Canned
Goods, Dish Towels, and a Workout
By
Anna Woods
- Strength Training Benefits
- Improves muscle tone better
than walking
- Decreases risk of falls
- Can
reverse signs of bone loss
- Improves posture and range of
motion in all joints if done correctly
- Can alleviate pains
associated with arthritis
- Improves
energy levels, and quality of sleep
- Can be completed sitting in a
chair
- Never too old or frail to
build muscle
Recommendations- Warm-up
and cool down before and after each session
- Stretch after each session
- Increase the amount of weight
lifted or the number of reps completed every 4-6 weeks
- Challenge
yourself!!
- Items needed: 2-6 canned good
items (refried beans are the heaviest!), packing tape or duct tape, dish
towels, a chair, a broomstick, a paper plate, and your choice of music
- Tape together 2 cans of
refried beans—make 2 sets
- Tie dish towel around your
right ankle, leaving pouch at the bottom to place the canned goods in (as your
weights)
- Broomstick (can add weight
by tying 2 dish towels containing the canned goods onto each end of the
broomstick)
- Paper plates (seated or
standing: place right heel on plate and slide foot forward and backward and
side to side to work hamstring, ankles, and calves)
- Kids’ rubber bouncy ball-squeeze
between knees, roll behind back in chair, bounce ball up and down, pass ball in
circle around hips while standing
- Ribbons or scarves-hold in
hand and swirl around in circles in front of body, out to side of body, and
overhead—work both arms in all directions and speeds