Warming up and stretching
“It’s going to be a journey. It’s not a sprint to get in shape.”
— Kerri Walsh Jennings
What kind of equipment do you need to have a good workout at home? Nothing really. Exercises like push-ups, planks, bodyweight squats, and lunges are a great start. Also, walking, jogging, dips, calf raises, and biking are great. You might be surprised by how great a workout you can get with little or no equipment. I didn’t add any equipment to my routine until later. At this point, I have a few dumbbells, a set of resistance bands, a weighted vest, and a bicycle. I added this equipment slowly over time. You can go with more, less, or nothing at all if you want. It really doesn’t matter. All that matters is for you to get started.
Before you do any exercise, please check with your doctor to make sure you have the green light. Now let’s briefly talk about each of these. But first, we’ve gotta get loose.
CHEST
CORE
QUADRICEPS
CALVES
HAMSTRINGS
SHOULDERS
BACK
ABDOMINALS
WARM-UPS
PUSGH-UPS
WALKING
SIT-UPS
PLANKS
BODYWEIGHT SQUATS
LUNGES
CALVES
JOGGING
DIPS
BICYCLING
For me, the hardest thing to do with exercise, or anything else for that matter, is getting started. Taking the gym variable out of the mix definitely helped simplify things. Finding a routine was another critical factor in making things easy for me. So, let's talk about some basic things you can do to get started.
LET'S get started!
There was a time in my younger days when I would jump right into a basketball pickup game or any other physical activity, without warming up or stretching, and I rarely had any problems (to be young again)! As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned it’s absolutely critical to stretch and warm up a bit to help prevent injuries.
This shouldn’t take much time. Let's go through some of the go-to strategies that have helped me over the years. It really depends on what I’m doing that day. If I’m doing push-ups, sit-ups, and riding my bike, I’ll spend a few minutes stretching my chest, core, and legs.
chest
I’ll extend my arms straight out, parallel to the floor, and slowly move them back and forth. I build up a little more speed as I go, but nothing crazy. I do that for about a minute.
core
I stand with my feet about shoulder-width apart and keep my arms relaxed and slightly raised. Then I slowly turn my upper body from side to side, twisting gently from the waist. This movement is sometimes called a torso twist. I usually do this for about 30 seconds.
QUADRICEPS
Stand up and bend one knee back toward your glutes. Reach back and hold your ankle, keeping the stretch for about 30 seconds. Then switch legs and repeat with the other leg
After that, I’ll crouch like a baseball catcher. For the first few seconds, I may use a couch, chair, or step for support to ease into the stretch. Then I’ll go full weight into the position without any help. I usually spend about a minute on the quads.
Calves
Stand facing a wall and place both hands against it. Put one foot forward with the knee slightly bent and the other foot behind you with the leg straight and the heel flat on the floor. Hold for about 30 seconds and then switch to the other side.
HAMSTRINGS
In my opinion, the hamstrings need the most attention. Maybe it’s because I’ve dealt with back issues over the years and have learned how closely the hamstrings and lower back are connected. In fact, I stretch my hamstrings a few times a day, no matter what I’m doing
There are a few ways I like to stretch them. One way is to stand with your feet together or slightly apart, keep your knees straight, and slowly bend forward from the waist until you feel a slight pull in the back of your legs. Hold that for about 30 seconds to a minute.
Another option is to put one foot on a chair, step, or other stable surface and slowly bend down until you feel the stretch. Hold it for about 30 seconds, then switch legs.
Finally, I like to spread my feet out wide and slowly reach my hands towards the floor until I feel a gentle stretch in my hamstrings and inner thighs. I hold this position for about 30 seconds.
shoulders
There are many effective ways to stretch the shoulders. I start by bringing one arm across my chest and using the other hand to gently pull it closer to my body, then switch sides.
Next, I extend both arms straight out, parallel to the floor, and make small circular motions. With my arms still parallel to the floor, I move them out to the sides and continue the small circles. I do this sequence for about one minute.
back
This is a good time to stretch your hamstrings. After that, move on to your core stretches as discussed earlier.
If you prefer, lie on your back with your knees bent. Gently pull one knee toward your chest while keeping the other foot planted and the opposite leg relaxed. Switch sides. Do each leg about 30 seconds.
abdominals
Before doing sit-ups, I spend a minute on torso twists and hamstring stretches. I’ll spend about 30 seconds on torso twists and about 30 seconds to a minute on hamstrings.
warm-ups
I start the exercise at a very easy pace and gradually build into the pace I want. For example, if I’m planning to jog, I’ll begin with a walk and ease into a jog. Some people prefer to warm up first and then stretch, which makes sense; it’s just not my routine. Whatever order you choose for warming up and stretching, the important thing is just doing it.
Now that we’re good and loose, let's look at a few of the exercises I like to do. These are the ones I started with before I had any dumbbells, resistance bands, or a weighted vest.