Prime Time - Jane Fonda [143]
Exercise 1 / SEATED PELVIC TILTS
These work the gluteal muscles, in your buttocks.
Sitting up tall, pull in your abdominal muscles as though you were protecting yourself against someone about to punch you in the stomach.
Keep your shoulders back and your chest lifted, but without letting your rib cage stick out.
Now rock your pelvis forward and squeeze those gluteal muscles hard, tightening your abdominals as you squeeze. Hold the squeeze for 3 seconds and then release.
Exhale as you squeeze, and inhale as you release. Repeat 15 times.
Exercise 2 / SEATED ABDOMINAL CRUNCHES
Strong abs pull in your gut and protect your back.
Continue to sit up tall, as in the previous exercise.
Contract your abdominals by tightening those muscles. Hold for 5 seconds and release.
Exhale on the squeeze and inhale on the release. Repeat 15 times.
Exercise 3 / CHAIR SQUATS
These work your quadriceps muscles, in the front of your thighs.
Stand up tall in front of your chair and, with your hands on your thighs, sit down and stand up. Do this 15 times, exhaling as you stand, inhaling as you sit. As you get stronger, put your hands on your waist.
Exercise 4 / SEATED BICEPS CURLS WITH LEG LIFTS
These strengthen the muscles in the front of the thigh and the front of the upper arm.
Sit up tall with your arms hanging down at your sides and a weight in each hand.
Raise your right leg straight out to knee height, keeping that thigh level with the other thigh and squeezing those thigh muscles and the muscles around your knee. Hold in this lifted position for 2 seconds before lowering.
As you do this, curl both weights up to your chest; lower them as you lower your leg. Control the weights—don’t just let them drop. Exhale on the lift, and inhale as you lower the weights.
Repeat with the other leg. Do this 16 times. Each leg lift counts as one repetition.
Exercise 5 / STANDING SIDE ARM LIFTS
These work your shoulder muscles—the deltoids.
This exercise can be done standing or seated.
Hold the weights in front of your body, with your palms facing down and your elbows very slightly bent. Your knees should also be softly bent.
Exhale and lift your arms out to the sides, only to shoulder height—no higher!
Inhale and slowly lower your arms to your sides. Repeat 15 times.
Exercise 6 / SEATED TRICEPS LIFTS
These work the triceps muscles, in the back of the arms.
Sitting up tall in your chair, without letting your back touch the back of the chair, hold the weights with your palms facing inward.
Lift your arms so they are straight up alongside your ears. Do not hunch your shoulders while doing this.
Keep your back pulled up tall, stomach in, shoulders back.
Now bend your elbows so that your forearms slowly move back and down.
Do not let your back arch as you do this, and do not let the weights drop. Keep the movement controlled, so that you don’t hit yourself with the weights.
Then lift the weights back up so that your arms are straight overhead again. Repeat 15 times.
Exercise 7 / BALANCE ON ONE LEG
Maintaining or improving balance is critical as we age. Every thirty-five minutes an older person dies from a fall!
Stand behind your chair. Don’t hold on to it unless you have to. It’s okay if you need to, but the goal is to do these without having to hold on.
Stand tall on your right leg. Lift your left foot slightly off the floor and try to balance. Keep your hands on your hips.
Don’t forget to breathe, and keep your shoulders pulled back, your stomach pulled in, your head lifted, and your spine long.
Hold for 15 seconds and repeat with the other leg.
Exercise 8 / STANDING HAMSTRING CURLS
These work the hamstring muscles, in the back of the thighs.
Standing behind your chair, balance on your right leg as you bend your left leg. Try to get your heel up to your buttocks. That’s hard, but that’s what to aim for … it’s almost like you’re kicking