By Mary Ann Wilson, RN
Here’s a great way to exercise at home if you have a free wall space to work with. Focus on maintaining good posture as you practice these functional wall exercises. Integrate them into your daily life for improved strength and range of motion.
1. Wall Push Ups
Stand 12” to 24” away from a wall, facing the wall. Place both hands on the wall at shoulder height and slightly wider than your shoulders. Lean forward into your hands until elbows reach a 90-degree angle. Then push yourself back up to starting position. This is one of the best wall exercises for upper body strengthening.
2. Wall Reach and Knee Bend
Stand 12” to 24” away from away from a wall, facing wall. Place both hands on the wall high over head. As the knees bend slightly, continue to reach hands high up the wall. This is one of three wall exercises presented here for upper body flexibility.
3. Wall Walking
Stand 12” to 24” away from a wall, facing wall. Place both hands on wall at shoulder level. Begin to walk hands up the wall alternating hands. Continue as high as you can. Walk hands back down in same way. This is the second of three wall exercises for upper body flexibility.
4. Windmill
Stand with back against a wall. Start with elbows bent to 90 degrees and hands down and palms against wall. Keep elbows against the wall and raise the hands up so the palms face away from the wall. This is the third of three wall exercises for upper body flexibility.
5. Wall Spiderman
Stand 12” to 24” away from a wall, facing wall. Place both hands on wall at shoulder level. With hands and feet shoulder width apart and body in a straight line, bring right hand and right foot to left hand and left foot. Continue to push body weight through hands on wall. Move left hand and left foot at the same time away from the right hand and right foot to return to start position. Continue pattern.
6. Wall Sit
Stand facing away from a wall with shoulders and hips touching wall. Begin to walk feet away from the wall while leaning into wall. Feet will be 12” to 24” away from wall. Slide down wall as knees bend. Stay on heel side of foot throughout movement. Push to slide on wall to come back to start position. Hands go out for balance.
7. Standing Cross Over Crunch
Stand perpendicular to the wall with one hand on wall, the leg furthest from the wall on the floor. Place finger tips of hand not on wall behind ears. Bend at the hip as you draw the knee of the opposite elbow towards one another trying to connect opposite knee and elbow. Return to start position and repeat same side.
8. Standing Side Bend
In a standing position with hands on sides, reach fingertips of one hand towards the floor as the shoulders and upper torso bend laterally at the hip. Return to start position and repeat in the other direction. Be sure that the hips and shoulders stay facing forward throughout. This is one of the best wall exercises for lateral flexion.
Wall exercises can be found on the following Sit and Be Fit workouts:
CHAIR EXERCISE BASICS – DVD
SEASON 13 DVD BOX SET
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