I totally, 100 percent hate exercise. And I know what you're thinking: "You just gotta find a workout that's fun for you!" Here's the thing, though ... for me, that doesn't exist. I mean, I know physical movement is crucial and all, but since I loathe it so hard, I've become a pro at making excuses to skip even a quick workout. Space and age constraints are now my default excuse as to why I can't sneak in a little cardio. But that's gotta change starting now, because apparently somewhere in China there's an 85-year-old woman named whose workout routine is so intense, it shatters both of those excuses. Also, I'm actually inspired by it, y'all.
According to Business Insider, Liu Xiangxia kickstarted her super simple, albeit extensive, routine about 12 years ago after suffering a scary stroke. And by the looks of the video the outlet shared, she means business. She touches her toes with zero problems, a motion I'm not sure many of my peers could even conquer sans a little groaning. She also designed the whole effort to be done easily in her Zhejiang Province home in China and with actually very little specialized equipment. The only "gym thing" she uses is a single dumbbell. The rest she pulls off using her own body weight or various items you could find laying around the house. And aside from being super inventive, it looks like it pushes range of motion in a totally effective way.
Honestly, there's a few reps in here we could all stand to adopt into our daily lives. Such as ...
High Kicks
Listen, I have problems pulling this off in very basic yoga while laying on my back. But Xiangxia demonstrates a super notable example of how you too can do this with enough kicking space — a thing that surely exists in your cramped apartment.
Pull Ups
I know that whatever Xiangxia uses here looks specially designed for pull ups, but seriously, you could make this work with a variety of pole structures. Right? I'm pretty sure. (Though maybe test for stability before dangling yourself from places possibly high up since I don't know your life and immediate circle of pole options.)
Squats
Doing squats on the daily can lead to super toned legs and glutes — and using a rail for stability is brill. It's also a small crutch that can help you build up to eventually not needing a rail at all. Like training wheels, maybe.
Check out Xiangxia's entire workout routine below and see if it doesn't boost your exercise urges again, too:
Images: BusinessInsider/Facebook (4)
