Mini 04

Note: This series takes us on a journey that delves deep into the body, mind, and spirit (and history) of our humanity, and it might help to have our own body, mind, and spirit in good shape for the trip. This is the first of several self-care articles to be sprinkled in along the way.

Doing all 7 of these flexing exercises takes between 3 minutes and 30 minutes a day, depending on how long you relax between each of the 7 exercises. Me? I like to daydream and get inspiration for my writing… so, a good half-hour.
Over time, they can improve posture and make the body look more toned, or even mildly “ripped.”
I like to do them while lying down in bed when I wake up. Some can alternatively be done while sitting, others while standing, as explained in picture below with its caption.

Important:
Breathe in and out constantly during all the exercises. (Don’t hold your breath.)
Tighten your stomach muscles during all the exercises. (For lying-on-your-back exercises, #1 through #5, just lift your head and shoulders a few inches in the air.)
If you have underlying health conditions, consult a doctor or physical therapist first.

Starting out: Try each of these 7 exercises for a few seconds, just to get a feel for them.
Long-term goal: Do the complete set once, nearly every day… twice on a good day.

1. Leg-bicep, shoulder flex: Lying on your back in bed, raise the knees so that the feet are flat on the bed. Clasp your hands below the navel, then flex 1) the muscles in the shoulders and 2) the leg biceps. Tilt or turn the head left and right as inspired. (about 25 seconds)
2. Leg-bicep, shoulder flex: Same as #1 above, but raise your hands above your head while flexing the shoulders and leg biceps. (about 25 seconds)
3. Bicep, calf flex: Still on your back, bend your elbows, then flex 1) the arm biceps, and 2) the leg calves. (about 25 seconds)
4. Forearm/wrist, ankle flex: Still on your back, flex your forearms, wrists, and ankles as follows: Make tight fists with your hands and focus on tight forearms. For the first 5 seconds, touch your fists together and touch the bottoms of your feet together. For the next 5 seconds point your fists away from each other and rotate your feet outward. Repeat… (5 sec together, 5 sec apart, 5 sec together). (about 25 seconds)
5. Tricep, gluteus flex: Still on your back, legs extended, flex 1) the triceps (back of the upper arms) and 2) the butt muscles. (about 25 seconds)
6. Neck, shoulder, back, lap flex: Lying on your stomach, clasp your hands behind your back and raise them up, away from the body… and flex 1) the shoulders (while stretching the spine) and 2) the lap muscles (front of the upper legs). Tilt or turn your head left and right as inspired. (about 25 seconds)
7. Neck, shoulder, lower-calf flex: Still on your stomach, head raised, with hands clasped behind your back and pulled in tight below the tailbone, flex 1) the shoulders and neck, and 2) the small area between the ankles and calves. Tilt or turn your head left and right as inspired. (about 25 seconds)

You could supplement these strengthening exercises with aerobics (walking, biking, dancing…) and with meditation and toning exercises like yoga (subjects of future articles).

# # #

About the diagram

Lie on your back for the first 5 exercises. Roll over onto your stomach for the last 2.
Figure 5 is upside down to show the flexed muscles (black lines).

These exercises can be done while lying down, as shown. Or…
#1, #2, #3, and #4 can be done while sitting (working at the computer, watching TV…)
#5, #6, and #7 can be done while standing (waiting for a bus, watching a sunset…)
Each exercise takes about 25 seconds, and you can coordinate them with your breathing if it feels right—an in-breath one second, an out-breath the next second, and so on.
You can count off the seconds silently (1-2-3-4-5, 2-2-3-4-5, 3-2-3-4-5, 4-2-3-4-5, 5-2-3-4-5.), or, I prefer a mantra adapted from the Dalai Lama spoken silently in my mind, one word per second:
Cherish-myself-cherish-myself-today…
Cherish-others-cherish-others-today…
Cherish-myself-cherish-myself-today…
Cherish-others-cherish-others-today…
Cherish-myself-cherish-myself-today..
The exercises may seem a little complicated at first, but they soon become habit. In a few years your body might even initiate them occasionally, at opportune times as it starts to appreciate feeling mildly “ripped.”