Fitness club - Kenneth Gardner

Lose the weight and keep it off!

Weeks 7 & 8

Do these warm-up exercises:

Shuffle step

Stand with hands on your hips, feet together. Jump and place your feet about 30 inches apart. Jump and return to the starting position. Jump and place one foot forward and one foot backward. Jump and reverse the placement of your feet. Jump and return to the starting position.

This exercise will stimulate your cardiovascular functions such as blood pressure, blood flow and heart rate. It will also stimulate your breathing and warm your calf and thigh muscles.

Mountain climbers

Place your hands shoulder width apart on the floor, with one leg straight back and the other tucked forward under your abdomen. Alternate your legs back and forth as you keep arms and shoulders steady. Do about 15 to 20 repetitions.

This exercise is good for your shoulders, arms and legs. It stimulates your breathing, heart rate and blood circulation.

Jogging sessions

Before doing these daily exercises, do a warm-up session of five to 10 minutes.

Day 1: Jog slowly for 10 minutes, then run for 20 minutes at a moderate pace.

Day 2: Jog slowly for five minutes, then run for 25 minutes at a moderate pace.

Day 3: Jog slowly for five minutes, then run for 30 minutes at a moderate pace.

Day 4: Jog slowly for five minutes then run for 35 minutes at a moderate pace.

Day 5: Run for 40 minutes at a moderate pace.

Do between 30 and 45 minutes of aerobic exercises on each exercise day. Do a combination of exercises that include your arms, legs, abdomen, shoulders, back and hips. Add the exercises below to your list so that you can improve the variety of exercises in each session.

Steam engine

Lie on your back with your hands behind your head. Bend your left foot and lift it off the floor. Raise your head off the floor and touch your right elbow to your left knee while keeping your right leg straight. Maintain the starting position as you turn your trunk to the right while you are bending your right leg and straightening your left leg. Touch your left elbow with your right knee in one continuous motion. Return to the starting position by turning your trunk to the left. Repeat, turning to the left and right and touch opposite elbows and knees while keeping the opposite leg is straight and off the floor.

Do about 20 repetitions or more. This is an excellent exercise for your abdominal muscles.

Extended leg sit-ups

Lie on your back with your legs straight up at a 90-degree angle at your hips.

Place your hands behind your head with your fingers locked and your elbows out to the sides. Raise your head, arms and shoulders off the floor as high as you can and be sure to keep your elbows out. Return to the starting position. Repeat curling your upper body up and down as you keep your legs straight up.

Do 10 to 15 repetitions.

This is an excellent exercise to flatten your abdomen and improve the tone of the shoulder and neck muscles.

Close with some cool down and stretching activities.

Dr Kenneth Gardner is an exercise physiologist at Holiday Hills Research Center; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.

Tanica Plummer's skin folds are decreasing after increased phyical activity and better eating management. Dr Suzanne Soares-Wynter measures her skin folds. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer