REVERSE LUNGES
If you haven't been exercising all your life but do have the intent to start at some point, it is good to start with 4 basic exercises that mobilise and strengthen your spine and limbs, besides giving you an all-round feeling of wellbeing.
Fitness coach Sebastian George presents the following four exercises which anyone can do, irrespective of age of gender. “They don't require any equipment and can be done anywhere, indoors or outdoors, depending on one's preference,” he says.
How to do reverse crunches
Start lying down with your arms by your sides. Raise your legs so that your thighs are perpendicular to the floor and your knees are at a 90-degree angle. Breathe out and contract your abs to bring your knees up towards your chest and raise your hips off the floor, hold for a moment and slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.
Aim for 1-2 sets of 10-15 reps.
How to squat
Begin by standing with feet hip-width apart, hold your arms in front of you or fold them across your chest. Inhale and brace your core and lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Imagine sitting on an invisible chair and drive through your heels to stand up to complete one rep. You may do 12-15 reps for 2-3 sets.
Dos
Stand hip-width apart
Align your knees with your toes Maintain natural arch at spine
Don’ts
Don’t roll your knee inward Don’t raise heels
Don’t arch the spine
Don’t let knee overshoot toes
Muscles worked - Glutes, Hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. Benefits - Lunges is an all-rounder for your lower body. There are many kinds of lunges but Reverse Lunges are the best for beginners since it doesn’t put much stress on your knees and are great in strengthening and shaping glutes, hamstrings and quads.
How to do reverse lunges
Stand tall, with your feet hip-width apart. Take a large step backward with your left foot and lower your hips so that your right thigh (front leg) becomes parallel to floor, with your right knee positioned directly over your ankle. Your left knee should be bent at 90-degrees and pointing toward the floor, with your left heel raised.
Return to the standing position by pressing your right heel in to the floor and bringing your left leg forward to the starting position to complete one rep. Alternate legs and do 12-15 reps for 2-3 sets.
Tuck your core
Maintain natural arch at spine Take a long enough stride
Move slowly and get full range of motion
Dos
Don’t take a small step back Don’t step directly behind the front foot
Don’t use hands to push off front leg to stand up
Don’t do partial range of motion
Don’ts