ELLE

Exercise with ease
The following six exercises tone and strengthen muscles all-over. Each week, the exercises become harder and may involve weight to give faster results. Perform them atleast every other day and follow the progress chart provided.
This program has been devised by sports psychologists bridget woods and melanie stapes. Consult a doctor before beginning any regular exercise program.

EXERCISE 2:STOMACH STRENGTHENERS Site with feet apart, knees bent, arms at sides. Pull your stomach in and, breathing in, roll down slowly to a count of eight until your back is on the flow, keeping your head up slightly. Rook back up to the count of eight, breathing out. To make it harder, bring your legs right over your head and touch the floor above your head with your toes. Work up to placing hands behind your head with elbows pointed.

EXERCISE 1: PRESS-UPS Adopt the traditional press-up position with hands shoulder-distance apart. Bend your knees so they are hip-distance apart and cross ankles. Lean forwards so weight is carried by arms.

With the stomach pulled in and back straight, bend your elbows and drop your body as low as possible. Inhale. Then straighten arms and exhale. Graduate to pressups with legs straight out behind you.

EXERCISE 3:BOTTOM LIFTS Lie on your back with legs bent, feet and knees hip-distance apart, and arms by your sides. Lift bottom slightly off the flow

EXERCISE 4: LEG SPLITS Lie on your back and spread your arms out to the sides, raising legs up into the air. Open your legs sideways, pointing your toes, then close them again, flexing the feet. Check that the lower back

and pull stomach in. Squeeze bottom to raise hips, hold for a count of two, then release for a count of two. Repeat. To make harder, start with feet resting on a chair or a step, or stretch both legs towards the ceiling or to the front.

doesn’t arch as you open and close your legs. For a harder workout, with legs in the center position, move them in a cycling motion. Finally, add weights to the ankles.

EXERCISE 5: LEG KICKS Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Keeping back straight, lift one leg to front slowly, keeping it straight. Repeat 10 times, then repeat lifting your leg to your back and to your side, 10 times each. Change to other leg. (Steady yourself on a chair or wall if needed.) In week four, bend your leg and repeat above set of movements. Add ankle weights for a more difficult workout.

EXERCISE 6: ARM-PUSHES Hold arms out to the sides at shoulder-height. Clench fists and bend arms so fists are level with your ears. Push fists forward, keeping arms bent. Open arms upwards and out to the sides from the elbow, then back to the center, in an open-shut movement. After the set, bring arms down to rest on things. Work up to using handweights.