No need to go to the gym! The fitness equipment downstairs in your house is the real treasure

Friends, do you often suffer from back pain and stiff neck due to sitting in front of the computer for a long time in the office? Do you also want to find a simple, convenient and free way to relieve physical fatigue after get off work?

Today I will share with you a very practical fitness trick - using the fitness equipment downstairs in the community , you can relax your muscles and bones and relax your body and mind in just ten minutes. Now, let's take a look at the correct way to use them~

Space Walker

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One of the most common fitness equipment in the community, I loved squatting on it and swinging on it when I was a kid. It is said that its design was inspired by the way astronauts walk in space. By simulating walking movements in a weightless state, it helps exercisers improve their cardiopulmonary function, muscle strength, and body coordination.

**How ​​to use:** Hold the horizontal bar with both hands, step on the pedals with both feet, and swing your legs back and forth.

**Applicable people: **People with good joint mobility and no obvious movement restrictions, people who have just started exercising, have poor foundations, and have little sports experience.

**Core function: **Can help improve leg strength, cardiopulmonary function and basic athletic ability.

**Note: **Since users are standing on relatively unstable pedals to exercise, people with poor balance may face a certain risk of falling , especially when they first start using it. To avoid such accidents, users should first assess their body balance before getting on the machine to confirm that they have sufficient balance, especially the elderly or weak people should be more careful.

In addition, although the movements of the spacewalker are simple, they require a high degree of joint mobility, especially for the knee and hip joints. If the user has limited mobility of the knee or hip joints, the risk of strain may increase when exercising on the spacewalker, and may even cause joint dislocation or other discomfort. Especially when the steps are large, if the user's joint mobility is insufficient, it may cause muscle strain and even cause pelvic rotation problems. This rotation may further affect the stability of the lumbar spine and sacroiliac joints, causing waist discomfort.

Therefore, before starting to use it, it is best to conduct a self-assessment to confirm whether you are suitable for this exercise. If necessary, you can seek guidance from a professional to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the exercise.

Shoulder Axis Mobilizer/Tai Chi Massage and Pushing Device

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Among the community fitness equipment, shoulder mobilization devices (or Tai Chi kneading and pushing devices) are two common types of exercise equipment for upper limbs and shoulder joints. This type of equipment is simple in design and easy to operate, and mainly drives the movement of joints through mechanical structures.

**How ​​to use:** The user holds the handle and drives the shoulder joint through active or passive rotation movements.

**Applicable people: **Suitable for middle-aged and elderly people and people with stiff shoulder joints, decreased shoulder joint flexibility or slight discomfort.

**Core effect:** It is very beneficial for the recovery of shoulder joint flexibility and gentle activity training. For example, patients with early frozen shoulder can use this device to perform gentle exercises to promote the opening and movement of the shoulder joint within the range of motion of the joint capsule, thereby relieving stiffness and mild pain.

**Note: ** If the diagnosis is early frozen shoulder, then the shoulder mobilization device or Tai Chi massage pusher can promote joint flexibility through gentle activities , which is a reasonable and effective rehabilitation tool. However, if the patient has a rotator cuff tear, it is not recommended to use such equipment because it may cause active force, further aggravate the tear or cause new injuries.

Therefore, before use, you must assess your shoulder condition, such as whether there is limited mobility or severe pain, to ensure the safety of exercise.

In addition, there is a two-position pull-up balance frame that looks like a seesaw. It is also a fitness equipment for the shoulders. By alternately grasping the handles with both hands and pushing and pulling up and down, alternating movements of the bilateral shoulder joints can be achieved.

The picture comes from the Internet

It can help exercisers coordinate the strength of both arms and increase the range of motion of the shoulder joint. For users with stiff shoulders but no obvious pain, this type of equipment is an effective exercise method. However, it is also not recommended for shoulder tears, joint instability or acute pain problems, because the alternating push and pull movements may cause excessive traction and pressure on the shoulder joint and surrounding soft tissues, which may aggravate the discomfort.

Waist Twister

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Representatives of community rotating fitness equipment, they are usually a fixed central column, a support rod for handholds on the upper part, and a small rotating disc below.

**How ​​to use:** The user stands on the disc and drives the whole body through the rotation of the lower limbs and pelvis. The user needs to maintain a small amplitude and uniform rotation throughout the process, relying on the control of the core muscles to complete the movement instead of swinging it hard.

**Applicable people: **It is an effective exercise method for people who sit for a long time, lack of exercise, and those who want to improve waist flexibility. However, its gentle nature also determines that the exercise intensity is relatively low, which is suitable as daily functional exercise rather than high-intensity training.

**Core function: **The principle of the waist twister is to drive the pelvis through the rotation of the lower limbs, while keeping the upper body stable, forming a relative twisting movement. This exercise pattern can stimulate the muscles and ligaments around the lumbar spine, increase the flexibility of the waist, promote blood circulation in the waist, and help exercise the coordination of the waist and lower limbs.

**Notes: **First, if the user has acute lumbar disc herniation, sciatica or other symptoms accompanied by numbness and tingling in the lower limbs, it is not suitable to use this type of equipment. Because its rotational movement will exert a torsional force on the lumbar spine, it may increase the pressure on the herniated part, thus causing more serious problems.

Secondly, people with poor balance, especially the elderly , may fall when they are on the disc. Therefore, you need to pay special attention to holding the middle column to keep your upper body stable, and slowly get on and off the disc to avoid accidents caused by sudden movements.

In addition, it is not recommended for people with unexplained vertigo, high blood pressure or vestibular dysfunction , because the rotating action may stimulate the balance system, causing dizziness or even falling.

During use, you should also pay attention to the control of the range of motion and speed. Too intense or rapid rotation may increase the burden on the lumbar spine and hip joints, causing muscle strain or joint discomfort.

Elliptical Stroller

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The low-profile version of the elliptical machine in the gym also uses the linkage between hands and feet to make the feet form an elliptical trajectory on the pedals. This kind of movement is very close to the action of running, but the impact on the knee and ankle joints is much smaller than running.

**How ​​to use:**Hold the handrails with both hands, step firmly on the pedal with one foot, and quickly follow with the other foot. Keep your back straight, bend your knees slightly but not locked, keep your heels close to the pedals, and push your heels instead of tiptoeing when exerting force .

**Applicable people:** For users who are overweight or have lower limb injuries (such as knee osteoarthritis), the elliptical walker is an ideal alternative exercise method. It can provide a cardiopulmonary exercise effect similar to running, while avoiding further damage to the joints caused by high-impact exercise.

In addition, this equipment involves the whole body. The swinging of the arms and the elliptical motion of the feet can effectively improve the coordination of the body.

**Core Benefits:** Low-impact lower-body exercise that improves coordination, muscle strength, and cardiorespiratory function.

**Notes: **First, when using these two devices for the first time or just getting on, the risk of falling is easy to occur due to the instability of the pedals. Therefore, before using, you can gently shake the pedals to familiarize yourself with its movement pattern, and slowly get on the equipment to ensure the stability of your body.

Secondly, the movement of these equipments requires a certain sense of rhythm and coordination. For some people with poor coordination (such as beginners or the elderly), they may not be able to find the right rhythm, which may lead to deformation or imbalance of movements. This requires a full assessment of their own abilities before exercising.

In addition, this type of equipment relies entirely on the user's own strength to push, without an external power device, so the speed of movement is determined by personal strength. If too much force is used or the movement speed is too fast, it may cause excessive tension in the joints or muscles, thereby increasing the risk of injury. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain an appropriate speed during exercise and always keep the strength and speed within your control.

Back stretcher

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**How ​​to use:** Lie on your back on the device and stretch the lumbar spine by leaning back. The principle is to restore the physiological lordosis of the waist by bending the lumbar spine.

**Applicable people: **It is helpful for people who sit for a long time or whose lumbar curvature becomes flat, but it requires certain body flexibility and core strength.

**Core function:** Improve the health of waist and back

**Notes: **First, the range of motion should be gradual, and avoid trying excessive backward movements at the beginning to avoid muscle strain or spinal injury.

Secondly, you need to maintain core muscle control during use to avoid imbalance due to insufficient abdominal muscle strength. If you find that your body cannot adapt to the curvature of the machine or you feel obvious discomfort, you should stop using it immediately.

In addition, people who have been diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation, spinal stenosis or other symptoms of lower limb nerve compression are not suitable for using this equipment for exercise , because the curvature of the lumbar stretcher is usually larger than the normal lumbar curvature. Forcing the lumbar spine to fit the equipment completely may increase the pressure on the lumbar muscles and intervertebral discs. The backward movement may further compress the nerves or blood vessels and aggravate the symptoms.

Single column double position leg press

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One of the most recommended community fitness equipment , under the premise of reasonable use, this equipment can help improve physical fitness, improve the quality of life, and provide additional protection against accidental injuries.

**How ​​to use:** The user sits on the seat, puts his feet on the pedals, grabs the fixed column in front with his hands, and uses the force of his legs to drive himself and the seat up and down.

**Applicable people: ** It is very suitable for most people, especially the middle-aged and elderly people.

**Core Function: **Mainly exercises the muscles around the thighs, buttocks and ankles. The muscle strength of the lower limbs is essential for maintaining the body's balance and athletic ability, especially for middle-aged and elderly people. The strength of the leg and buttocks muscles is directly related to the independence and quality of life in daily life.

From the actual effect, the significance of this equipment is not limited to improving lower limb strength. Strong leg muscles can significantly reduce the risk of falling, and when falling, they can also reduce the possibility of serious injuries such as fractures through better control and buffering of force. For the elderly, the value of this exercise lies in the dual significance of prevention and functional recovery - it can not only help maintain daily mobility, but also provide better protection when accidents occur.

**Notes:** First, when getting on and off the equipment, you should do it slowly to avoid instability caused by too fast movements. Secondly, you should maintain a uniform rhythm when pedaling, and avoid excessive force or amplitude to avoid unnecessary pressure on the knee or ankle joints. For some users who already have joint degeneration, knee pain or other lower limb diseases, it is recommended to consult a doctor or professional before exercising to ensure the safety and suitability of the movements.

Abdominal muscle board

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**How ​​to use:** The user lies on the board, fixes his feet on the upper bracket, and exercises the abdominal muscles by doing sit-ups.

**Applicable people: **Young people with a certain sports foundation.

**Core function: **Stimulate the abdominal muscles and strengthen the contraction of the abdominal muscles.

**Notes: **For the vast majority of ordinary people, especially the middle-aged and elderly people, it poses certain risks.

First, when a person lies down completely, the head is in a lower position. This change in body position can easily cause fluctuations in blood pressure, which may bring unnecessary dangers to patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In addition, sit-ups are often accompanied by breath holding and exertion, which can further increase blood pressure, which is very unfavorable for people with potential cardiovascular disease risks.

Secondly, from the perspective of spinal mechanics, the sit-up action of the abdominal muscle board will put great pressure on the lumbar spine during the process of overextension to bending. Although this action can indeed fully activate the abdominal muscles, it will also cause a greater burden on the lumbar spine , which may induce or aggravate waist discomfort.

Therefore, for ordinary people or people with basic lumbar spine problems, the use of abdominal muscle boards needs to be extremely cautious.

Planning and production

Author: Huang Tao, Head of the Sports Medicine Rehabilitation Department at the Chongli Branch of Peking University Third Hospital

Reviewer: Ji Gang, deputy chief physician of orthopedics, the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University

Planning丨Yang Yaping

Editor: Yang Yaping

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin