Embarking on a fitness regime can be daunting, but there are exercises you can do from the comfort of your home that can give you a simple start to a healthier and fitter you.
Press-ups
Get down on your laminate flooring and do some press-ups to strengthen shoulder joints and work multiple muscle groups. This a great way to prepare you for more demanding upper-body exercises. Some useful tips on doing press-ups are available on the NHS website at http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/home-toning-workout.aspx.
Standing Shoulder Press
Use two dumbbells or the equivalent in cans of beans or bottles of water and hold them out at shoulder height. Both your arms should be bent and your palms should be facing forwards.
Lift the weights over your head until your elbows are locked, pause and then lower them slowly back to the starting position. This exercise can be done on any spare spot of carpet or your new laminate chosen from a company such as http://www.woodenfloorshop.co.uk/laminate-flooring.html. It should be a safe shoulder-sculpting starter exercise.
Dumbbell Squat
Hold one weight in each hand with your legs placed shoulder-width apart. Sit back in a squat until your weights are only an inch off the floor. Exhale and return to your starting position. This a great all-round exercise that is perfect for building general strength.
Farmer’s Walk
Hold a heavy weight in each hand (around half of your own body weight) down at your sides. Stand tall and walk forward quickly using short steps. This will boost your grip strength, front deltoids, upper trapezius and shoulder stabilisers.
Lateral Raise
Stand with a dumbbell in each of your hands and slowly lift them out to shoulder height at your sides. Pause and then slowly lower. These raises isolate your middle shoulder muscle, known as the medial deltoid, to help you develop shoulder mass and width.
Dumbbell Calf Raise
Hold a pair of dumbbells as you stand on a step with your heels on the floor below. Slowly lift and lower your heels.
Bicep Curl
Hold a weight in each hand and keep your upper arms still as you curl them up to shoulder level. Keep your elbows still, squeeze the bicep at the top of the move and then lower slowly. This will work the complete bicep to promote maximum muscle growth.