5 Exercises to Work Your Whole Body in Only 15 Minutes
Sports physiologist Mike Bracko, a spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine, prescribes these "exercise vitamins."
By Elisabeth Svoboda
Lunges
With your feet hip-width apart, take a large step forward with your left foot. Plant the foot, then slowly bend the left knee to a 90-degree angle with your back knee lightly touching the ground. Push up with your front leg to return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side. Because exercising your leg muscles helps increase blood flow to the heart and forces it to work harder, lunges are a good part of a cardiovascular routine (and they can help prevent varicose veins!).
Daily dose: 10 to 20 reps, alternating sides.
From the
May 2005 issue of
O, The Oprah Magazine
