Bodyweight Exercises, No Equipment Needed

Bum and Tum, bodyweight exercises.

Four exercises using just your body weight.
One minute per exercise, so only four minutes in total. Easy peasy, lemon squeasy.

I don't particularly enjoy exercising.
I mean I don't mind doing it, but it's not my favourite thing in the World.
That's mainly because deep down I think I have to exercise for hours to make it worthwhile. And that it's not worth doing if I've only got a few minutes free time to get up and move.

Wall sits. 

Stand with your back to the wall, feet about two feet from the wall and lean back against it.  

Gently slide down the wall until your thighs are at a 90 degree angle to the floor. 

Contract your abs, and hold the position for 60 seconds.

Lately though I've noticed there seems to be a proliferation of short, easy to do, exercise routines, being shared on various places online, that only take a few minutes to do.

Deep down I may think it requires hours and hours of exercising, and lots of sweat to actually do the body good, but being the contrary person I am - deep down I know that that's not true.
Exercising for hours may be good for you, but just doing a few minutes throughout your day is also good for your health.

Walk Outs.

Start on all fours in a high plank position, then walk your feet towards your hands.

Then walk your hands away from your feet, then walk your feet towards your hands, and so on.....

Continue walking your feet towards your hands, and your hands away from your feet for 60 seconds.

Often people give the same standard reasons why they can't exercise, these are usually variations of -

I haven't got the time.
I can't afford gym membership.
I don't have any proper equipment in my home.

I'm sure we all know, deep down, that there are simply excuses not to do any exercise.
None of the reason above are good reasons not to exercise, if you want to of course.
I'm not saying you must exercise.
I have been known to tag my photos on photo-sharing app Instagram #YogaEveryDamnDay or #YogaEveryBlessedDay despite not actually doing yoga every day. Naughty me. ;)
So, I don't claim to be some serious fitness freak, exercise guru, or expert in any way.

Walking Lunges.

Start standing tall. Step far forward with one leg, while lifting up on to the ball of your back foot. Bend your knees, and drop your hips towards the floor. Do not let your back knee touch the floor, or the from knee got too far forward over your ankle. 

Press up with your front leg, and bring your back leg forward. 

Take another step with opposite leg and repeat.

Continue walking lunges for 60 seconds.

Right, so back to the proliferation of short, easy to do, exercise routines that seem to be everywhere online at the moment, they are my favourite things to do - apart from lazing on the sofa and messing about on IG.
Why do I like them so much?
Well, I'm glad you asked dear reader, I like 'em because they require absolutely no equipment.
They simply make use of your own body weight, which is my case is a lot.

Lean Backs.

Exactly what is says, lean back while in a kneeling position.

Tense your abs, lean back as far as is comfortable. Then lean forward to your starting position.

Lean back, lean forward and so on.....

Continue for 60 seconds. 

I've uploaded a few examples of bodyweight exercises, by which I mean I quickly doodled the basic moves, and added the names of the exercises underneath my doodles.
I am better at exercising than drawing - I hope.

So, that's just four simple bodyweight exercise, that you can do in the TV advert breaks.
I hope I've written easy to understand methods, if not Google will help you.

Right, all this talk of exercise has made me feel like doing some myself.
I actually feel inspired to do the four exercises I've mentioned in this post, by which I mean I'll get up off the sofa, and walk to the fridge where I'll grab a couple of dark chocolate digestives.
What?! I can't help it, the tasty chocolate treats are calling my name. Can't you hear?
Do you enjoy exercising?
Have you tried bodyweight exercises?
What do you think about bodyweight exercises? Yay? Or nay?

Meditation

I like to meditate.
I've meditated for as long as I can remember - on and off, but lately it's been more on.
Meditating definitely makes me feel good, and I find it easy, which pleases me as during my waking hours my mind is always racing. I'm a serious overthinker.
That's why I meditate, it stops the noise in my head. It makes me feel clean, calm, relaxed, happy, and of course there are the proven scientific benefits of meditating.
I had written a long list of the reported health benefits of meditation, but then I highlighted the text, and hit the delete button.
I'm not here to tell you about that. This is just a lighthearted blog post about my enjoyment of meditation, and I'm way too tired to add the appropriate links to the medical research papers that would supposedly prove what I'd written.
And I'm sure we are all aware, that most people have an agenda, so even research papers from the most respected source may not be telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.......

Crikey! That all felt a bit too much for me.
I only wanted to post a photo, and already I've written far more than I planned.

So, anyway, meditation - I love it!
Lately I've seen several articles about meditating, usually with titles such as 'How to Meditate' followed by a list of things you need to do in order to be able to mediate successfully.
Often these articles are accompanied by comments from people saying they can't meditate. They say they've tried but it's sooooo hard, they just can't do it.

I don't know what they're talking about.
Meditating is not hard. It is not difficult.
Meditation is incredibly straightforward, and easy.

I think the main reason a lot of people say they have trouble when they try to meditate is because they've read lots of nonsense about How to Meditate etc.
They are over-thinking it. They have unnecessary expectations of what meditating is going to be like.
They think, incorrectly, that to mediate takes a lot of effort, that you must clear your mind of every single thought, that the mind must be absolutely quiet.
They think you must sit on the floor, with your legs crossed in a lotus position, a perfectly straight back, with their fingers forming a mudra.
That may work for some people, and if so that's good - for them. But it doesn't have to be the same for everyone.
If adopting a seated lotus....... blah blah blah....... is something you find comfortable then that's fair enough.
But I think a lot of people are put-off of even attempting to meditate simply because they think there's only one correct way to do it.
And they also think, incorrectly, that you have to meditate for a long time, or for a set amount of time.
Wrong!
Meditation, meditating is whatever works for you.
If you only want to, or only have the time to meditate for a few breaths, then so be it. That's enough.
I dont know! Correct position to meditate, set a timer to meditate...........
They make it complicated. When in fact, the opposite is true, it is uncomplicated, it's simple, it's childs play.

Meditation is not about doing anything. It is about doing nothing.
Doing nothing, for as little or long a time as you want, in any comfortable position you choose.
What could be easier than doing nothing? Nothing, that's what.

Meditation. It's not rocket science.
Simply get yourself into a position that is comfortable for you.
Then just focus on your breath. If you are truly fully focused on your breath your mind won't be wandering off thinking about whatever else it is you like to think about.
I've read many things about meditating that say when your mind wanders, just let the thought come and go, and then go back to concentrating on your breathing again.
I don't think that advice is helpful, it's planting the negative thought in your mind that when you're meditating your mind will definitely wander off somewhere.
I've never experienced this. Once I'm meditating, breathing in and out....... that's it, I'm there.
My mind does not wander anywhere at all.
I am meditating. 
I am. 
I. Am.

So, to meditate - Just breathe. And be.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale...........
That's it.
You're meditation. You're doing it. Congratulations!

Ha! As often happens with me, and as I've already mentioned I only intended to post a photo on this blog post, with just once sentence - literally one sentence, a few words only. And yet I have rambled on and on about God knows what.
I feel I have oversold the photo I originally intended to post; the top one if you're interested. I decided to add the two other photos of my doodles, to break up my writing.
Oh well, maybe someone out there on the World Wide Web will find it, read it, and who knows - they may even get comfy and meditate.
Namaste!
Do you enjoy meditation? Do you find it easy to meditate?
What are your thoughts on meditating? 
I'd love to hear your opinions.