When my sister-in-law, Laura (50+ and fabulous), asked me to put her on an exercise program that she could do in 20 minutes every morning before going to her teaching job, it made me realize that maybe more baby boomer women would work out if they could do it in 20 minutes or less.
Do you have 20 minutes a day to get in better shape? If you do, just follow the program that I gave Laura. All you need is a resistance band/ exercise tube (the kind that has two handles). Make sure you are wearing comfortable clothes and gym shoes.
Keep in mind that resistance training is not about quantity it is about quality. One set of 8 controlled and correctly executed reps is better than one set of 15 hurried reps done with bad form. Make every rep count by doing it in a slow controlled manner, paying attention to your posture and your core. By visualizing your naval and spine coming together you can recruit your abdominal muscles while performing all of the resistance exercises.
This program will work your entire body and there are a couple of ways that you can do it. The first is to do 1-2 sets of 14 reps for the entire body every other day. The other is performing 3-4 sets of 14 reps for upper body one day and doing the same for lower body the following day. When doing resistance training you always want to rest the muscle group worked at least 48 hours. For best results, you want to work each muscle group 2-3 times a week. On days that you are not doing resistance training do 20 minutes of an aerobic workout like fast walking, biking or anything that will work your heart muscle.
It’s always a good idea to warm up before you start any exercise program even if it’s a few minutes of walking in place.
Upper Body Workout
- Biceps Curls (for front of the upper arms)
Stand with one foot on center of the tubing with each hand palm up in the handles, elbows waist level and arms straight down but not locked. Bend the elbows pulling the handles towards your shoulders without moving your elbows. Hold for a second and slowly lower arms. Repeat.
- Triceps Push Backs (for back of arms)
Stand with one foot on center of the tubing, arms straight down but not locked, with palms facing away from the body. Push the handles away from your body, hold and slowly return to starting position. Repeat.
- Back Rows (for back and posture)
Sit on the floor, back straight with shoulders above the hips and legs straight in front of you. Put the tubing under your feet, crisscross it (for better tension) and grab the handles, palms facing each other. Start with straight arms and then pull back bending the elbows. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and slowly return to starting position. Repeat.
- Wall Pushups (for chest/pecs)
Stand with hands on wall in a pushup position (the further your body is away from the wall the harder it will be). Bending the elbows, bring your face towards the wall, hold for a second and slowly push away. Repeat. To work different areas of your chest and arms change the distance between your hands.
- Side Raises (for shoulders/deltoids)
Stand with one foot on tubing, handle in each hand, arms straight, palms facing the hips. Pull the handles up, hold for a second and slowly lower to starting position. Do not bend the wrists. Repeat.
When using the exercise tube for the upper body you can control how hard you want it to be by the placement of your feet. One foot on the tube is easier, two feet is harder and two feet further apart is the hardest.
Lower Body Workout
- Tubing Squats (for the butt/glutes)
Place the tubing under both feet and grab the tubing under the handles to create some tension. Your arms remain straight as you bend your knees and bring your butt back and down as if you were going to sit on a chair. Hold and slowly straighten your legs without totally locking on top. Repeat.
- Knee Raises (for front of upper legs/quads and for balance)
Stand next to a chair to hold on to if needed. Raise one knee up, hold for a second and lower slowly without touching the foot to the floor if possible. Repeat. Switch leg. This is a great exercise to do on a therapeutic ball and with a weight placed above the knee.
- Tubing Lateral Leg Raises (for outer thighs)
Place the tubing under both feet and grab the tubing under the handles. Stand up straight and raise one leg off the floor to the side. Hold and slowly lower. Repeat. Switch leg.
- Plies (for inner thighs)
Stand with feet wide apart, toes turned outward. Bend the knees keeping your back straight and your shoulders above your hips. Hold the down position for a second and slowly come up. Repeat.
- Tubing Leg Curl (for back of upper leg/hamstrings)
Place the tubing under both feet and hold the tubing under the handles. Curl one leg up, hold and return to original position. Repeat and switch leg.
This program can be done at home or when traveling.
Can you find 20 minutes a day to look and feel better?
