Cause Your Health Counts

1. Lie down on a mat. Hold one weight in each hand and extended your arms out at shoulder level. Raise both arms straight up together above your body, keeping your elbow slightly bent, so that the weights meet over your chest. Return the weighs out to your sides at shoulder height. Repeat the exercise 13 to 15 times.

2. Lie down on a mat. Extend your arms and hold the weights up in the air over your chest. Bend your elbows and lower the weights toward your chest, with your elbows out to the sides at shoulder level. Extend your arms straight back up over your chest. Repeat the exercise 13 to 15 times.

3. Take a weight in each hand, extend your arms out to each side and do 15 small, backward circles about a foot in diameter. Widen the circles slightly and do another 15, then repeat these two steps going forward. Breasts contain no muscles but only fat cells, milk-ducts and glands held together in a web of soft connective tissue so by exercising you cannot increase your bust size. When you lose weight your breast size can be reduced. In order to keep it, we offer some exercises.

4. Using three-to five-pound weights, lie on your back, with knees bent. With your arms outstretched to each side, slowly bring your arms together, hold for one second and then slowly lower your arms again. Work your way up to three sets of 10 – 12 reps every other day.

5. Using two three to five-pound weights, sit on the edge of a chair with your back straight and arms at your sides. Slowly raise your arms to the side to shoulder level. Hold this position for a count of four, and then slowly return to starting position. Work your way up to three sets of five to seven reps every other day.

6. These are done by standing about two feet from a wall, facing it. Place your hands at chest level flat against the wall. Now, lean slowly toward the wall using your arm and chest muscles to control your motion until you have your nose against the wall. Push back to your original position. Repeat this motion 15 times. To increase the effects of this exercise, when you reach the point of lean that stresses the chest muscles most (you’ll feel it), pause and hold for a count of 10 or 15, then finish the motion.

7. Lie face down on the floor and rise up, as if doing conventional push-ups, but keep your forearms and elbows on the floor. Hold for thirty seconds. Repeat five times. Inverted Push Ups: Stand with your legs two to three feet from a wall and your palms on the wall. Slowly lower your chest to the wall by bending your elbows and then slowly push your body back to starting position. Repeat 10-12 times.

8. Stand straight with your feet shoulder apart. Raise your arms to shoulder level, elbows bent so that your hands are in front of your chest and your elbows are the same height as the shoulder. Bend the wrist upwards slightly and spread the fingers of your hands. Imagine that you are pressing both hands against a solid object-hold the muscles of the hands, forearms, upper arm and chest region as tightly as if to rush the object you are holding. Focus your eyes in the space between your hands. Hold this position for 20 seconds, muscles as tight as possible, and repeat 3 to 5 times.

9. Stand straight with your feet shoulder apart. Extend your arms behind your back and interlock your fingers. This is the starting position. Bend forward from the hips, and at the same time, raise your arms behind your back as high as possible, without straining. Use your arms to accentuate the stretch to the shoulders and chest. Look forward with your face parallel to the floor. Hold for 30 seconds before returning to the upright position and relaxing your arms. Repeat 3 to 5 times

10. Sit in vajrasana (sit on your legs, with legs touching the ground), look forward and hold your arms straight on the sides so that they are in line at the shoulder level. Stretch your hands backwards as though to touch the back of the palms together. Keep your back straight and your head and neck in line with the body. Hold this position for 20 seconds and repeat 3 to 5 times.

11. Lie on your stomach with your legs straight, feet together and flat on the floor. Place your palms on the floor, below and slightly to the side of the shoulders, fingers forward. Point your elbows backward and close to the sides of your body. Rest your forehead on the floor and close your eyes. Relax your whole body, the lower back in particular. Slowly raise your head, neck and shoulders. Straighten your elbows and raise the trunk as high as you can, using the muscles of your back rather than your arms. Then use your arm muscles to further raise the trunk and arch your back more. Gently tilt your head backwards and look up. Keep your public bone in contact with the floor and raise your navel. Unless your spine is very flexible your arms will remain slightly bent. Hold for 20 seconds and repeat 5 times, gradually increasing the time that you holds the posture. Bend your arms and lower your body to floor to return to the starting position.

12. Sit in vajrasana. Stand on your knees and feet together (or separate if more comfortable), feet flat on the floor. If this is difficult, begin with the balls of your feet on the floor. Then lean backward, slowly reaching for the right heel with the right hand and then the left heel with the left hand. Do not strain. Push your abdomen forward, keeping your thighs vertical, and bend your head and spine backwards as far as possible. Support your body weight using your arms and legs, and try to relax into the stretch. Hold in this position for 20 seconds and repeat 3 to 5 times, gradually increasing the time that you holds the posture. Slowly release the hands from the heels one at a time to return to the starting position.