Ways to Wellness: The Bare Essential Home Workout

As the weather grows colder, we often start to slow down a bit, almost in a state of “human hibernation.” Holidays keep the social calendar full, or we may even be melancholy around the holidays from missing people that we love. Roads and walkways may be a little slick and prevent us from doing things that we like to do to stay active. We know that attention to our own well-being tends to waver in the early winter months.

This is the exact time that we need to put a plan in place for us to STAY MOVING, even if it is a different activity than we have been doing all summer. An “at home” activity plan may be helpful during these months – no equipment required! When we become more sedentary in the colder months we tend to lose SIX KEY AREAS of strength, flexibility, and endurance. As with any exercise program, it is always best to match a program with an individual assessment, a physician check-up, or a visit to the physical therapist or other health care professional. In general, however, it is safe to say that there are six important moves that you can do every day to prevent decline in strength and reduce the risk of falling.

1. Quadricep Strength

The muscles on the front of your thigh. These muscles are CRITICAL to staying mobile, and they become weak very quickly with inactivity.

Recommended Activity: Move from sitting on a chair to standing – without using your arms – 30 times a day. (Recommend doing 3 sets of 10 as fast as you can safely). If you are struggling, do as many as you can in a row (keep track) and try to work up to 10 without resting. Lean forward as you move from sitting to standing, but stand as straight as you can!

2. Trunk Rotation

Being able to turn your body (and head) in either direction. This is vital for functional mobility. The more we sit, or the more we use walkers, the less flexible our trunk becomes.

Recommended Activity: Stand sideways next to a wall. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and turn your trunk towards the wall, bringing your outside arm as far as it can go along the wall (Your outside arm crosses in front of you). This is a safe way to support trunk rotation, and you can even mark how far you go with a pencil and try to go further each week! I recommend four times each direction, once a day. Hold the position for 15 seconds if you can!

3. Hip Strength

Muscles on the front, outside, and back of the hip. These are essential for stability of the low back, climbing stairs, walking…We need strong hips for everything to work well.

Recommended Activity: High knee marching. Standing sideways to your kitchen counter holding on with one hand for balance, march in place bringing knees as HIGH as you can for 2 minutes straight, as fast as you can. Your heart will be pumping, and your legs will get tired. The longer one leg is in the air, the more the other leg has to work to keep you standing upright. This is a great way to keep from shuffling when you walk, which is sometimes simply due to weak hip muscles.

4. Gastrocnemius Strength

Your calf muscles. These muscles are essential for walking speed and step length and safe walking in general, as well as stair climbing. They are the first line of defense against falling.

Recommended Activity: Again, stand at the kitchen counter for balance. Do heel raises. Start with both feet at the same time – rock up on the balls of your feet. Keep your knees straight when you do this exercise. Start with working up to doing 30 times without stopping on two feet, then work up to one foot 10 times, then eventually one foot up to 30 times without stopping. Watch for cramps! If you are prone to cramps with this activity, stretch a little bit first by standing on a step (hold on to railing) and letting your heel drop below the step to feel a slight pull in your calf – hold it for 15 seconds.

5. Postural Weakness

Keeping the muscles between your shoulder blades strong – important to posture and preventing osteoporosis to a certain degree. Combat the tendency to slump forward in your shoulders and neck.

Recommended Activity: Stand with your back against a wall; bend your elbows and bring your arms out to your side (like wings). Push into the wall (you can even put a pillow behind your back and arms if more comfortable) and hold for 10 seconds. Don’t hold your breath! Do this 30 times – really push hard and you should feel tension across your shoulder blades.

6. Walking Endurance and Speed

The standard for healthy adults is to be able to walk beyond 500 meters or about 550 yards in 6 minutes. If this is a struggle, consult your doctor, as this is a major indicator of frailty and needs intervention.

Recommended Activity: You don’t need a FitBit or a smartphone to know that you are walking enough, but they sure can be helpful! Even if you are stuck indoors due to the weather, you need to do continuous walking. If you have a flight of stairs, even better. Climbing stairs adds years to your life!

FACT: If you are climbing one stair (up and down continuously) or a flight of stairs, watch for fatigue and your safety of course, but try to do 5 continuous minutes, 2-3 times a day and you will REALLY notice a difference quickly. Walk, walk, walk. Go to the mall, go to a nearby school, but get your walking in your day! 20 minutes a day minimum. 30-40 minutes is even better! Swing your arms and take good strides. Rest if you must. Don’t let the winter doldrums sabotage your health. No equipment needed, just a little dose of self-discipline and 20 minutes a day for exercises #1 – 5 and 20-30 minutes for walking.

You can do it! Reward yourself for an active week, and keep track on your refrigerator each day.

Good Health to you all!