Calisthenics Exercises
Calisthenics exercises are described as the type of organized exercises, consisting of a wide range of simple moves, which are performed without the use of machines, weights, or any kind of exercising equipment. When someone does them with regularity and follows proper instructions, he/she benefits by building, strengthening and toning muscles. This is the reason why calisthenics workouts are becoming so popular among the health and fitness conscious people.
An ideal calisthenics exercise program begins with warm-up. You may warm and loosen your body up by taking a small walk, cycling, climbing stairs, etc. To get great results with calisthenics exercise routine, you should involve every part of your body.
Best Calisthenics Exercises
Jumping Jacks: Stand erect with your hands at the sides and feet close to each other. Look forward, do not strain any part of your body. Try to be comfortable in this posture. Bend your knees and jump. Spread your hands and legs while you are in air. Try to bring your hands till your ears, and open the feet a bit more than shoulder width. If you wish, you may clap or touch the palms over your head. As you come back to the floor, return to the starting position with hands at the sides and feet kept close. This completes one count of jumping jack. Take another jump as has been described above. You can perform as many repetitions of this particular calisthenics exercise as you wish.
The benefits of jumping jacks are that it warms up your body, stretches the muscles and develops stamina. It brings all these results irrespective of your age. Jumping jack is considered to be an effective calisthenics exercises for kids.
Lunges: Stand straight with your hands at the sides and feet facing forward and placed together. Your body weight should be in the middle of your feet. Bend the hands at the elbow and place the palms on your hips. Move your left leg forward to about 1-2 feet or as far as comfortable. Bend the knee of the left leg kept in front such that it is over the top of the foot. Do not extend it beyond the toes. While bending this left knee, lift the heel of the right leg. Your lunging down will force the knee to bend. Stop when both the knees are at a right angle to the floor. Stay in this position by keeping your back straight and chest out for 2-3 seconds. This is important for proper form. Come back to the starting position. Relax for a second, then again perform the lunge. Do it for a count of 20 to start with.
There are many forms of lunges. The one described above is the basic of all. Lunges are effective lower body workout and involves all the major leg muscles. They not only burn fat but also strengthens and tones the muscles.
Pull Ups: You need an overhead bar or ledge to perform pull ups exercises. Grasp the center bar and grip it with your hands. The palms should face away. Place the hands at about shoulder length apart. Make sure that the placement is comfortable to you. Closer placement of the hands is recommended for beginners as farther apart increases the difficulty level. Pull your body above the floor. You will find that your hands and back are involved the most. Continue breathing. Now, lift your body as high as you can. Your aim should be to bring your head above the level of the bar. Hold the posture for 2-3 seconds, come back to the starting position. Relax for a couple of seconds, and then again perform the pull up. A count of 6-8 is sufficient to begin with. The pull ups makes the upper back muscles and forearms work hard. It strengthens and tones them.
Calisthenics workouts do not require you to join a gym. These exercises can be performed anywhere you wish to. However, they need to be done in a proper manner to get the desired results. The best way to learn calisthenics exercises the right way is to do it under the supervision of an expert. Once you are adept at doing it, you can include them as part of your workout routine.
