Recently, one of my cardiac rehab patients let out an audible groan as he was getting off the scale. He mumbled under his breath as he walked away, "I hope it's all muscle." I had to chuckle to myself. Yes, muscle does weigh more than fat. Unfortunately, we start losing muscle every year after age 30, unless we do something about it. Men especially get those spindly legs as they age. Also, there was the story about the aging former Miss Argentina who died from plastic surgery to get firmer buttocks. She could have done a few squats for free and survived. Here are a few lower body exercises that you can do at home to firm up and gain some muscle.
1. Squats
Stand with feet hip distance apart.
With weights held at side or resting on shoulders, squat down as if you are going to sit in a chair. Be careful to make sure your knees do not go forward of your toes. Do 15 reps. Repeat x 2.
Place foot on a 8-14 inch step.
Step up. Do 12 reps. Repeat on other leg. Do 2 sets on each leg. As this gets easier, you may want to add weights.
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