4 Essential Fitness Exercises

A good exercise routine can help in maintaining a fit and healthy body. There are countless exercises which can help you push your limits of stamina, fitness, strength and speed. These 4 exercises, however, can help in keeping your body fit for daily activities. They are compound exercises which activate all the muscle groups in the body and can be performed anywhere.

Squats

Squats is a very simple exercise, but it requires a good form to obtain the best results. Squats will improve your leg muscle strength and also flex your lower waist, making your lower body strong enough to bear more stress. Here are the steps to do squats:

• Stand straight with your feet distance apart as your hips.
• Keeping your knees over your ankles, bend your knees while moving your butt back as if to sit in  a chair.
• Keep a 90-degree angle between your knee and lower leg.
• Make sure your knees do not go over your toes.
• Raise up and repeat the steps atleast 10 times.
• Do three sets, two to three times a week. Visit here to know more about Squats exercise.

Lunges

Lunges are also an exercise for legs, and it requires your core strength. It will help in improving your joints and make then endurable to sprinting and hiking. Here is how to do it

• Put your working leg in the front with back leg at hip-distance apart, the heel of the back leg should be up.
• Bend your knees so that the front knee goes forward and the back knee goes downwards. Keep the front knee over the ankles. Go down till you make a 90-degree angle for both your legs.
• Rise up and start again.
• Do three sets of 10 reps at least two to three times a week.

Pushups

Pushups are a very basic exercise which is performed to build the shoulder muscle and also to strengthen your core. It is easy to perform, and people with more weight can start slowly and progress as they start getting strength in their shoulders. Here is how you do it:

• Begin with a basic plank, with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and your palms on the floor.
• Keep your head and neck in alignment with your straight back. Your back should be straight, and your lower back shouldn’t sag.
• Bend your elbows, slowly and bring your chest towards the floor.
• Hold it for a second and push against the floor till you straighten your arms, returning to the starting position.
• Do ten reps in three sets, at least two to three times a week.
• There are several modifications that you can apply to pushups, which you can learn as you progress.

Pull-ups

Pull-ups is probably the most difficult exercise in this segment. It requires your arms to lift up your body weight. If you are overweight, you should consider losing some weight on this one first. It will strengthen your shoulders and biceps, and also provide with  your hands a better grip. Here is how to do it:

• Stand under the bar and hold the bar with your both hands and get a tight grip.
• Keep your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and activate your core.
• Pull yourself up so that your chin reaches the bar while keeping your posture straight.
• Slowly lower yourself down, to the initial position. Do not let your feet touch the floor.
• Start with 5 reps, two sets at least two to three times a week.