n l PERSONAL BEST

PHOTOS BY RACHAEL SANTILLAN

Q. I’m 53 years old and stay pretty active around the house. If there’s just one exercise that I should incorporate into my daily routine, what do you think it should be?
— Tina M., Spring Lake

A. Tina, the best exercise you can add to your daily life is a deadlift! Now, before you get worried that you’re going to have to lug dead things around — or lift 400 pounds — that isn’t the case. In reality, the deadlift is the most functional movement you can do! It is simply picking up an object from the ground. It doesn’t matter if it is in the gym with a barbell, a rock in the garden, a grand-baby from the carpet, or a laundry basket filled with clothes.

Personal trainer Heidi Serpa demonstrates the proper form when doing a deadlift.

To do a deadlift safely, you’ll want to:

• Face the object with your feet spread out about shoulder-width and the object directly at your feet.
• Your back should be straight, with your shoulders back and chest lifted high (the position of attention for you military folks).
• You will squat down, gripping the item while keeping the arms straight and weight through the heels – your back is still straight.
• As you start to stand up, you will push through the heels simultaneously straightening both the back – keep the chest high throughout the full range of motion.
  That’s it! You just safely lifted whatever you needed, without injuring your back.

Some quick tips: Always keep your back straight and chest held high and always push through the heels and use your legs to lift the weight, not your lower back. Lastly, your knees should not extend past your toes and you should keep the arms relatively straight – just use your legs. Keep practicing this movement and as you get more confident with it. You’ll also discover that picking up many things suddenly got so much easier. n

E-mail your questions to John Velandra at: designsinfitness@att.net. Or call John at (910) 306-3142. John is a certified personal trainer and the owner of Designs In Fitness in Fayetteville, www.designsinfitness.net