Wall Exercises: A No Equipment Needed Exercise

How often have you been on the road or somewhere where you can't exercise? How often have you felt that riding in the car or on a plane has you feeling like a pretzel but you are in an unfamiliar town and don't know where to go to exercise or don't have the time to drive across town to a gym?

I've been in those situations and going to a meeting, or getting back in the car or on the plane the next day with knots in my muscles, isn't what I want to do. I found the following exercises help me be more alert in meetings and while on the road. Being on the road in a half stupor can be deadly. Being irritable while waiting for your flight can cause unnecessary delays. Police and other officials usually have no sense of humor or patience for people who are difficult to deal with.

Stand facing a wall with the arms bent at the elbows, fingers touching the wall. The back is vertical and straight. Fingers touching the wall are for balance only, the arms can be held at the sides. Raise and lower the body by coming up on the toes and then lowering until heels are on the ground. To increase the difficulty and use slightly different muscles, step back away from the wall six to eight inches and repeat as above with hands on the wall. If you keep moving back, you'll find you put more pressure on the hands and lower back. Adjust the distance from the wall, and the repetitions, to meet your needs.

Stand with your back to the wall, heels touching the wall and you're flat footed, not up on the toes. The arms are hanging loosely at the sides, the shoulders are down and the stomach is pulled in to protect the lower back. Slowly begin to lean forward, bending at the waist. Eventually, you will find you need to come up on the toes in order to keep from losing your balance. Keep leaning forward until you've almost lost your balance and then begin to slowly return to the starting position. You're using the wall in all the exercises to maintain good posture.