Couch Potato Workout - importance of physical fitness workouts for African Americans

Ebony, Sept, 1999 by Nicole Walker

DOES your sofa have a permanent groove where you sit? Is your only exercise picking up and putting down the TV remote? Does crossing the street leave you winded? If you answered yes to these questions, you are in danger of becoming the worst vegetable of all--the couch potato. Even if you think this doesn't sound like you, chances are you probably need more exercise. The American Heart Association reports that Blacks are among the least active of all ethnic groups when it comes to physical fitness, and numerous studies show that living a sedentary lifestyle increases your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and of course, obesity. In addition to posing a health risk, being inactive also lowers the quality of your life. How many times have you passed up a fun activity because you just didn't feel up to it? But the good news is you can reclaim your good health, and the following exercises will ease you back into prime condition.

Get Fit While You Sit

There are many exercises you can perform without leaving your seat. Chair crunches for the stomach, arm curls and leg lifts are just a few exercises that can be done while you sit and read, watch TV or talk on the phone. And ordinary objects around the house, such as unopened canned goods, a plastic bottle filled with salt or sand, a 5-pound sack of flour, or even a heavy book make excellent weights for arm exercises when you don't have dumbbells.

Chair crunches work the cluster of stomach muscles known as the abdominals, which when perfectly toned, give you that "six pack" look. The benefit of chair crunches over ordinary sit-ups is that they take the strain off your back and neck since neither moves for this exercise, which makes it ideal for people who suffer with neck or lower back pain.

To perform chair crunches, sit upright in a sturdy chair with your back firmly against the chair back, your feet together and flat on the floor. Grasp the front edge of the seat and slowly bring both knees as close to your chest as possible, then lower legs without touching the floor. Do sets of 10. As you move, keep your legs closed, your stomach tight, and don't cheat by bending over.

Seated Leg Lifts tone your entire leg, with emphasis on front thigh muscles (quadriceps) and backs of thighs (hamstrings). For this exercise, begin in the same position as with the chair crunches, sitting upright in a chair with your back flat against the chair back. Lift your right leg until it's parallel with the floor, then use your right hip to slowly raise your leg off the seat as high as possible, then lower without resting it on the seat. During the move, keep your leg straight and toes pointed up. Repeat 10 to 12 times for each leg.

Weight training also is a wonderful way to build your strength and firm flabby areas. When working with weights, fitness experts say that if your goal is simply to tone, but not bulk up your muscles, you should lift a low weight, but increase the number of sets. To achieve strong, sculptured upper arms, try arm curls, which tone the front muscles of the arms (biceps).

For curls, sit toward the edge of a chair or sofa with your legs shoulder-width apart and feet flat on the floor. Hold the dumbbell in your right hand and lean so that your right elbow rests inside your right thigh, letting your arm hang down between your legs. (Brace your left hand on your left thigh for support.) With your palm facing up, slowly lift the dumbbell toward your right shoulder, hold, then lower to starting position. Do sets of 8 to 12 for each arm and alternate arms with each set. For proper form, keep your elbow on your thigh and your wrist straight. Also, don't swing your arm wildly--use your biceps to pull the weight up.

Ground Work

Get down on the floor and down to fitness with three easy exercises that give new meaning to the word "recline." Put the squeeze on thunder thighs with squeeze-ins, which shape up the inner-thigh area, and for outer thighs, try thigh lifts. If an unbelievable upper body is what you're after, kneeling push-ups tone your arms, chest and shoulders and are an easier alternative to the standard, straight-leg version. For maximum comfort, use a mat or towel while performing these exercises, or do squeeze-ins and thigh lifts in the comfort of your bed.

For squeeze-ins, lie on your back with both legs up toward the ceiling and your hands at your sides for support. Start the move with your legs together and toes pointed up, then open both legs slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Hold, then slowly bring legs together by squeezing inner-thigh muscles and repeat. Do sets of 8 to 12. Alternate move: Do the same move by supporting your buttocks and the backs of your legs against a wall.

To perform thigh lifts, lie on your side and support your head with your hand. Line your top leg evenly with your bottom one and bend both knees out in front of you toward your chest. (Don't bring knees higher than your pelvis.) Lift your top leg, keeping it bent as you move, hold, then lower. Your bottom leg also should stay bent. During the move, keep both legs and thighs even, and don't raise your top leg higher than your hip. Remember to keep your stomach tight and your back straight. Turn over and work the other leg. For each leg, do sets of eight.