Fitness Minute: Chicken-Noodle Conditioning


November 27, 2004 -- (NAPSI)-If your idea of weightlifting is pumping heavy barbells in a sweaty gym, think again. You can improve your fitness easily, at home, with little cost or time, say fitness experts at the National Women's Health Resource Center.

Simple, light free-weights can do the trick, says Jaime Longval, MS, CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), at the Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine in Providence, RI. Free-weights improve your balance and posture, burn calories and reduce your risk of osteoporosis, injury and low-back problems.

If you're just starting out, choose two or three pound weights with handle-type holds. You can even create homemade weights from empty milk containers filled with water, Longval says, or use unopened soup cans.

Check with your doctor if you have any health concerns. Then, get started with this easy arm curl:

. Sit or stand with the weights in both hands, by your sides, palms facing forward. (If standing, bend your knees slightly.)

. Keep abdominal muscles tight and your elbows by your sides. Breathe normally.

. Bend your elbows to lift the weights (count three seconds). Bring down slowly (count four seconds). Don't move your shoulders.

. Control your movements. The biggest benefit comes as you bring the weight down.

. Do eight to 12 repetitions, once a week. As you get stronger, increase to two or three times a week. You need at least one rest day after each lifting day.

For more healthy living tips, sign up for "Healthy Women Take 10," a monthly e-mail newsletter from the National Women's Health Resource Center, www.healthywomen.org.

Exercising with simple, light weights that you create yourself can improve your balance, burn calories and reduce your risk of osteoporosis.

Copyright ©2005 content, MenopauseRx, Inc. The information provided by MenopauseRx, Inc. is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health-care provider. Please consult your health-care provider for advice about a specific medical condition.