Exercise & Movement Articles

Video / Updated 08-15-2023

The standing calf raise exercise targets your calf muscles, particularly the larger, outermost muscle that is responsible for the shape and size of your calves. Performing the standing calf raise Follow these steps to perform this exercise: Stand on the edge of a step. Or, if you have a step-aerobics platform, place two sets of risers underneath the platform. Stand tall with your abdominals pulled in, the balls of your feet firmly planted on the step, and your heels hanging over the edge. Rest your hands against a wall or a sturdy object for balance. Raise your heels a few inches above the edge of the step so that you’re on your tiptoes. Hold the position for a moment, and then lower your heels below the platform, feeling a stretch in your calf muscles. Tips for doing the standing calf raise Keep these tips in mind as you perform this exercise: Lift as high as you can onto your toes and lower your heels down as much as your ankle flexibility allows. Push evenly through the entire width of your foot. Don’t push off from your big toe or the outside edge of your feet. Gym alternative: Toe press on the leg-press machine Perform a toe press on the leg-press machine at your gym as an alternative to using dumbbells for this exercise. Follow these steps to perform the toe press on the leg-press machine: Lie on the leg-press machine with your shoulders snugly underneath the pad. To lift the weight stack, straighten your legs completely, and carefully walk your feet down the foot platform until your heels hang off the end. Keeping your legs straight, rise up on your tiptoes as high as you can and then lower down until your heels are below the level of the foot plate. After you complete all the reps, carefully walk your feet back to the center of the foot plate before bending your knees and lowering the weights.

Video / Updated 08-14-2023

External and internal rotation exercises target your rotator-cuff muscles but strengthen your shoulder muscles as well. If these movements bother your neck, try resting your head on your outstretched arm. Performing rotation exercises Follow these steps to perform these exercises: Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and lie on the floor on your left side. Bend your right elbow to a 90-degree angle and tuck it firmly against your side so that your palm is facing downward. Pull your abdominals in. Bend your left elbow and rest the side of your head in your left hand. Keeping your right elbow glued to your side, raise your right hand as far as you comfortably can. Slowly lower the weight back toward the floor. This exercise is external rotation. After you complete all the repetitions, switch the weight to your left hand and lie on your back. You can also do this exercise lying on one side on the bench, with your forearm hanging off the bench. Bend your elbow so your forearm is perpendicular to the floor and your palm is facing in. Lower your hand down and out to the side as far as you can, and then lift the weight back up. This exercise is internal rotation. Tips for external and internal rotation exercises Keep these tips in mind as you perform rotation exercises: Use a very light weight. Imagine that your shoulder is the hinge of a door that is opening and closing. Keep your wrist straight. Gym alternative: Cable internal and external rotation exercises Use cable internal and external rotation exercises as an alternative in the gym. Follow these steps: Attach a horseshoe handle to the upper cable pulley and grasp the handle with your right hand so that your right arm is alongside the cable tower. Bend your arm so your forearm is in front of your body and parallel to the floor, and your elbow rests against your side. Pull the handle across your body to lift the weight, and then slowly return your arm to the starting position. This exercise is internal rotation. After you complete your reps, do external rotation with your left rotator cuff: Without changing position, hold the horseshoe handle in your left hand, so your forearm is across your waist. Keeping your left elbow against your side, pull the handle outward to lift the weight. To lower the weight, return to the starting position. To complete internal and external rotation on both arms, switch to the other side of the cable tower or turn your body around.

Video / Updated 08-14-2023

The dumbbell chest press closely mimics the bench press — the favorite exercise among serious weightlifters everywhere. This exercise works your chest muscles, shoulders, and triceps. If you have shoulder, elbow, or lower-back problems, limit the range of motion. You should lower and lift the dumbbells only a few inches to avoid overstraining these joints. Performing the dumbbell chest press Follow these steps to perform this exercise: Lie on the bench with a dumbbell in each hand and your feet flat on the floor. You can rest your feet up on the bench if it’s more comfortable. Push the dumbbells up so that your arms are directly over your shoulders and your palms are up. Pull your abdominals in, and tilt your chin toward your chest. Lower the dumbbells down and a little to the side until your elbows are slightly below your shoulders. Roll your shoulder blades back and down, like you’re pinching them together and accentuating your chest. Push the weights back up, taking care not to lock your elbows or allow your shoulder blades to rise off the bench. Tips for the dumbbell chest press Keep in mind the following tips as you perform chest presses: Let your back keep a natural arch so that you have a slight gap between your lower back and the bench. Don’t contort your body in an effort to lift the weight. Lift only as much weight as you can handle while maintaining good form. When pressing the dumbbells up, have them form a triangular motion; they don’t need to touch each other. Gym alternative: Vertical chest-press machine Use the vertical chest-press machine at your gym as an alternative to using dumbbells for this exercise. Follow these steps to use the vertical chest-press machine: Sit so that the center of your chest lines up with the center of the horizontal set of handlebars. Press down on the foot bar (if your particular machine's design has one) so that the handles move forward. Grip the horizontal handles and push them forward, straightening your arms. Lift your feet from the foot bar so that the weight of the stack transfers into your hands. Slowly bend your arms until your elbows are slightly behind your chest, and then push the handles forward until your arms are straight. After you complete the set, put your feet back on the foot bar and let go of the handles before you lower the weight stack all the way down.

Video / Updated 08-14-2023

The dumbbell shoulder press exercise targets your shoulders, placing some emphasis on your triceps and upper back. Use caution if you have lower-back, neck, or elbow problems. Performing the dumbbell shoulder press Follow these steps to perform this exercise: Hold a dumbbell in each hand and sit on a bench with back support. Plant your feet firmly on the floor about hip-width apart. Bend your elbows and raise your upper arms to shoulder height so the dumbbells are at ear level. Pull your abdominals in so there is a slight gap between the small of your back and the bench. Place the back of your head against the pad. Push the dumbbells up and in until the ends of the dumbbells touch lightly, directly over your head, and then lower the dumbbells back to ear level. Tips for the dumbbell shoulder press Keep these tips in mind as you perform shoulder presses: Keep your elbows rigid without locking them at the top of the movement. Press your back against the back support without flattening out the curve in your back. Bring your arms and elbows down, keeping your elbow joints in line with your shoulders. If the bench is tall enough, keep your head against the back rest. Don’t wiggle or squirm in an effort to press the weights up. Gym alternative: Shoulder-press machine Use the shoulder-press machine at your gym as an alternative to using dumbbells for this exercise. Follow these steps to use the shoulder-press machine: Set your seat height so that the shoulder-press machine’s pulley is even with the middle of your shoulder. Hold onto each of the front handles. Pull your abdominals in tight, but allow a slight natural gap to remain between the small of your back and the back pad. Press the handles up without locking your elbows. Lower your arms until your elbows are slightly lower than your shoulders.

Video / Updated 08-10-2023

Performing the sun salutation from a standing position builds strength and flexibility as the series of yoga movements relax your mind and body. This video show you how to perform each step in the popular yoga pose.

Video / Updated 08-09-2023

The dumbbell biceps curl exercise targets your biceps, the muscles you rely on to hold heavy objects and look buff in sleeveless shirts. Use caution if you have lower-back or elbow problems. Performing biceps curls Follow these steps to perform this exercise: Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet as wide apart as your hips. Let your arms hang down at your sides with your palms forward. Pull your abdominals in, stand tall, and keep your knees slightly bent. Curl both arms upward until they’re in front of your shoulders. Slowly lower the dumbbells back down. Tips for doing biceps curls Keep these tips in mind as you perform this exercise: Keep your knees slightly bent and your posture tall. Don’t lean back or rock your body forward to help lift the weight. Keep your elbows as close to your body as you can without supporting your elbows on the sides of your stomach for leverage. Don’t rest when you reach the top or bottom of the exercise; instead, keep a constant tension on the biceps. Lower the weight back to the starting position slowly and with control. Gym alternative: Arm-curl machine Use the arm-curl machine at your gym as an alternative to using dumbbells for this exercise. Follow these steps to use the arm-curl machine: Adjust the seat so that when you sit down and extend your arms straight out, they’re level with your shoulders, and your elbows are lined up with the moving hinge or pulley of the machine. Sit down and grasp a handle in each hand with your palms facing up. Bend your elbows and pull the handles until they’re just above your shoulders. Slowly lower the handles back down.

Article / Updated 07-12-2023

Partner Yoga is a joyful practice that brings two people together to create a new posture. In contrast to what’s referred to as assisted Yoga, in partner Yoga, each person gives support and receives benefits as the two create a posture together. When you and your partner try this, you discover and enjoy one of the requirements and lessons of partner Yoga: dialogue and clear communication. Consider the benefits of partner Yoga: Can be practiced by two strangers in a class Extends Yoga’s emphasis on experimentation and personal discovery to an experience shared with another person Utilizes traction, leverage, and kinesthetic awareness Involves engaging physically with another person, yet is not sexual Can add an element of delight when practiced by romantic couples Partner Yoga is best practiced with someone your same size, but differences in height and weight can stimulate creativity to make the postures work. The benefits of partner Yoga Partner Yoga can be good for your health. By its very nature, partner Yoga is a playful practice and can even evoke laughter. Laughter can be a very healing experience, as Norman Cousins has taught the world. Partner Yoga fosters your ability to trust and feel secure with another person. It gives you the opportunity to surrender to another individual and feel supported. That experience of trust on the mat can spill over to your life off the mat. How comfortable are you with being touched? Partner Yoga isn’t sexual, but it involves touching. Because of differences in personality, personal experience, upbringing, and culture, the idea of touching another person during your Yoga routine may be more or less comfortable than the practice of going solo. Although partner Yoga can help you address issues with intimacy, only you know your limits and what’s right for you. As with all other aspects of your Yoga practice, listen to and respect your inner voice. Partner Yoga as a metaphor for living in the world According to Cain Carroll and Lori Kimata, authors of Partner Yoga, the first axiom of partner Yoga is, “All things are interdependent.” Partner Yoga gives you immediate feedback on how you interact with your partner and, by extension, with others in your life. For instance, if one person pushes too far, both will fall over. Now how’s that for immediate feedback? Consider the opportunities for feedback that partner Yoga offers: Do you communicate your needs? Do you listen when your partner communicates his needs? Are you sensitive to the subtle adjustments and movements of your partner? Do you give support when needed? Are you flexible enough to allow your partner to move with ease yet maintain your own integrity? Can you find that healthy medium between rigidity and flexibility? What new shapes can you and your significant other make if you pair up for partner Yoga? For a totally unique and personal holiday greeting card, enlist the help of a friend with a camera or a smartphone, bend and blend yourselves, and shoot away. The partner tree pose is often a favorite holiday shot.

Article / Updated 07-12-2023

This Yoga relaxation technique utilizes your power of imagination. If you can picture images easily in your mind, you may find the exercise enjoyable and refreshing. For this exercise, you need a chair and a blanket (if necessary). Allow 5 minutes. Sit up tall in a chair, with your feet on the floor and comfortably apart, and your hands resting on top of your knees. If your feet aren’t comfortably touching the floor, fold the blanket and place it under your feet for support. Credit: Photograph by Adam Latham Breathe through your nose, but allow your breath to move freely. Close your eyes and focus your attention on the middle of your forehead, just above the level of your eyebrows. Make sure you don’t crinkle your forehead or squint your eyes. Visualize as vividly as possible a triangle connecting the forehead point and the palms of both hands. Register (but don’t think about) any sensations or colors that appear on your mental screen while you hold the triangle in your mind. Do this visualization for 8 to 10 breaths, and then dissolve the triangle. Visualize a triangle formed by your navel and the big toes of your feet; retain this image for 10 to 12 breaths. If any part of the mental triangle is difficult to connect, keep focusing on that part until the triangle fully forms. Keeping your eyes closed, visualize again the first triangle formed between your forehead and your two palms, and then simultaneously visualize the second triangle (navel to toes). This final step is more challenging. Picture both triangles together for 12 to 15 breaths, and then dissolve them.

Video / Updated 06-22-2023

Relieve back pain by posing in the Cat and Cow asanas. Two of the ten core yoga poses, these positions stretch your back and increase flexibility. Exercise your body and relax your mind with yoga. Video transcript [MUSIC PLAYING] In yoga, lots of poses are named after animals and things in nature. This one happens to be Cat and Cow. And it's really good to stretch the lower back and open up after a long hard day at work. So all you need to do is place your knees shoulder-width apart, take your hands down to the floor, lining up your wrists, elbows, and shoulders. You take a nice big inhale in, exhale, and fully round the back up into a big cat backstretch, drawing up from your armpits, pressing your palms into the floor, pressing your knees into the floor, and release chin to chest. Pull your tummy and as tight as you can. Then draw back down, sending the hips up. Gaze is up and draw the shoulders down your back. As you're working through Cat and Cow, if you feel any pain or unusual symptoms, especially if you're pregnant, just stop right away and gently press back into Child's Pose and release. And that's Cat and Cow.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-08-2023

Yoga is an ancient practice that still provides numerous benefits today to the people who practice it regularly. Some people are scared off by certain myths they’ve heard about Yoga, but in truth, there’s no reason why anyone can’t and shouldn’t practice it. If you’re new to Yoga, finding a class and a teacher that fits your needs is crucial. After that, you need to make sure you’re doing all you can to make your Yoga practice as successful and beneficial as it can be.