There’s no shortage of exercises offered by just about every “expert” in the genre. They target any muscle you want to work. Google it (my sister’s favorite directive) and you’ll find every kind of list … best moves for rock hard abs, video gym at home – the best exercises, top 10 moves for you body, best home workouts. More varieties of exercises, video workouts, and star promotions than you thought possible.
In my mind (and body), exercise can’t be complicated. So I was reading an article from FitBit … the simple stuff that works if you do it correctly. They offered five “simple” and underrated exercises that are effective when done properly. I thought, “What the heck, I may be able to use this!”
Oh my
The first one … squats … yah, I can do squats … in the swimming pool … which I’m guessing doesn’t actually do the job. It’s supposed to engage your abs, stabilizing the lower back and prevent back pain. Here’s the instruction:
Push your butt back, hinging at the hips first, then bend your knees to lower toward the floor. Allow your knees to travel forward. It’s OK if they move past your toes, but don’t go too far — your torso and lower leg should be parallel. Lower as far as you can without compromising this alignment, making sure the arches of your feet don’t collapse inward.
Okay, I can’t actually do that on terra firma, it hurts. But I can still do them in water!
Second one … pushups … ba, ha, ha, ha, ha. First problem, I can’t get on the ground. And if I did, I can’t get up. I do a modified pushup in the shallow end of the pool. I must get some credit for that.
Next one … glute bridges … again, the whole getting on the floor issue.
And next … crunches … nope, can’t do those either. Although I’ve read that they can be the best possible exercise for midriff weight loss. The water aerobics class in the water well next to my lane every day does some kind of crunches in the water. But I’m not sure I can do that, either.
And finally … jumping jacks … something I can do! They suggest so many fun things, mixing the arm and leg patterns. Now I’m not sure I can do very many, but I’m willing to give it a go. One out of five … not bad, right?