Fitness for all abilities
This routine will give you a good base of strength during the Dubai Fitness Challenge
Press-up
1. Start by placing your hands underneath your shoulders. Your legs should extend straight out behind you, so that the balls of your feet are on the ground. You’re now in a high plank position.
2. Keep your core tight and your glutes engaged as you lower down until your chest touches the ground.
3. Continue to keep your body in a straight line as you push away from the floor and bring your body back up to the starting position.
Benefits
1. Increases functional strength
2. Stretches muscles
3. Enhances your cardiovascular system
4. Increases muscle definition
5. Protects your shoulders from injury
6. Improves your posture
7. Prevents lower back injuries
Crunch
1. Begin in a supine position lying on the floor or a floor mat.
2. Place feet on a bench with hips and knees flexed at 90 degrees.
3. Rest your arms across your chest. This is the starting position.
Benefits
Abdominal crunches are a classic core exercise for defining your abdominal muscles. However, contrary to popular belief, crunches do not actually burn stomach fat. Instead, by toning the rectus abdominis and oblique muscles, your core muscles gradually tighten into the shape of the popular six pack.
Leg raise
1. Use a bench if there’s one available. Letting your legs hang off the edge will increase your range of motion.
2. Place your hands under the glutes with your palms facing down. Keep your legs as straight as possible, and hold a dumbbell between your feet if you want added resistance.
3. Slowly raise your legs perpendicular to the floor. Hold this contraction at the top for a second, then slowly lower your legs to the start position.
Benefits
Leg raises help develop your abdominal muscles. Your abdominal muscles are important because they help stabilise your body during motion and can help you maintain your balance. Strong abdominals can also help you maintain good posture and avoid lower back pain.
Hamstring stretch
1. Lie in a supine position with one leg bent, foot flat on the floor. Grab the back of the opposite leg just below the knee and pull towards the chest. Keep the stretched leg straight, but not locked at the knee joint.
Benefits
Strengthening and stretching your hamstrings reduces lower back pain and keeps your hamstring muscles flexible. Relieve lower-back pain by performing stretches such as toe touches, a common hamstring stretch in which you bend forward and reach the fingers toward your toes while keeping your legs straight.
Seated groin stretch
1. In a sitting position, bring the soles of the feet together. Sit up straight, and gently press the knees toward the floor. By leaning forward slightly, you will feel a deep groin, glute, hamstring and low-back stretch.
Benefits
The butterfly stretch is a seated groin and inner thigh stretch that targets those areas. Since this stretch is done with the lower half of your body, it’s best to choose movements that will make the muscles in the groin and inner thigh areas warm and pliable.
Squat stretch
1. From a standing position, squat down with the feet flat and toes pointed outwards about 15 degrees. Keep your heels 4-12 inches apart.
Benefits
The squat stretch improves digestion, aids circulation, fights cellulite, burns calories and fat, builds muscle, enhances strength, increases hormone release, strengthens joints and builds the glutes.
Romel Tague Vecino is a Certified Fitness Trainer at Target Gym UAE
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