As children most of us attended a Physical Education class at school that meet every day or three days a week. These classes were filled with warm up exercises and calisthenics followed by games and activities that encouraged a wide range of movement and activity for extended amounts of time. Rare was the child who did not complain at least once about going to gym class at school. Funny how now as adults it is rare to find the individual who does not complain about exercise and gets started with out a great deal of encouraging. My thought is if you are reading this you have what it takes to motivate your self to be active enough to start a fitness program that your friends and family will support your maintaining.

What worked as to keep us fit as children in the schoolyard can still work now that we have grown and have taken adult responsibilities. Do you remember the stretches that were standard at the start of gym class?

Flexablity And Warm Up Exercises

The standard program had ten flexibility warm up exercises, designed to stretch out the whole body and prepare all of the major muscle groups for activity. Here is the warm up regiment to get you started now;

1)Arm Circles: With your arms straight out from your sides, rotate them counter clockwise ten times making a circle with a diameter of about 2 feet. Repeat in the clockwise direction.

2)Twisters: From the same position, and with your feet spread about 30 inches, twist all the way to the right and hold it for a count of 8 seconds, then to the left. Repeat until you have stretched to each side eight times.

3)Toe Touches: Stand comfortably with your feet slightly apart, keep your legs straight being careful not to lock your knees, slowly bend over and reach as far as you can. Hold for a count of eight seconds and repeat eight times.

4)Back Stretches: With your feet spread apart slightly more than shoulder width, bend over and reach as far as you can between your legs to touch the ground. As before do this slowly, hold for a count of eight seconds then return to a standing position. Repeat eight times.

5)Achilles Tendon Stretches: Stand in front of a wall about a yard (3 feet) away, keeping your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the wall and lean forward as if doing a push-up. You should feel your calf muscles stretching. Hold for eight seconds and repeat eight times.

6)Trunk Benders: With your right arm extended over your head and your left arm bracing your hip, slowly bend toward the right and hold for eight seconds. Repeat eight times. Then with your left arm extended over your head and your right arm bracing your hip slowly bend toward the left and hold for eight seconds. Repeat eight times.

7)Sprinter Stretches: From a squatting position with your hands on the floor , extend your right leg as far backward as possible and hold for a count of eight seconds. Repeat eight times with both legs for a total of 16 stretches.

Sit and Reach: From a seated position, and with your legs straight out in front of you, bend over slowly. Try to touch your toes and put your head on your knees. Hold for a eight-second count, and repeat eight times.

9)Chest-Knee Stretches: Lie flat on the floor with your legs extended and pull your right knee up to your chest and hold for a eight second count. Do the same with your left leg. Repeat with each leg eight times.

10)Posterior Stretches: From a seated position , pull your heels as close to your buttocks as possible. Then slowly press your knees down toward the floor. Hold for a count of eight seconds and repeat eight times.

Calisthenics

Now that you whole body is stretched out and ready for a real work out, this is your chance to jog, run, attend a aerobics class or enjoy the cardio activity of your chousing. Calisthenics is the most senior of all of the cardio programs and full of hidden benefits for anybody willing to spend the time on the program.

1)Thigh Modified Knee Bends: With your feet as wide apart as your shoulders, your toes pointed forward, and your hands on your hips, squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Be sure to keep your back straight. Return to the starting position and repeat 12 times.

2)Pushups with Full Extension: With your toes on the ground, lean forward and put your hands on the ground about shoulder width. Keeping your back straight , lower your upper body to the ground and back up again. To start off do four full pushups and work your way up to two sets of eight pushups.

2a)Modified Pushups: Same as 2), except do these with your knees on the ground. Be sure that your back is straight for modified pushups. Do twice as many of these as pushups with full extension. Doing both kids of pushups will benefit your abs and your back.

3)Back Benders: Lie on your stomach with your hands behind your head and your fingers interlocked. Then raise your trunk off of the floor as high as you can. Hold for as long as you can. Repeat 4 times.

4)Toe Raises: With both hands on your hips stand up straight, raise up on to the balls of your toes hold for a count of eight seconds. Repeat 8 times.

5)Abdominal Sit-Ups: From a comfortable position lying on your back on the floor. Bend your knees at a 90’ angle, place your hands behind your head. Come up to a sitting position and touch your right elbow to your left knee and alternate there after until you have completed 16 sets.

6)Side Leg Lifts: Lie on your right side with your head supported by your right elbow and hand. Lift your top leg as high as possible and then return to the starting position. Turn to your left side and do the same. On each side do 2 sets of eight.

7)Arm and Shoulder Flexors:

a)Chins: Use the underhand grip and beginning from a hanging position with your arms straight, pull up until your chin is above the bar. Return to a hanging position. Repeat to 3 sets of 4 and work your way up to 3 sets of 12.

b)Flexed Arm Hang: For this exercise, use the underhand grip, and place your body in a position with your chin above the bar, as you would had you just completed a chin-up. Hold this position for a eight-second count. Repeat 4 times.

Arm Extenders - Chair Dips: With your back to the chair, grasp the sides of the chair seat (make sure the chair is stable), and slide your feet out straight from you. Then lower yourself as far as possible ad push your self back up. Repeat eight times.

Any effort you make to complete a regimen of exercise will help you to lose fat, firm up your body and give you’re a natural boost of energy. Before beginning any exercise program be sure to consult your healthcare provider.

Copywrite By Lareina Nokes-Moser 2005