or barbell beneath the shoulders with hands about shoulder-width apart. Flex your elbows, and lift both hands toward the sides of your body. Pause, then slowly lower hands to the starting position. (Beginners should perform the move without weights.)
Technique
These seven exercises are excellent, efficient choices, the experts say. But with just about any strength or resistance exercise, says Petersen, the question is not so much whether the exercise works as how well you execute.
"Done with good technique, all exercises do what they're supposed to do," says Petersen.
The trouble is that poor form can change the whole exercise, putting emphasis or even strain on different areas than intended. This can hurt, rather than help you.
So especially if you're a beginner, it's a good idea to seek the advice of a fitness trainer - whether it's a personal trainer or a trainer at your gym -- to be sure your form is safe and correct.