Kinesiology is the study of human movement. A kinesiologist looks at how your body moves and works to help it function better. There are a number of different areas of kinesiology, including exercise (how the body moves in sports and recreation) and biomechanics (treating patients who have diseases or disabilities that inhibit movement). A kinesiologist may help you recover from an injury, follow an exercise program, improve workplace safety and much more.
The Canadian Kinesiology Alliance / L’Alliance canadienne de kinésiologie (CKA / ACK) is a non-profit corporation that advocates and promotes the advancement of the profession of kinesiology in Canada.
While the best exercises for you depend on factors such as your weight and health conditions, we’ve rounded up 10 top exercises almost anyone can do to improve strength, flexibility and balance.
1. Best exercise for your abs: The plank will help you tighten up in a short amount of time.
2. Best exercise for your upper arms: Triangle push-ups are a modification of the simple push-up. Arrange your hands on the mat to form a triangle with your thumbs and index fingers and off you go.
3. Best exercise for your back: The pull-up targets your lats and rhomboids muscles of the back, along with the biceps and deltoid.
4. Best exercise for your chest: The simple push-up is great for improving your core strength.
5. Best exercise for your glutes: The deeper your squat is, the better. Once you get down comfortably, you can start incorporating light weights into your squat routine.
6. Best exercise for your hamstrings: Put your feet on a Swiss ball, lift your body off the floor, roll the ball towards you by bending your knees, hold and roll the ball out to repeat. You’ve just done a Swiss ball hamstring curl.
7. Best exercise for your hips: The single-leg squat really works your gluteus medius. Put your arms out in front of you, stand on one leg and extend the other one slightly in front of you. Bend your supporting leg and squat without letting your extended leg touch the floor. You’ll probably notice that this exercise also challenges your balance!
8. Best exercise for your shoulders: The standing dumbbell press involves holding a pair of dumbbells and standing straight up with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height and twist so your palms are facing forward.
9. Best exercise for your thighs: Lunges work lots of different muscles and are a favourite for the thighs. Once you’ve got your lunge routine down, you can add weights.
10. Best exercise for your waist: You’ll definitely feel the burn during the side bridge, when you lie on one side with your weight resting on your forearm and upper leg on top of your lower leg. Lift your hips upwards and don’t forget to work the other side.
Try to incorporate these into your daily exercise program and have fun. Make sure you do a number of exercises to work different parts of your body - it's the key to resistance training and to getting results. Always consult with your physician or physiotherapist before starting an exercise routine.
Talk to your family physician if you'd like more information on exercise.
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Print this Action Plan and check off items that you want to discuss with your healthcare provider
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The plank will help you tighten up your abs in a short amount of time.
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The simple push-up is great for improving your core strength.
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The pull-up targets your lats and rhomboids muscles of the back, along with the biceps and deltoid.
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The deeper your squat is, the better. Once you get down comfortably, you can start incorporating light weights into your squat routine.
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Make sure you do a number of exercises to work different parts of your body - it's the key to resistance training and to getting results.
Adherence:
Adhering to your medications, prescribed exercises or lifestyle changes (such as dietary changes, smoking cessation, reduced alcohol consumption, etc.) is essential to improving health outcomes successfully. Compliance to any prescribed treatment is the number one thing you can do to ensure positive changes and optimal treatment outcomes.
