Easy Exercises to Do at Home

It is very difficult to start an exercise program. The problem is even worse being excessively overweight or having some physical problems. These exercises are easy for most people to start with. I have arthritis and other pain, so it is difficult to work up the courage to try to exercise.

I started trying to exercise for 20 minutes a day. That was ok for about 2 days, and then I could not seem to face 20 minutes. I started and gave up and started again and gave up again. What I finally did, was lower my expectations for myself. I decided that I would do 5 minutes a day. If I feel like doing more, I will, but I have only committed to 5 minutes. Therefore, I did not fail. I now continue to make sure I do my five minutes but usually end up doing an hour, because once I get started, I like to increase my reps every single day if I can.

The first thing I do is neck rolls. It helps to loosen up the muscles in your neck especially if you spend a lot of time at the computer, reading or anything that involves sitting still for any length of time. I also do neck rolls sometimes sitting at my computer. I lower my head forward, and slowly move it left, over the left shoulder. Then let it lay back as far as is comfortable, and work your way over to the right shoulder. Even if you only do this one time, it will help improve your range of motion. The next time you do it, you may be able to do it twice and work your way up to three times.

Another exercise that is easy to do is stepping in place. Stand in place, lift your right foot and point your toe down and touch the floor just ahead of you, then put it back down where you started. Repeat with the other foot. Again, start out slowly, and build one or two more steps each day.

To help stretch out your low back I have learned that for me, the best way to do this is by sitting on the edge of a chair or standing up. Cross your arms in front of you and just lean forward. Count to ten. Relax and slowly come up. Everyday that you do this you will notice you can go just a little farther.

Arm raises: Stand with your hands at your sides. Bring them both up from the side all the way over your head or as close as you can get them. Repeat this three times.

If you promise yourself you will do at least five minutes per day, every day, you will gradually increase the amount of time you want to spend exercising and building up your repetitions. You will feel so much better. Build on these by doing more repetitions. Work up to 10 reps of each of these.

Front Leg Lifts: Stand sideways behind a chair a couch or even the wall for support. Point your toe downward and lift your leg straight as far as you can. You may barely get it off the ground, but if you do these everyday, you will soon be able to lift it higher. Repeat three times. Then switch sides and repeat with the other leg.

Side Leg Lifts: Repeat as for front leg lifts only raise your leg out to the side, just enough to get it off the ground at first. Repeat three times with each leg.

Back Leg Lifts: Repeat front leg lifts only point your toe out and lift towards the back. Repeat three times on each side.

Remember the goal is not to lift your legs three feet off the ground. The goal is to begin to loosen up the joints, gain a little strength, and make exercising a habit.

To work on your midsection (where I need it the most), There are a couple easy exercises for this. I do not do sit-ups. I do what I call the 4-Way. Stand with your hands on your hips, and lean forward as far as you comfortably can. Count to four. Straighten up and lean to the right side and count to four. Next, lean back, even if you can only move your head back at first.

Another easy exercise for the midsection is the twist. Stand with your hands on your hips again. This time try to turn your upper body to the right, keeping your hips straight ahead. Repeat to the left. Start with three of these and when you are comfortable move on to as many as you can do.

If you can lie on the floor, try these two exercises for your waistline. Lie with your back on the floor. Bend your knees and bring your feet in close to your body in a comfortable position. Let both legs fall to the right. Hold for a few seconds. Come back to center, and let your legs fall to the left. Start with three of these on each side.

Lie with your back on the floor and legs straight. Raise the right leg and bring over the left foot. Remember only go as high as you feel comfortable and as far across. This is good for your hips too. Repeat this step with the other leg. Do three reps or more if you can.

Once you have gotten comfortable with these exercises, you can increase the repetitions, and increase the time you spend on them. This will help you increase your range of motion.
You will find that once you have done these few exercises for one month, they will become easy to remember and flow like a dance.

Remember to start out slowly and make sure you have your doctor's approval. When you feel you are ready, add more exercises and more reps to your program.

I have named my exercises with something I will remember, so I do not have to get out my sheet with my notes on every time I want to exercise.

Exercises: Neck Rolls, Step in Place, Forward Bend, Arm Raises, Front Leg Lifts, Side Leg Lifts, Back Leg Lifts, 4-Way, The twist, The Leg Crossover, and The Knee drop

Be sure and check with your doctor to see if these or other exercises are right for you. Never go far enough to cause any pain, just enough to feel the stretch.

There are many other easy exercises to do at home. I am not a doctor or in the health profession. These are just things that have worked for me. If you would like some more ideas, feel free to contact me.