Here's a real mood-booster for you! Take your indoor strengthening routine out to the park, breathe in the spring air and get a healthy dose of Vitamin D. It's easy to adapt kitchen sink exercises to a park bench outdoors. Add a portable stretch band to round out your workout. Begin your outdoor workout by walking for 15 minutes at a moderate pace in the park. Find some stairs, inclines and declines to vary the route. Then, scout out your bench. For the first six exercise vignettes, stand behind the bench, using the top of the back for support. Use the following video links as an easy guide. For all of them, do 10-15 repetitions.

• Diagonal (Kitchen Counter) push up and flat back stretch
• 4-part plie
• Modified lunge
• Leg lift, side and back
• Calf raise and leg stretches
• Add a stretch band for "Posture Plus" Perform these two posture exercises standing.

Then, to complete the workout, add two more exercises: Squats: Stand in front of the bench, feet parallel, and hip-width apart. Shift your weight back onto your heels, bend your knees and reach back with your hips, lowering yourself toward the bench as if you were going to sit down. Tap the edge of the seat with your hips, but don't sit down. Squeeze your glutes to return to the start position. Crunches: Sit backwards on the bench, threading your legs through the slats of the back rest, feet on the ground. Cross your arms over your chest and sit up tall. Exhale as you roll back, drawing your ribs toward your hips, curving your spine into a "C." Then realign the spine to straighten up. This workout gives you a total of 10 exercises that target the major muscle groups. It will only take about 10-15 minutes to complete one set of 15 reps of each exercise. Peel off the winter layers and prepare to reveal lovely new contours for warm weather. 

Push-ups, sit-ups and squats - timeless bodyweight exercises - provide a mini full-body workout that you can do anywhere, anytime, with no equipment needed. But are you making common mistakes in form that can sabotage your efforts?

Join us live on Sirius XM's Dr. Radio Show this Wednesday, February 20 from 8-9 am. I'll share all the insider tips that I've learned over the past 25 years as a fitness professional and answer questions such as:

• What are the biggest mistakes that people make in performing each exercise?
• Why is spinal alignment the key to getting the most out of these moves?
• How can you work these exercises into your lifestyle, no matter what your fitness level?
• What is the difference between a sit-up and a crunch?

Call in with your questions and comments to 877-NYU-DOCS

Vivacious host Dr. Marina Kurian sets a lively tone in her show and engages her audience with humor and personal insight. I'm always delighted to appear with her! Catch us live this week:

LISTEN LIVE: Dr. Radio Show
DATE: Wednesday, February 20
TIME: 8:00-9:00 am ET
LOCATION: Sirius XM Radio Channel.81
Call in with questions/comments: 877-NYU-DOCS

Are you more afraid of getting cancer than heart disease? If so, you're not alone. According to the American Heart Association, while it’s true that heart disease is the No. 1 killer in women, only 1 in 5 American women believe that it is her greatest health threat. The best defense against heart disease is a hearty offense, and from the physical activity standpoint, that means cardio exercise and strength training.

Cardio (or Aerobic) Exercise: Regular cardio exercise can lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol levels, reduce body fat and enhance circulation. Cardiovascular stamina is associated with a stronger heart muscle, slower heart rate, decreased chance of heart attack, and a greater chance of surviving if you do suffer a heart attack.

Lifting Weights: The heart is a muscle that gets stronger and more efficient with training, pumping more blood with each beat. Strength training, like cardio exercise, can improve the function of the heart and lungs and provide additional benefits such as:

• Enhance glucose metabolism
• Reduce your risk for diabetes
• Aid in weight control
• Ease the demand on the heart in response to physical or emotional stress

Why would you want another medication when instead you can take this "magic pill" – truly magic because the only side effects are totally beneficial! Click here to see more about my easy-to-use books on strength training.

One of the highlights of the Dr. Radio interview on 1.16.13 was a discussion about what you can realistically expect from doing small doses of exercise. The fact is that you can have a dramatic impact on your health and appearance by being consistent and doing "a little bit a lot."

Take, for example, the "4 for Life" exercises. Together these four exercises create a mini full-body conditioning workout that can be done in a few minutes, anytime, anywhere, using just your own body weight. Use them as the building blocks of your program and the baseline to which you return if you are short of time. When life becomes hectic, they are the ideal "active rest" from your full program.

These functional four exercises work the major muscle groups of the legs, upper body and core in
an integrated way, the way you move in life:

• The Squat works the large muscles of the legs and is the most functional of all exercises.
• The Push-Up targets the chest, shoulder and triceps in one move.
• The Back Extension is a primary exercise for good posture since it strengthens and lengthens the muscles that run the length of your spine.
• The Pelvic Tilt flattens the belly, strengthens the abdomen and stretches the low back.

Check them out here and don't wait another day to kick start your exercise program for the New Year.

This week on the Dr. Radio Show, we were talking about exercises to flatten the belly and one caller asked for more details about how to perform a core exercise called the Dead Bug (anyone who lives in NYC will understand the name once they see the exercise performed!)

The Dead Bug is one of my favorite exercises for targeting the deepest abdominal muscle, the transverse abdominis (TVA), which is a flat, horizontal band of muscle that encircles the midsection from front to back.  When it is toned, the TVA acts as a natural corset to flatten the belly, narrow the waist and support the low back.

The TVA plays a significant role in core strength.  It functions to stabilize the pelvis and maintain the small curve in the lower back, which affects your posture and alignment in all positions against gravity, whether you are stationary or moving.   In this exercise, the obliques work with the TVA to hold the pelvis in neutral position while the moving limbs provide resistance.

 Proper form for "Dead Bug":    Lie on your back with your knees bent over your hips, calves parallel to the floor; both arms extended to the ceiling, palms forward.  Pull your abs in tight, belly button to spine, allowing the small natural curve in the low back.   Lower an opposite arm and leg toward the floor, lengthening through the limbs, and bring the other knee in over your chest.  Switch sides for 10 repetitions (1 rep = both sides).  To make it more difficult, hold the lowered position for a count of 5-10 seconds.  Be careful not to arch your lower back or rock your pelvis from side to side!

My long term client recently had a bilateral mastectomy.  I have known this woman for 24 years and she has always been physically active, training with me as well as keeping up with the exercises on her own.  She asked to meet with me before her surgery to be reassured that she would be able to maintain a physical lifestyle and do everything she had done before – workout, swim, ski, play tennis.

The goal after breast surgery is to recover your previous level of functioning and reclaim your normal activity level.

Appropriate exercise can definitely be the pathway to recovery.  Doctors advise walking as soon as possible after breast surgery, beginning in the hospital and continuing throughout all phases of treatment.  As soon as the surgeon gives permission, you can begin carefully planned exercise with a nurse, physical therapist or trained volunteer.

Once the drains are removed (7-10 days after surgery) mobility exercises help restore full range of motion in the arm and shoulder area. These are exercises like head, neck and shoulder isolations as well as the classic wall climb and "chickens." To open the chest and improve posture, perform simple stretches while doing deep breathing. For example, lie on your back, place a pillow under the affected arm and shoulder, position your arm to feel the stretch, and let gravity assist in relaxing the muscles.

When pain free range of motion has been restored and the wound is healed, you can begin gentle strengthening exercises to support the muscles around the mastectomy site.  Some of these exercises have the additional advantage of pumping the lymphatic system, like the shoulder blade squeeze ("W's"), shoulder rotation with arms straight out to the sides at shoulder level, and elbow bend ("biceps curl").  Gradually, you can incorporate exercises using light weights or stretch bands.

During the time of cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment, the goal is to maintain all the daily routines that comprise your lifestyle.  Regular physical activity can help discharge tension and put your system back in balance.  As you feel better, you restore your confidence and self-esteem,
reinforcing the mind-body aspect of returning to normal.