12 simple exercises for every day

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

From the father of American football, Walter Camp, this set of exercises takes just 8 minutes to strengthen the body, increase flexibility and maintain health.

During World War I, Walter Camp was commissioned by the US military to develop a set of exercises to maintain combat form, and he suggested the "daily dozen" - short, regular workouts that keep the body healthy and nimble, but not exhausting.

Camp came up with this set in part because the existing calisthenics exercises seemed too complicated and boring to him. Another reason was the already familiar idea that modern technologies are robbing people of the health and dexterity that were characteristic of our distant ancestors.

After the war, this set of exercises spread throughout the world. Brochures describing the "daily dozen" sold in the millions, as did audio tapes with instructions. The Camp complex became known all over the world.

What is a "daily dozen"

This is a simple workout that should be done with ease and enjoyment. It develops flexibility, posture, muscle coordination and balance.

Camp argued that exercise had a positive effect on the functioning of internal organs, in particular the intestines, and also pumped cognitive functions, improving brain function.

The Daily Dozen is suitable for any adult, but is especially useful for middle-aged people who notice some tightness in their bodies and sit for most of the day.

Daily Dozen Exercises

Exercise 1. Circles with hands

Develops the muscles of the shoulders, back and chest, improves posture.

• Stand straight, raise your straight arms to the sides at shoulder level, palms facing up.
• Slowly trace your hands into small circles about 15 centimeters in diameter. Most of the movement comes from the shoulders, with tension felt at the back.
• Perform five circles forward and five backward.

Exercise 2. Bends with hands behind the head

Stretches the abdominal muscles, strengthens the back, improves posture.

• Stand up straight with your hands behind your head.
• With an exhalation, tilt your body forward to 45 degrees, your neck in line with your back, look at the floor in front of you.
• With an inhalation, straighten up, raise your head.
• Bend back slightly to feel the stretch in your abdominal muscles. The gaze is directed to the ceiling.
• Straighten up. The head remains raised.
• Repeat 10 times.

Exercise 3. Raising the arms

Develops shoulder strength, strengthens the arch of the foot.

• Stand straight, raise your straight arms to the sides to shoulder level, palms facing down.
• With an inhalation, rise on your toes, raise your arms up 45 degrees.
• With an exhalation, stand on your foot completely, lower your arms to parallel with the floor.
• Repeat 10 times.

Exercise 4. Deep side bend

Develops the muscles of the shoulders and waist, stimulates the liver and intestines.

• Stand straight, raise your arms to the sides to shoulder level, palms down - this is the starting position.
• Raise your left hand up, lower your right hand down along the body.
• Begin to tilt to the right of the hips, the right hand crawls along the leg to the knee, the left one twists around the head. At the extreme point, the left palm rests on or near the right ear.
• Slowly straighten up, extending your arms to the starting position.
• Make a similar tilt to the other side.
• Repeat 10 times.

Exercise 5. Twisting

Raises and expands the chest. Stretches the abdominal muscles.

• Stand up straight, with an inhalation, bend your elbows, place your fists under your armpits.
• Continuing to inhale, take your shoulders back, bend slightly in the chest, expanding the chest, lift your head up and look at the ceiling.

• With an exhalation, move your arms forward, then spread them to the sides.
• While holding your breath, bend forward to parallel with the floor, pull your arms back.

• Straighten up and move your arms forward, and then spread them to the sides.
• Repeat 10 times.

Exercise 6. Squat on toes

Strengthens the arch of the foot, lower leg and back muscles.

• Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, raise your arms to the sides to shoulder level, turn down with your palms.
• Inhale on your toes.
• Continuing to inhale, lower yourself into a squat.
• As you exhale, rise from the squat.
• Continuing to exhale, lower yourself to a full foot.
• Repeat five times.

Exercise 7. Rotation of the shoulders

Strengthens the muscles of the shoulders.

• Stand up straight and lift your shoulders as you inhale.
• Continuing to inhale, push your shoulders forward.
• As you exhale, lower your shoulders.
• As you continue to exhale, bring your shoulders back.
• Repeat ten times.

Exercise 8. Turning the arms

Develops the muscles of the shoulders and chest.

• Stand up straight with your arms crossed in front of you, palms facing you.
• Raise your arms in a circle crosswise (the right palm outlines a circle on the left side, the left on the right), at the top, turn your palms outward.

Lower your arms in a circle without crossing them (the right palm draws a circle to the right, and the left palm to the left)

• Repeat five times.
• Lower your arms, don't cross them. The palms are next to the hips.
• Raise your arms in a circle, turning your palms outward.
• Lower your arms crosswise with your palms facing you.
• Repeat five times.

Exercise 9. Head tilt

Strengthens the muscles of the neck, improves control over them.

• Stand up straight, tilt your head forward.
• Tilt your head to the left.
• Tilt your head back.
• Tilt your head to the right.
• Repeat five times.

Exercise 10. "Mill"

Develops flexibility of the back muscles.

• Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, raise your straight arms to the sides to shoulder level.
• Bend over, swinging your body to the left and bending your right knee. The right hand touches the floor between the legs, the left is extended upward. The head is turned to the ceiling, the gaze is directed to the left hand.
• Return to starting position and repeat on the other side.
• Do it five times in each direction.

Exercise 11. Body Tilts

Strengthens the back muscles, opens the chest and stretches the abdominal muscles.

• Stand up straight, raise your hands above your head and interlace your fingers into a lock, turning your palms towards your head. The closer the hands are to the head, the more effective the exercise is.
• Lean forward gently. The movement is controlled, without jerks and extreme inclinations.
• Lean to the right.
• Lean back.
• Lean to the left.
• Make five bends in each direction.

Exercise 12. "Wings"

Strengthens the muscles of the back and shoulders, develops the diaphragm.

• Stand straight with your feet together, your toes slightly turned outward, your arms hanging loosely along your body.
• As you inhale, raise your straight arms in front of you.
• Continuing to inhale, spread your arms to the sides.
• As you finish inhaling, raise your arms above your head, palms facing forward.
• As you exhale, make a bend, put your hands behind your back and raise. The head is raised, the gaze is directed forward.
• Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise nine more times.

Since the exercises do not cause fatigue and do not take a lot of time, Camp recommended doing them at least once every day, and ideally three times: morning, afternoon and evening.

Camp also advised supplementing training with ten hours of outdoor walks per week (a little less than an hour and a half a day) to support health and longevity.