Home sweet home fitness
Filed under: Essays — arlene @ 2:29 pm
The housewife at home has a lot to do and many opportunities to work on her physical fitness. One of the things which she must guard against is the number of chores which seem to call on her to stoop.
How often do we see the tired housewife at the end of the day holding her tired and painful back?
Always bend at the knees, not with the back. At the beginning this may require a little attention but it is worth it. When you pick up a baby or anything from the floor, always go down by bending your knees first.
There are some wonderful ways of exercising during housework. When you use a vacuum cleaner you must push it backwards and forwards by turning your body from the hips. Try to keep your arm straight and you will do wonders to your waistline. Watch your back and work with the mop, vacuum cleaner or broom close to your body. Do not strain your back by using a long reach with this type of cleaning.
Much of the business of making a bed can be done safely in a kneeling position.
Dusting can be done in so many ways and we can always stretch the arms and stand on our toes for high places, remembering to keep the tummy pulled in. Stand at the sink with the tummy pulled in!
Cooking, washing and many other boring chores can be made easier if we think of them as exercises. Always stand straight, move the arms from the shoulder when stirring and always try to keep a straight back and your tummy in.
Sitting in a chair, going up a ladder are all ways of making the legs do the most work. Don’t pull yourself up a ladder, use your legs.
When shopping – be careful how you carry your purchases home or to your car.
Every day, I see elderly ladies with heavy carrier bags hung on their arms. I say hung because often they cannot really lift these weights with their arm muscles d simply grasp the bag with outstretched arms and raise it with their body muscles — this is very bad.
Always try to balance the weight of your shopping bags by having two which will balance up and then see that you can lift them with your arm muscles by bending at the elbow. If you cannot then you must make more than one trip or get them delivered — or persuade your husband or some cavalier to help.
If you can try to follow these few principles and make some exercises of your own, you will find that at the end of the day you are ready to go out and enjoy the evening.
I hope you have had fun and feel much fitter after trying the different type of life that Autofitness brings.
Now we come to the second part of this programme. I hope you have become interested enough in your own physical abilities and might be prepared to add to the exercises we have already offered.
