Get Fit Fast With an At-Home Workout From Drs. Oz and Roizen
March 14, 2007 — -- Spring is around the corner, which means swimsuit weather isn't far behind.
But if you're one of the millions of people who might not have stuck to a New Year's resolution to get in shape, Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen, authors of the hugely popular "You: On a Diet," can help.
They recommend an hour and a half a week of weights and cardiovascular activity. If you can combine them, that's great. You need to break a sweat for a minimum of an hour a week. Oz and Roizen recommend another 30 minutes a week of weights.
Below, exercises you can do at home to get fitter, faster.
The Curl-Up Test
The curl-up test evaluates abdominal muscular endurance. Both men and women perform the exercise in the same manner. (Note: These are not regular curls.)
1. Warm up for five minutes by walking at a moderate pace and tightening your abdominal muscles a few times.
2. Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor. Place your arms at your sides, palms down.
3. Lift your head, shoulders and shoulder blades off the floor. Hold for a moment and then return to the starting position.
4. Perform as many curl-ups as possible in a minute.
5. Record the number of curl-ups completed.
Consult the chart below to see how many curl-ups you should be doing per minute.
Women
Age: 20-29. Curls: More than 35.
Age: 30-39. Curls: 25-29.
Age: 40-49. Curls: 20-24.
Age: 50-59. Curls: 15-19.
Age: 60-69. Curls: 10-14.
Age: 70-79. Curls: 7-9.
Age: 80-89. Curls: 4-6.
Age: 90-99. Curls: 1-3.
Men
Age: 20-29. Curls: More than 45.
Age: 30-39. Curls: 30-34.
Age: 40-49. Curls: 25-29.
Age: 50-59. Curls: 20-24.
Age: 60-69. Curls: 15-19.
Age: 70-79. Curls: 10-14.
Age: 80-89. Curls: 6-9.
Age: 90-99. Curls: 2-5.
The Plank Test
1. Lie on the floor in standard push-up position with your toes on the ground, but place your elbows on the ground instead of your hands.
2. Maintain a straight line through your body with no arch in your back.
