The Healthy Heart Strength Plan: Wednesday

You can build up your core and strengthen your leg muscles in as little as five minutes a day.

Legs and Core

The muscles in your thighs, calves, and buttocks account for about half your muscle mass. Core (abdominal, lower back, and hip) strength is so vital to good health that a 13-year study showed that those who could perform the most sit-ups were significantly less likely to die during the study period than those who could perform the least.

Stability Ball Squat
Stand with the stability ball between your back and the wall so the ball supports you from your hips to your shoulders. Move your feet forward so they’re slightly in front of your body.


Looking straight ahead and keeping your torso erect, bend your knees and squat down, rolling along the ball until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold for 2 seconds, then return to the starting position. You can make the move more challenging by holding dumbbells at your sides.

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• The Healthy Heart Strength Plan: Monday
• You can build strong back and biceps muscles and a healthy heart in as little as five minutes a day.
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• The Healthy Heart Strength Plan: Tuesday
• You can build strong chest and triceps muscles and a healthy heart in as little as five minutes a day.
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• The Healthy Heart Strength Plan: Thursday
• A return to the muscles exercised on Monday, but with two different exercises.
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• The Healthy Heart Strength Plan: Friday
• Back to the muscles exercised Tuesday, with some fresh strengthening moves.
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• The Heart Strength Plan: Saturday
• A return to the muscles exercised on Wednesday, but with interesting variations.
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“ Remember that the homes you visit during the holidays may not be childproofed. Keep an eye out for danger spots. ”

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