The ancient Greeks, who idealized the human form, coined the word calisthenics or "beautiful strength", to describe the system of exercise that gave them both muscular development and gracefulness. However, calisthenics is much more than jumping jacks, sit-ups, and other similar exercises that many people find boring. All light gymnastics, including yoga and even ballet exercises, are actually calisthenics.
If inconvenience has kept you from exercising regularly, calisthenics can be the answer to your dilemma, for you can do them anywhere at any time, wearing anything (or nothing), and with no more equipment than the furniture in your home - and even that isn't necessary.
There are hundreds of calisthenics exercises - of which we show here only a few representative examples, not as an instruction manual but rather as an introduction to the subject. Calisthenics can help you improve all components of fitness: flexibility, balance and agility, muscle strength and endurance - even cardiorespiratory fitness, if you exercise rapidly and long enough to keep you pulse in the target zone for at least 20 minutes.
Even if you use other exercise for your basic fitness program, calisthenics should be part of the warm-up and cool-down periods. Remember to choose calisthenics that flex and loosen the muscles involved in you major activity. Calisthenics can also relieve or prevent most cases of lower back pain, some sleeping problems, and certain types of tension - all by loosening tight muscles.
Caution: Avoid quick, jerky movements in calisthenics; don't bob, hold. Do not force a movement beyond mild discomfort. Concentrate on gracefulness and body control. Extend yourself.
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JANUARY 11
