RVers No Gym Workout

In my next series of articles, The RVers No Gym Workout, there'll people who'll feel like saying, "Get to the point." Almost everyone has tried multiple exercise routines for one reason or another and some have taken guided workouts from personal trainers. By far the largest percentage lose interest and never get to the point. If getting to the point is the most important aspect of a health and fitness program, we'll never get the point.

Meaningful life isn't about skimming the surface, floating on the froth and never going deep enough to really understand it; whatever it is. Rushing from one place to another, one item to the next, we miss the point altogether.

In a previous article I promised to tell you how to determine your basic physical fitness and what equipment you'll need to gain and/or maintain lean muscle mass. The first thing you'll need is a notebook and something to write with. A complete downloadable PDF with pictures of every exercise, some with multiple views, will be available soon on www.larryRmiller.com.

Sitting in a chair with the feet flat on the floor, raise your arms horizontally out to the side and bend the elbow so that the forearm is vertical, scarecrow position with palms facing up. Raise the arms up until they're extended and you're reaching as high as you comfortably can, don't strain over hyper-extend but, if you can comfortably, touch your arms to your ears. Lower the arms until your back to the starting position. That's one repetition. Next, do as many repetitions as you comfortably can but you want to feel a little tired. Write the number of repetitions in your book.

Next get two light weights, cans of soup will do, anything you can get a good grip on and isn't over one pound. Sit on the front edge of the chair and spread you legs. Rest your elbows in the hollows where your legs meet the lower torso. Your arms are straight and between your legs with clearance so they don't interfere with each other or hit your knees when you bend your arms. Now, bend the arms until your fists are as close to your shoulder as comfortably possible without raising the elbow from the hollow. Straightening the arms back to the starting point is one repetition. These are called curls, or arm curls. Do as many repetitions as you comfortably can but feeling a little tired. Write the repetition number in your book.

Sitting on the front of the chair and the weights in your hands, lower your arms until their straight down at your sides. Raise your arms out to the sides and then directly overhead, keeping the arms straight. If you have shoulder problems, modify how high you raise your arms or skip this completely. Lowering the arms to the starting point is one repetition. Write the repetitions in your book. If done correctly, you should resemble a large bird taking flight with two cans of soup on its wing tips.

Next, lie flat on your back on the floor. Bend the knees, keep the feet flat on the floor and bring them toward your butt until the knees are pointing toward the ceiling. Do not raise the head or shoulders and keep the arms next to your sides with the palms flat on the floor. Raise the feet until the upper legs are vertical and the lower legs are parallel with the floor and the bottoms of the feet are facing the wall. Lowering the feet to the starting point is one repetition. Do as many repetitions as you comfortably can but you want to feel a little tired. You can cross your legs at the ankles to protect the lower back but when you return to the starting position, one or both feet should be flat on the floor. Write the repetitions down.

Still lying flat on the floor, raise bent legs until you're in a bicycle pedaling position, bottoms of the feet facing toward the ceiling. Don't arch the lower back. Imagine your pedaling a bicycle. One revolution with both leg is one repetition. Pedal until comfortably tired. Write the repetitions in your book.

Standing up with feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing straight forward, raise the heels barely off the floor and bend the knees slightly to lower the body straight down. Don't lean forward or back as you bend your knees. Lower your body four to six inches. Straightening the legs back to the starting point is one repetition. Repeat until comfortably tired. Write the repetitions in your book. Try to keep the heels raised and not touching the floor. You'll find this helps improve your balance. Hold onto a chair or counter top if necessary.

In this exercise you'll be walking in place and won't need much space. Stand with the feet shoulder width apart, feet pointing forward and parallel. Bend the left knee while raising the left heel off the floor, as if walking, but keep the left toes on the floor. As you bend the left knee, bring the right hand forward, up and across the body's center line. The right elbow is bent with the hand at about waist level. Lower the left heel, bring the right hand/arm back while raising the right heel and bringing the left hand arm forward, up and across the center line. Start slow and easy. You'll find this is more difficult than it first appears. When you get warm, limber and relaxed, you can speed up the cadence and increase the distance your arms travel. Don't rush the process. Listen to your body and do what works for you. This is an exercise to evaluate your physical fitness in order to determine what equipment you'll need, to reduce stress, loosen muscles and promote limberness. One repetition is forward and back to the starting position with each arm and leg combination. Write the repetitions down in your notebook with the others. This and the other evaluation exercises are exactly that and are not intended to be a competition or to add stress and tension to your life.

You can do all the above in one session or spread them over a week. Next article we'll look at the numbers and figure out what equipment you need.