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Kitchen Workout
Think you don't have time to exercise? Fit it in where you can. Besides
taking ten or fifteen minute brisk walks whenever possible, move instead of
standing around when you're waiting for something -- like when you're in the
kitchen waiting for water to boil.
Here are a few strenghtening exercises that require no special equipment
and can be done at home or in the office. Building muscle through
strengthening exercises doesn't have a direct effect on breast cancer, but it
helps keep your weight under control by boosting your metabolism. Keeping
weight down does help reduce breast cancer risk and recurrence.
Kitchen counters or the backs of chairs are a good height to hold onto. Hold
lightly or don't hold on at all so that you can also work on developing
balance. Make the first few movements of each exercise easy to help you
warm up, and then work your way up to a more challenging level.
Simple Strengthening Exercises
Do each around 15 to 20 times or until the muscle you're working feels
fatigued. Pay attention to your posture. (Like Mom tells you: stand up
straight and tall.)
Toe Raises
Stand with your feet slightly apart and your hands resting on the edge of a
counter or the back of a chair. Slowly rise up onto your toes, then lower your
heals back to the floor. You should feel it in the back of your calves.
Leg Lifts to the Front and Back
Stand with your side towards a counter, about two feet away, and hold the
edge gently. Lift your right leg slowly in front of you with the foot slightly
flexed, then lower it. Do it around fifteen times on the right and the same
number on the left. You should feel it in the front of your thigh.
Still standing with your side towards the counter, raise each leg around
fifteen times to the back. Keep the foot gently flexed. You should feel it in
the butt.
Side Leg Lifts
Face the counter at a comfortable distance to put both hands gently on the
edge. Lift your right leg slowly to the side around fifteen times with your foot
gently flexed. Switch to your left leg. These side leg lifts are good for toning
the thighs.
Another way to do this is standing with your arms out to the side without
holding onto anything. You can do the lifts with fifteen on one leg and then
the other or alternating the right and left .
Crossover
With your side towards the counter, lift your right foot around six inches off
the ground in front of you. Keeping the foot gently flexed and the leg
straight, move it to the left until you feel it in the inner thigh. Move it back to
the front still off the ground and repeat around fifteen times. Then do it with
the left leg.
Standing Push-ups
Stand facing the counter an arm's length away with your feet slightly apart.
Put your hands on the edge of the counter directly in front of your shoulders.
Holding your body straight, bend your elbows and lower yourself towards the
counter slowly. Straighten your arms to push yourself up. Do as many as
you can. You should feel this in the back of your upper arm.
Push-ups can also be done with arms wider apart to strengthen the
shoulders. You can lean against a wall instead of a counter.
Chair Sit-ups
Sit near the front edge of a chair with your knees bent so that your feet are
flat on the floor slightly apart. With your hands in your lap or your arms
crossed against the front of your chest, lean back slowly in the chair and then
sit up straight. Keep your back straight and your head in line with your spine
so that your body moves as a unit from the hips up. Hold your stomach in
gently, and use your abdominal muscles to control your movement. This
strengthens the lower abdomen and back.
taking ten or fifteen minute brisk walks whenever possible, move instead of
standing around when you're waiting for something -- like when you're in the
kitchen waiting for water to boil.
Here are a few strenghtening exercises that require no special equipment
and can be done at home or in the office. Building muscle through
strengthening exercises doesn't have a direct effect on breast cancer, but it
helps keep your weight under control by boosting your metabolism. Keeping
weight down does help reduce breast cancer risk and recurrence.
Kitchen counters or the backs of chairs are a good height to hold onto. Hold
lightly or don't hold on at all so that you can also work on developing
balance. Make the first few movements of each exercise easy to help you
warm up, and then work your way up to a more challenging level.
Simple Strengthening Exercises
Do each around 15 to 20 times or until the muscle you're working feels
fatigued. Pay attention to your posture. (Like Mom tells you: stand up
straight and tall.)
Toe Raises
Stand with your feet slightly apart and your hands resting on the edge of a
counter or the back of a chair. Slowly rise up onto your toes, then lower your
heals back to the floor. You should feel it in the back of your calves.
Leg Lifts to the Front and Back
Stand with your side towards a counter, about two feet away, and hold the
edge gently. Lift your right leg slowly in front of you with the foot slightly
flexed, then lower it. Do it around fifteen times on the right and the same
number on the left. You should feel it in the front of your thigh.
Still standing with your side towards the counter, raise each leg around
fifteen times to the back. Keep the foot gently flexed. You should feel it in
the butt.
Side Leg Lifts
Face the counter at a comfortable distance to put both hands gently on the
edge. Lift your right leg slowly to the side around fifteen times with your foot
gently flexed. Switch to your left leg. These side leg lifts are good for toning
the thighs.
Another way to do this is standing with your arms out to the side without
holding onto anything. You can do the lifts with fifteen on one leg and then
the other or alternating the right and left .
Crossover
With your side towards the counter, lift your right foot around six inches off
the ground in front of you. Keeping the foot gently flexed and the leg
straight, move it to the left until you feel it in the inner thigh. Move it back to
the front still off the ground and repeat around fifteen times. Then do it with
the left leg.
Standing Push-ups
Stand facing the counter an arm's length away with your feet slightly apart.
Put your hands on the edge of the counter directly in front of your shoulders.
Holding your body straight, bend your elbows and lower yourself towards the
counter slowly. Straighten your arms to push yourself up. Do as many as
you can. You should feel this in the back of your upper arm.
Push-ups can also be done with arms wider apart to strengthen the
shoulders. You can lean against a wall instead of a counter.
Chair Sit-ups
Sit near the front edge of a chair with your knees bent so that your feet are
flat on the floor slightly apart. With your hands in your lap or your arms
crossed against the front of your chest, lean back slowly in the chair and then
sit up straight. Keep your back straight and your head in line with your spine
so that your body moves as a unit from the hips up. Hold your stomach in
gently, and use your abdominal muscles to control your movement. This
strengthens the lower abdomen and back.
More tips on how to boost physical activity
More exercises:
Simple strengthening exercises from the National Institute on Aging
American Council on Exercise
Get fit at your desk videos
Good Form Exercises from the Los Angeles Times.
For more advanced strength training at home, try resistance bands or free
weights. They're inexpensive and widely available at sports stores.
More exercises:
Simple strengthening exercises from the National Institute on Aging
American Council on Exercise
Get fit at your desk videos
Good Form Exercises from the Los Angeles Times.
For more advanced strength training at home, try resistance bands or free
weights. They're inexpensive and widely available at sports stores.
These exercises were developed with the help of
personal trainer Denese Waldman who works with
individuals in Washington, DC and Maryland.
personal trainer Denese Waldman who works with
individuals in Washington, DC and Maryland.