Our biological age is normally different from our physical age, we can truly slow down time or rather stretch it out and all it takes is some responsibility for yourself. Diet is for another article but of course that should not just be taken into consideration- it should happen. You eat right to work out right and you work out right to eat right.
All you need are some comfortable, not too loose clothing,a broomstick or longish stick of some sort, a weak, cheap roll of tape optional sticker markers and a 32-36 inch door way.
Remember that you should not deny your bad habits so you would not deny your real age and actually work on a better lifestyle. And just because your body is not up to par with the healthy standard does not mean you will be older than you are forever, it means your body is begging you for mercy every time you sweat from a binge or every time your knee or shoulder hurts just from going outside. Just perform this 7 exercise test, every time you can’t perform a test so breezily just add 3-5 years to your current age and this will total your body’s age.
1.) Deep Squat:
Firstly mark the center of the floor of the door way with tape or sitcker markers. Stand in the middle of the open door frame facing either side of the door entrance. Now stand with feet shoulder-width apart, your toes should be straight and in line with the marker. This is when you hold the stick or if you want very light weights in your hands. Lower yourself into a full-on squat then returning to starting position.
You pass if you can do this range of motion smoothly even when slow with the bar still over your head not shaking and your feet can stay flat while you get back to start position. You fail of course if there is any flaw with what I just mentioned, such as immediate pain in feet, ankles or arms, etc. The stick or lightweights could be shaky in your hands or even make your arms tip as you squat.
2.) Hurdle Step
Now get your tape and stretch a long straight line on the door way just right below your kneecap. Your starting position starts with your toes underneath the tape, you holding a straight bar or stick behind your neck perched across your shoulders. Now the hard part, choose which foot to start lifting with and the the other foot should be your balancer take note. Balancing on you’re your left, slowly yet fully bring up the right over the tape without touching it and hold that position for 5 seconds before starting position. Repeat on other side.
You pass when you don’t touch the tape with your chest still a little puffed out and generally maintaining a steady, minimally shaky position. You add 3-5 years depending on how difficult this was for your body, shaky, tight hips can really cause off balance, especially weak feet that get easily pained. Your shoulders tipping over are also not a good sign.
3.) Active straight leg raise
This one should probably call for a yoga mat in another room instead. Just lay straight on your back with your palms facing up as you slowly raise a leg at a time, as straight as possible and holding it in the air 90 degrees.
You pass if the resting ankle does not lift, you don’t if your ankle keeps lifting or you can’t even raise your leg like that without bending your knee.
4.) Rotary Stability
Start yourself on all fours like a cat, with your knees under your hip you’re your hands shoulder-width apart. Slowly and at the same pace as much as possible bring in your right elbow and left knee to touch underneath your torso. Now that’s a workout! And from there you slowly put back your limbs in original position like a folding table after holding in those adjacent limbs for 5-10 seconds. And surprise, surprise, repeat on the other side.
You pass of course if you can touch elbows and knees easily and fail if you have difficulty making the joints meet, feel any slightly disabling pain even or lose your balance easily at any point. Work on your core, you know it.
5.) Infinite Lunge
Mark the floor with tape if you wish or lay down a yoga mat instead. Now kneel so that the other knee is in front of the chest as you hold the bar/stick behind your neck again. Both feet should have the toe pads facing down and straight. Slowly lift yourself, straight spine straight everything or you can start standing up with your feet same distance apart and lower yourself slowly into the one-knee kneeling position. As long as you do the complete exercise on both sides of the body.
You fail this one if you feel any pain right away, heavy strain or difficulty keeping balance.
6.) Push up
Easy to explain and hard to actually do. Start from the floor with hands placed firmly aligned with shoulders getting ready for a push up. Now get yourself up in a classic planking position with arms shoulder-width apart and your body straight like a bullet. Repeat..if you can. It is very easy to tell if you failed or passed a push up. Heavy strain is expected for most but working on planking, toning and flexibility will make you more athletic overall in only a week or two if you really push for it.
7.) And lastly, Seated Rotation
This one can be tough but fun and a great back, shoulder and chest relief. You need the door frame again and a long stick, not light weights. Sit down on the floor of the door frame Indian style and carry the bar on the back of your shoulders again. Now you twist from side to side slowly and as fully as you can.
You pass if the stick can touch the door frames, especially when you feel minimal or no strain. If this hurts your gut, this has to be changed. You need more exercise for sure, better food most probably.
Remember that you should not underestimate yourself either because that is the main cause of failure. It all begins and ends with you, you control your life especially now in a world of convenience. You can even be performing these exercises completely differently in only a week’s time! I don’t lie, just commitment, a well-balanced diet with a few cheats (oh yes!) and most of all positive clarity of the mind will push you through. You may just be lacking serotonin or feel-good hormones, your diet could be really horrible and your lifestyle sedentary. If you start exercising and dieting more properly everyday you can be performing better at yoga and running as I said in only a week. But let’s say 2-3 since a lot of us have unusual and/or busy schedules, but remember to eat well so that on days you don’t get too exercise so much it is not that bad.
Go and treat yourself well, take fitness into consideration and take the test again in a few weeks and hear that smile of your face.
