Peter Joseph Gnalian, an internationally acclaimed bodybuilder from Kochi, has developed a set of custom-made exercises for a generation caught in the midst of long sitting hours at the office and studies, and leading a sedentary lifestyle. Most of these people are not able to hit the gym because of lack of time. Even if they do, lifting and squeezing under cumbersome equipment may not come handy. For those who stand perplexed at what and how to do it, and do not want to risk their health, he comes up with an answer to engage their upper body. He has developed a tailor-made curriculum to suit the fitness needs of professionals and students.
“The lower body is always on the move, and the feet mostly overwork. Ever observed a skeleton? It is connected as if with so many nuts and bolts. Don’t we see it sway? What strength does it have when covered with skin and muscle? Nothing supports the joints. The backbone could be strengthened only if engaged in some bending and stretching activities. Our forefathers used to lift heavy things as part of their routine to stay strong. Since those opportunities are lost, the current generation may involve in the following exercises to keep themselves fit,” says Peter. He reveals that irrespective of whether you are at home or office, spend a few minutes working out for a healthy lifestyle. And you don’t need to spend money for that.
Free squat
Stand straight comfortably with the feet apart in a V position. Keep both palms tied behind the neck. Tighten the head backwards. Start the sit and stand routine. Lower down and come back to the previous position. Make sure the knees are wide while doing the exercise and the neck is not bent. Repeat the movement. Doing free squat strengthens the neck, hip and back. Experts can lower down as much as they can. Those having pain in the knees should not squat too low.
Shoulder press exercise
This can be done either by sitting on a chair or standing. Catch hold of anything weighing around a kilogram or two. It could be a heavy book, a fully-filled flask, water bottle or a wooden rolling pin. It replaces the dumbbells. Here the trainer holds a metal flask in his hand.
If you are in the sitting position, make sure there is a backrest to your seat. Holding it, raise the elbow to shoulder-height (of 90 degree), lift upwards and bring down to shoulder level. Repeat in a slow pace. The result would strengthen abdomen and back. It can also be treated as a breathing exercise. Never hold your breath while attempting shoulder press.
Push up on table
The incline push-up is a choice for those uncomfortable with the basic push-up of raising and lowering the body against the floor, supported by arms. It involves quarter of your body. This workout energises triceps, elbow muscles, shoulders and hip. Stand against a table. The legs and table must maintain a little more than half-hand distance. Place both palms wide apart on the edge of the table (see pic). Keep legs wide apart. Lean in slightly. Bent elbows slowly. Return.
Repeat the movement. Breathe out as you tighten and breathe in to relax. The more you pant, the more it improves heart health. Don’t strain too much for the first two-three days since it takes time for the pituitary gland to get accustomed to this workout. A month later, you could shift to a chair pressed against a wall.
Free hand biceps curl
It involves a curling movement usually performed with equipment like dumbbells, barbells or cable machine. Instead of that, this do-at-home workout needs something easy-accessible like that used in the shoulder press exercise. Stand straight holding the material in hand. Elbows close to the torso. Slowly curl the biceps and lift your arms up. This can also be performed without holding anything in the arms by simply curling the fingers.
Leg lift
Though involving the lower parts of the body, this is an indispensible workout to do upper body fortification. Pull a chair with an arm rest in your office or home. Sit comfortably with both arms kept on the armrest. Lift both legs in parallel from the floor, until at a 90 degree. The feet must be held in an L-shape.
Tighten the legs and hold for about 10 seconds and bring down slowly. The holding time can be increased depending on one’s expertise. This kind of an exercise is meant for strong muscles around the knees, which also strengthens thigh muscles.
