We all need daily exercise because the body remains strong only if it is used. Those body parts involved in our daily routine remain in reasonably good tone but those parts we don’t use get weaker. More than 60% of those you find in a physician’s clinic don’t exercise. Remember that the only time people step up their heart (the heart is a muscle and needs daily exercise) rates are when they get excited, smoke cigarettes or run across the street to avoid being hit by a car.

People should make exercise part of their daily activities, like brushing, combing every morning and eating a meal. While there are exercise programs which have a certain amount of vigorous activity, such as running or jogging, there are other calmer yet beneficial exercises that can be done almost anywhere and anytime.

Examples are:

• While brushing your teeth, pull your stomach muscles in tight and pinch your buttocks together.
• While walking to a commuter train or bus station, take big steps, breathe deeply and walk on your heels to stretch your heel cords.
• If you’re driving or riding in a car, pull in your stomach muscles every time you stop for a street light.
• Don’t ride elevators while going to the office or malls but walk up at least a floor or two.
• Do stretching exercises while making the beds.
• While doing the dishes, do deep knee bends slowly.

There are many exercises you can do to improve your body from the time you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night. With simple daily exercises, you can gain strength, and with more strength you will not have the fatigue and pain most people experience while growing older or even at a young age.

Here are a few exercises almost anyone can fit into his busy schedule, using any time available and repeating at least three times during the day.

• Neck extension. Place hands behind the head with fingers laced together. Push your head backward for a few seconds, preferably six seconds, as you resist with your hands. Resist with head forward, then straight, and all the way back. Stretch your neck as far as you can in all directions.
• Squeeze the desk. As you sit at your desk, attempt to compress it by pulling your arms together and resisting for a few seconds. This helps to keep the chest muscles strong and the bust firm. You can use the refrigerator, stove or any other furniture.
• Flex your shoulders. While sitting at your desk or table, raise your arms forward until the backs of your hands are touching the underside of the desk in front of you, keep your stomach muscles tight and your back straight. Attempt to lift the table, pushing for a few seconds then relax. You can also stand in a doorway and push its two sides apart with the backs of your hands.
• Exercise your back. Stand and bend over at the waist while holding your legs with your hands behind the knees. Pull your stomach muscles in and attempt to straighten your back. Hold for a few seconds then relax. Try this anytime your back feels tired but remember to stretch and loosen up the back before and after.
• Raise leg backward. Lean over a table and slowly raise one leg as high as possible. Slowly return to the starting position and alternate legs.
• V sit-ups. Do this one in bed. Raise both legs and your upper body simultaneously keeping your legs straight, with arms out straight for balance. Hold this position for a few seconds slowly returning to the starting position. Three repetitions of this will help you to relax so you can get a good night’s sleep.
• Flex your hips. Sit on a sofa with your feet under the table. Hold the top of the table for stabilization. Raise one leg keeping the knee straight until the toes touch the table. Try to lift the table with the straight leg and then relax. Alternate legs.
• Stretch on the stairs. Stop as you go up the stairs, hold onto the rail and place the balls of your feet on the edge of a stair. Slowly rise on the toes as high as possible and stretch. Slowly lower down beyond the edge of the stair, stretching the heel cords.

Whatever your job is, you can make a list of specific exercises which you can do while you go about your tasks. You must remember though, that if you can move a muscle, you can strengthen it. It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you start slowly and add resistance slowly, your strength and range of motion will increase. Begin today, for tomorrow you will be a day older.