A healthy, balanced body can be obtained at home with no expensive accessories. You’ll need loose, comfortable clothing, sturdy shoes and a chair. Cans of vegetables or water bottles can double for weights. Healthy balanced bodies need three things: flexibility, balance and strength.
Easy at-home exercises for optimal health should include these plus aerobic exercise like walking or swimming four times per week for about 30 minutes. Ask your doctor if exercise is safe for you. Some diseases or health problems actually benefit from exercise, in addition to improving brain function and mood.
Balance
- Before you exercise, stretch your body. This can be done sitting on a chair or standing beside it. Stretch for about five minutes.Standing beside a chair with the right hand on it, lift the left leg off the floor behind you. Lift the left arm in front of you. The arm and leg should form a straight line behind and before you. Hold this as long as you can, even if only a few seconds. Do the same with the right side. Do this twice.
- Standing beside the chair with the right hand on it, lift the right knee in front of you. Hold for a couple seconds. Repeat with the left knee. Hold onto the chair for stability until you no longer need it and can keep the knee lifted for a minute or two.
- Holding onto the chair, bend the body at the waist. Hold the opposite arm behind as if you were beginning to ski down a slope. When able, let go of the chair. This emphasizes your center of gravity, enabling the body to balance. Hold for several seconds until you can do it for a couple minutes.
Flexibility
- Stretch the body before exercising. Flexibility exercises can be done sitting or standing until you can do them without the chair.
- Standing with the right hand on the chair, lift the left leg behind you. Reach the left arm behind to grasp the ankle. Hold for a couple seconds until it can be done for a couple minutes. Repeat with the right side.
- Standing with the right hip against the chair, reach the left arm over the head and down the back. Reach the right arm under the shoulder blade and try to grasp the left hand. Hold for a couple seconds until it can be done for a couple minutes. Repeat with the right side.
- Sitting on the chair or on the floor, reach for the toes. Hold for a couple seconds until they can be done for a couple minutes.
Strength Training
Strengthening arm and leg muscles contribute to balance and flexibility. Using water bottles or food cans, do arm exercises while doing leg exercises.
- Do squats as you are able while doing arm curls.
- Shift from leg to leg with knees bent while raising the arms over the head.
- Do lunges are you are able while lifting the cans behind you with elbows bent.
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