Welcome in Spring with Exercise

With warmer weather comes the desire to stop the hibernating and get up and move. It’s a healthy instinct; it is recommended to get 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity. Two days a week, you should do muscle-strengthening activities. Not only will these exercises make you feel better, and keep you healthy, but they’ll help instill good habits. Combined with good eating and hydration, spring exercise can help you ring in a whole new you.

Tricep Dips

Your upper body is a good place to start, and these dips, as the name suggests, help strengthen your tricep. Start at a sitting position and place your palms on the surface (park bench, countertop, back of your couch), and step forward, as though you’re hovering, held up by your palms. Then lower your body, making sure your elbows don’t bend any more than 90 degrees. Then left yourself back up. Dipping down and rising up is a single rep. Do this eight to ten times

Plank Hold

For your core, trying a plank hold is a good solution, helping to strengthen your back muscles and your belly muscles. It is also very good for the arms and legs. Put your arms on the floor, without locking your elbows.

• It’s almost like a push-up, only you’re holding there for strength
• You can add leg raises, lifting each leg at a time, straight up
  • Try not to arch your back while doing these
  • The lift should take two to three seconds
  • Do this for four or five reps per leg

Squats

Trying out squats with rotation lets you concentrate on your lower body. The first step is standing up straight with your feet apart at shoulder-width and bending your knees, lowering your bottom toward the ground. You then stand up, slightly twisting your body to one side, then squat again, and when coming back up, rotate to the other side.

• Keep your shins straight and don’t let your knees hover over your toes
• Repeat the squats twelve times, six for each side
• This engages your thighs and rear

Activities

Beyond specific exercises like these, you can do all kinds of simple physical activities to get your exercise in. You can swim, go for a simple walk, or even join a group that does a physical activity together. Find a public garden or a state or national park to visit, and see as much of it as you can. Why not combine the majesty of nature with a little cardio? If you want a little extra spring fun, take these three exercises and do them in between spring cleaning.

Summary

However you exercise, don’t push yourself in an unhealthy way. You can consult with your doctor on what is the right kind of exercise for you. You don’t want to push yourself so hard you injure yourself – just enough that you work on strengthening the parts of your body that need it, especially with all the physical activity spring asks of you.