Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Here Are The Warm Up Exercises

Each of the warm up exercises takes about 30-45 seconds to do.
We’re going to start at the top of your body and work our way down.

As you do these exercises you may feel some aches and pains due to tight muscles. You will also feel those ache and pains dissappear!

Neck Side Bends
Neck Rotations
Neck Rolls
Shoulder Rolls
Arm Rotations
Arm Scissors
Body Rotations
Side Bends
Good Mornings
Hip Rotations
Knee Rotations
Knee Bends
Calf Raises

Neck Side Bends

This exercise, like all the the neck exercises, work very well to provide relieve from muscle knots and tension. You can actually feel the muscles loosening up and knots releasing.
  1. Keep your shoulders level and look straight ahead.
  2. Tilt your head towards one shoulder.
  3. Tilt your head towards the opposite shoulder.

    Note:
    Imagine you are trying to touch your shoulder with your ear.
    Each left/right tilt counts as one repetition.

Neck Rotations

  1. Keep your shoulders level and turn your head to the left.
  2. Then turn to the right.

    Note:
    Do not rotate your shoulders or upper body.
    Each left/right movement counts as one repetition.

Neck Rolls

  1. Keep your shoulders level and drop your chin towards your chest.
  2. While keeping your chin down, roll your head in one direction and then the other.

    Note:
    Do not move your shoulders.
    Count each left/right roll as one repetition.

Shoulder Rolls

This exercise will help those muscles on the top of your shoulder and upper back.
  1. Sit or stand straight.
  2. Roll your shoulders forward in a full circular motion.
  3. Do 10 forward rotations and then 10 backward rotations.

Arm Rotations

You will feel this exercise loosen up the lats, upper arms, and rotater cuff muscles. It also helps maintain a good range of motion throughout your shoulders.
  1. Start standing straight.
  2. Step forward and out with your left foot.
  3. Rotate your right arm forward 10 times,
    and then backwards 10 times.
  4. Step forward with your right foot.
  5. Rotate your right arm forward 10 times,
    and then backwards 10 times.

    Note:
    Try to use a full range of motion while not moving your upper body.

Arm Scissors

This exercise will work your pectorial (chest) and trapezius (back), and deltoid (shoulder) muscles. It is a great exercise to keep your shoulders strong and mobile.
  1. Stand or sit straight.
  2. Raise your arms to your sides level with your shoulders.
  3. Move both arms forward until one arm crosses over the other,
    and then quickly pull your arms apart a little bit, and then cross
    the other arm over.
  4. Complete a repetition by returning your arms back to the side position.

    Note:
    Keep your arms level and straight throughout this exercise.


Body Rotations

This will wake up your hips and muscles that run up your spine.
Your body will thank you!
  1. Stand straight with your legs apart, even with your shoulders.
  2. Hold your arms against your chest or place your hands on your hips.
  3. Turn your upper body to your right and then to the left for one repetition.

    Note:
    Allow your hips to turn slightly as you do the exercise.


Side Bends

Your obliques (side muscles) and outer hips will complain at first, but by the end of the set they will come to life.
  1. Stand straight with feet apart and hands on your hips.
  2. Bend to one side and then return back to the upright position.
  3. Do 10 bends to the left and then repeat in the other direction.

    Note:
    Throughout the exercise keep your shoulders facing forward.

Good Mornings

I love the name of this exercise because like all these exercises, they wake up your body! This one will help strengthen your lower back. It also warms up the glutes (buttocks) and hamstrings (back of your legs).
  1. Stand Straight with your feet close together.
  2. Place your hands at your sides.
  3. Bend forward.
  4. Hold for a moment and stand back up straight.

    Note:
    Use slow steady movements.
    Keep your back straight throughout the exercise.
    Look forward as you bend - it will help you keep your back straight.


Hip Rotations

This exercise loosens up the hips and lower back. I like to think of this exercise as though I'm winding myself up for the day :-)
  1. Stand straight with your feet close together.
  2. Place your hands on your hips.
  3. Rotate your hips in a wide circle ten times, and then ten times in the opposite direction.

    Note:
    Face forward throughout the exercise.


Knee Rotations

Strengthen and revive the muscles that support the knees. It also works the ankle joints and muscles.
  1. Stand with your feet close together.
  2. Bend your legs and place your hands on your knees.
  3. Move your knees in ten circles in one direction and then ten in the other direction.


Knee Bends

This exercise gets the blood flowing in the quadraceps (thighs) and glutes (buttocks), while helping to strengthen the knees.
  1. Stand with feet at shoulder width.
  2. Hold your arms out to the front for stability.
  3. Squat down and then back up.

    Note:
    If you find this exercise hard on your knees, alternatives are:

    • Do partial squats. Eventually your knees will get stronger and you can go deeper.
    • Use a chair. Just sit down and stand up.


Calf Raises

Limber up your calf muscles and Achilles tendons with this exercise.
  1. Stand with feet close together.
  2. Lift your heals off the floor as high as you can.
  3. Lower your heals to the floor.
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