Exercise

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This is another yoga exercise. Kneel down on your hands and knees in a crawling position with the hands shoulder width apart and the knees approximately eight inches apart. Keeping your arms and legs still slowly arch your back to hump it upwards lowering your head and tucking the chin into the chest. Hold this position for seven seconds.

Exercise for the abdomen

It is important to strengthen the abdominal muscles. Weak abdominal muscles will cause back pain disturbing the balance between the erector spinae muscle group and the abdominals. Weak abdominal muscles create bad posture – the abdomen protrudes and the lumbar spine curves too far inwards. The abdominal muscles are also essential for supporting the internal organs. Weakness can lead to problems with the bowels and the reproductive organs.

Partial sit-ups

Lie on your back with your knees bent up and your feet apart and flat on the floor. You can either place your arms at your sides or clasp your hands underneath your head.

Tuck your chin on to your chest and slowly raise both your head and shoulders off the floor. Hold this position for seven seconds . Lower yourself back to the floor. Repeat three times.

Benefits

Your abdominal muscles will be strengthened and toned. Your internal organs will be supported and massaged.

exercises for the legs

Leg exercises are important for maintaining and increasing the flexibility of the legs and hips. The legs must be warmed up before any sporting activity to avoid injury. Exercising the legs also helps to reduce fatty deposits around the hips and thighs.

Exercise 1 – The hurdler’s stretch

Sit on the floor. Stretch your right leg straight out in front of you with your knee pressed firmly into the ground and your foot dorsiflexed (pulled upwards). Bend your left knee up and tuck it sideways out of the way. Slowly and carefully bend forwards as far as you can without causing any pain. Hold this position for ten seconds.

Repeat this stretching movement on the other side. Repeat three times.

Benefits

This exercise stretches your hamstring muscles in the back of your thigh. It also increases flexibility of your knees. The hamstrings are particularly under stress when sprinting, playing football and karate kicking. If your hamstrings are taut then you will have difficulty touching your toes.

Exercise 2 – The half lunge

Stand up facing a wall. Place the palms of your hands shoulder width apart against the wall.

Place the right leg straight behind you in a lunge position. the left leg remains forward and is flexed. Push gently against the feet feeling the stretch in the legs. Hold this position for ten seconds.

Come back slowly to the starting position and repeat the exercise on the other leg.

Benefits

Increases flexibility of the legs, hamstrings and hips. Aids the reduction of fatty deposits around the hips and thighs. An excellent warm up exercise prior to sporting activities.

Exercise 3 – The sitting stretch

Sit on the floor with the legs straight out in front of you. Keeping your back as straight as possible reach forward slowly aiming to try to reach your ankles or feet with your hands. Hold this position for ten seconds.

Benefits

This exercise also stretches and increases flexibility

Exercise 4 – The squat

Standing up place the feet shoulder width apart. Tighten up both the abdominal and the buttock muscles. With the back straight and the arms stretched out in front of you slowly lower yourself as far as possible into the squatting position (if you find it difficult to balance then hold on to a chair). Hold this position for seven seconds and then gradually return to your original position.

Repeat this exercise three times.

Benefits

The squatting exercise is particularly good for strengthening the thighs and buttocks. It also improves balance and posture.