6 EXERCISES TO BUILD STRENGTH
THE best way to preserve your muscles is with weight-training or resistance exercises. I have a simple regime, which I carry out most mornings. I get out of bed, put the radio on and do a series of push-ups, squats, abdominal crunches, the bicep curl and plank — in roughly that order. There are many other variants to try, but these are the basics. Start with ten press-ups, ten crunches, ten squats and a 20-second plank hold, three times in the first week, building to two sets of ten repeats (and a longer plank hold) by week two, and three sets by week four.
PUSH-UPS: Lie face down with the palms of your hands under your shoulders and the balls of your feet touching the ground. Keep your body straight. Lower your body till your elbows form a right angle with the floor and then push up. If you find this too hard, do it with your knees on the ground. SQUATS: Stand with your feet apart. Bend from the hips, keeping the weight in your heels. Make sure your back is straight. Keep bending until your legs are at right angles to the floor — imagine you are preparing to sit in a chair. Push back up without bending your back. Squats work the biggest muscles in your body. Make this harder by using weights.
PLANK: Lie face down on the floor and then raise yourself on to your forearms and toes so that your body forms a straight line from head to toe. Make sure your mid-section doesn’t rise or drop. Squeeze your buttocks and hold the position for as long as possible. Remember, it should never cause pain in the lower back.
CRUNCHES: Lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet flat on the floor and your hands by the sides of your head. Curl up your upper body without lifting your lower back off the floor. Make sure your chin is tucked in towards your chest. When your shoulders and upper back are lifted off the floor, curl back down.
LUNGES: Stand with your back straight and your feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward with one leg, bending both knees to right angles and keeping your upper body straight. Pull back to the starting position and repeat, putting the other leg forward.
TRICEPS DIPS: Stand with your back to a bench or chair. Place your palms on the seat behind you, bending your knees to right angles, hips straight. Bend your elbows to right angles to lower your body so that your bottom descends halfway to the floor. Push yourself back up using only your arms.