Did you know that lack of time is the most common reason for not exercising? Many times, people skip a workout because they feel that if they can’t dedicate a whole hour to an activity, then it is not worth even trying. I understand that the current exercise recommendations may seem overwhelming at first, especially if you are new to exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) states that most healthy adults should participate in a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity, engage in two weekly sessions of resistance training, and perform flexibility drills at least two to three days per week.
However, it has been proven that even small amounts of regular exercise have positive effects on physical and mental health. The trick is to introduce small doses of exercise every other day and build up from there. Keep in mind that regular physical activity is an important component of a healthy lifestyle and that some exercise is better than none.
For previously sedentary individuals, a good way to start is to incorporate short bouts (10 to 15 minutes) of easy-to-perform exercises (such as walking) throughout the day. Briskly walking for 30 minutes five times per week will take care of the cardiovascular component of the ACSM’s guidelines. To address the other components, I put together a short routine that incorporates gentle strengthening exercises and flexibility drills. You can perform this exercise sequence two to three non-consecutive days per week. Move slowly through each exercise, maintaining proper body alignment and respecting your limits.
The Routine
Stand up, positioning your feet wider than hip-distance and toes pointing out slightly. Tuck in your pelvis, keeping your spine in a neutral position (neither arched nor rounded). Place your arms at your sides, pull your shoulders down and away from your ears, and keep an open chest. This is your starting position.
Inhale as you raise both arms above your head, reaching for the sky. Exhale and bring your arms down, bending the elbows and squeezing the shoulder blades together, while bending the knees and moving into a wide-stance squat. Inhale, straighten the knees, and lift the arms above the head. Keep moving with each breath for eight full cycles. On the last exhale, hold the squat, keeping your arms at your sides parallel to the ground, and lift your gaze to where the ceiling meets the wall. Engaging your core muscles, hold this position for five deep breaths.
Next, inhale, straighten your knees, and raise your arms above your head. Then, exhale as you fold the upper-body over your legs, bending from the hips (not from the back). Keep your knees soft (don’t lock your knees), and let your head and upper-body hang for a couple of breaths. Inhale as you bend the knees. Exhale and start rolling up one vertebra at a time until your body is straight again. The head and shoulders should be the last ones to come up. Repeat this movement for five breaths.
Keeping the same wide stance, inhale as you bend the right knee and sit back into a side lunge. Raise your arms in front of you as you move to the side. Exhale and come back to center, bringing your arms down. Inhale and move to the left. Keep alternating from side to side until you have completed five repetitions on each side.
From the same initial position, rotate your whole body to the right, adjusting your feet to face the right side. This will put you in a split stance, meaning that the right foot is positioned in front of you while the left foot is in the back. Inhale, lift your arms above your head and bend both knees, lunging in place. Exhale as you move up, bringing your arms down. Repeat this movement for five breaths, then come to center, and move to the other side.
Come back to the initial position, turning the feet to face forward again. Inhale as you lift your right arm above your head, bending your body to the left. Keep the chest open as you stretch. Exhale while returning to center. Change sides. Alternate from side to side until you’ve completed three repetitions on each side.
