We all have our favorite exercises. Here are five of mine, and, as a bonus, why I like them so much.
1. Squats. Squats are my Very Favorite exercise because they are infinitely practical. Don’t want to end up in a nursing home? Do squats. The line between independence and dependence is whether or not we can get up and down off the toilet alone, which is a squat. Not enough of a good reason? Squats also use a whole bunch of joints, which means we burn a whole bunch of calories doing them. They increase our stability, improve core strength, and give us a feeling of power.
2. Lunges. OK, lunges are actually one of my least favorite exercises, but I’m including them on this list because they are so good for us. Lunges have the same kind of compound exercise benefits that squats do, plus they work our balance and teach us good knee habits.
3. Pushups. Pushups work the same muscle groups that bench presses do, but they give us the bonus of recruiting our core at the same time. There are many, many kinds of pushups, so there is an appropriate variation for nearly everyone, whether we need them to be easier or harder.
4. Plyojacks. There’s a theme here: compound exercises. Plyojacks, again, work lots of joints, which means lots of muscles have to engage, which means lots of calorie expenditure. Added to all of that, we have jumping, which gets our heart rates up, helps us build coordination, and improves landing mechanics. That last one is a good habit to have for any of us who ever trip.
5. Pretty princesses. This is my favorite ab exercise because the spine is stabilized, making it safe for nearly everyone, and because it works all the abs from top to bottom. Also, it uses a great big rubber ball, so it must be fun, right?
Don’t like my favorites? Do your own!
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