Welcome to 2012! Last year went by way too fast (as it always does) and the world ain’t slowing down. Now that the holidays are behind us once again, we all need to take control of our health and not let our health control us. Those New Years’ fitness resolutions mean nothing if you fail to take action. Realize that healthy habits don’t happen overnight so give your self some time to make those lifestyle changes. 

 

You can begin making small changes by trying out exercises in this column. This year will start out with a total body exercise called the Dumbbell Crouch, Curl, & Press. This is a combination of three separate exercises fused into one.

 

 

Grab two DBs and set them parallel on the floor in a pushup position (fig 1). The first movement is the crouch. Keep the DBs in contact with the floor as you jump the feet forward by flexing at the hips and knees. Feet should land underneath your body as shown in figure 2. 

 

 

The second movement sequence is the squat and curl. Lift the DBs off the floor by squatting into an upright position. As you are coming up, keep the DBs parallel and curl, using your biceps, to shoulder height.

 

 

The final movement is to press the DBs overhead to finish. Repeat these actions in reverse order before beginning another repetition. This exercise isn’t designed to target specific muscle groups but instead uses a combination of movements that require balance, flexibility, and coordination more so than strength. Because you are using a lot of muscle groups, try only 10 repetitions to start. 

 

This exercise will get your heart rate going and the blood flowing! Until next month…stay fit!

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