Easy At Home Leg Exercise - Chair Step-Ups

Chair/bench step ups

1. Stand in front of a bench or chair with feet hip width apart.

2. Step one foot up onto the chair bringing the feet together on the top. Ensure both feet are securely on top (not hanging off the back)

​3. Step one foot back down to floor. Do this with a count of 2 seceonds, ie two seconds for up, 2 seconds for down. This is a purposeful slow activity to put your muscles under tension.

3. Repeat the entire sequence, but stepping up onto the chair/bench top with the opposite foot.

4. Continue to step up and down, alternating the stepping legs with each repetition. Aim for 15 on each leg, stop and rest, then reapeat another 1-2 times.

Safety: ensure your seat isn't on wheels, or isn't going to topple over, make sure the seat surface is hard (not soft like a couch), take it slowly.

Advanced: use the same leg (do not alternate)  x 15, then swap legs, this will fatigue this leg and use this muscle more.
​Advanced: lift your knee up high when on top of the chair and lunge back down low when on the ground.
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Option: If a dining room chair is too high, use your front door steps, or internal home steps, or the step from the deck to the grass etc, start slow and increase the pace. 
​A lower step is more of a cardio exercise, a higher step is more of a resistance/strength exercise using your bodyweight as the weight.

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Image: workoutlabs.com