Isometric exercises can be done, a tightening of the muscles with no actual joint movement, as well as some slow movements.
Deep breating exercises can definately be done and if they wanted they could try some QiGong (spelling??
) Get a book or something, they have all sorts that can be done sitting. Otherwise they may want to do some simpler exercises for breathing. Here is what I can advise off hand, but they may also want to get one of those books, not just for breathing but also Ti chi (consider that many people in wheelchairs etc. can do these exercises, so they can be done in a truck!)
So, to the two gals who are trying to be healthy on the road, congrats on your determination. See if this is something that helps out. Because you are not using any weights, the number of reps depends on you. Concentrate on each muscle to get the most out of each exercise. The goal is muscular contraction, take care of your joints, don't strain!:
1. (CORE) Ok, start out by sitting up tall, breath in deeply, then as you breath out long and slow, press the back and belly button into the seat behind you. Do this at a comfortable rate, no hyperventilating or getting dizzy aloud, just in control. This should help with the entire core, so try to "tighten your corset" all around the spine (not just back, but really support the spine). Do this about 15 times...
2. (HIPFLEXORS/QUADS/CORE/TRICEPS) Tighten the core and sit up tall, press the hands onto the thighs and take a deep breath. Breathing out, push up on your hands with your thighs. Try to engage the small lower abdominal muscles. Breath in and relax down slowly (dont' just drop the contraction, lessen it slowly). Do this about 15 times.
3. (GLUTES/HAMS) Still sitting up tall! Still breathing properly! Holding the front of the seat next to your knees (to make sure you aren't all over the place) press your legs one at a time into the seat. It isn't really going to go anywhere... but pretend it will if you just push it enough, press and hold for a breath or two on each side. Do twenty (ten each side).
4. (CALVES/ANTERIOR TIBIALIS). Still breathing? Tighten glutes and core, sit up tall, and point and flex your feet nice and slow (pretend it is hard). Do this until you can feel something for a few reps in your calves. Dont over point the toes, just try to tighten the calf... Don't do this if it irritates your tendon or ankle in any way)
5. (QUADS) If you can reach your legs strait forward and where your feet/legs touch is even and stable do two legs at once. If it is not even (but stable), find a comfortable spot that is centered and do one leg at a time. Tight core, deep breath... Press feet/foot up in a leg extention as you breath out, relax slowly as you breath in, then deep press up again as you breath out. Do this as many times as it takes to feel it nicely in the muscles (
not in the KNEE, which is not a muscle, and depending on our strength and determination, pressing with strong quads and your knee straining too much could cause damage. This is not supposed to be a 6-8 reps kind of situation, but a long slow exercise, it should not ever be painful at all. )
6. (BACK) Deep breath in, then exhale as you do a "back extension" into the seat behind you. (
Same thing with the leg extension, long a slow and expect to do plenty so you do not damage any joints) Try to use your whole back, but NOT your neck if your seat goes up that far. You could press a little with your neck, but not too much, this is not a neck exercise! Press and hold, relax slowly and repeat....
7. (LATS/TRICEPS/DELTS) Breath/tall Press your elbows (slightly bent) into the seat behind you. Relax slowly and repeat. Try to tighten your shoulder blades together, press back with your rear delts and triceps.
8. (DELTS/LATS) ((
Depending on the hieght of the truck, you can press up on the roof... but I am thinking this is not going to work for you. Just adding it in case... I am sure you can figure it out.
If the truck is too tall, and you don't have back problems, and the console in front of you is even and you can reach it (a few variables!), lean forward with a tight core, don't look up, but don't drop your head either... press into the console for a shoulder press.
If the above two are not going to work, this is something that could be done in the truck with dumbells, but as your friend mentioned dumbells in the front of the truck seems a bit unsafe. You can save this for breaks if you like, ))
.....or simply do it without weights
, "pretending" you have some heavy dumbells in your hand, start with your hans at your shoulders and press your arms straight up. This should also be nice for your lats if you "push" up and "pull" down. Take a deep breath, push up while you exhale, then take another breath and pull down as you exhale. If you tighten up your whole arm and concentrate on your shoulders and lats this can be a good exercise without weights or anything (I just mention everything else because some people have a hard time with the pretend weights situation. I personally love it.) Do enough to feel it. If you don't feel it, you aren't using your imagination or contracting enough.
9. (BICEPS) Pretending you have dumbells (or waiting for breaks when you can use them use dumbells), tighten your whole arm, concentrate on your biceps and do a curl, keep it nice and tight to press your arm back down again.
10. (CHEST) Pretend you are lying at a bench press, and (same as with deltoid press), press forward as you exhale, breath in, pull back as you exhale, breath in.
Another exercise for the chest would be to press the hands together at chest level and slowly tighten as much as you can, pressing hard with both hands, relaxing back very slowly. If it is uncomfortable to have you hands flat together, you can alternate one as a fist, the other flat, and switch each time you relax. Breath out as you press your hands together.
11. (Obliques) Side crunches, hands behind head as if lying on the floor, deep breath in and as you breath out, bend to one side (don't turn at all, bend straight down, right then left), make your other side work against the first side to sit back up straight and then bend to the other side.
Additional oblique exercise, this time do bend and twist, breathing out hard as you turn your torso to point your elbow at your knee, try to just use your abs for the movement, not to use your arm to pull the rest of the way. Also, once close to your knee, pull you knee up to meet your elbow. Remember not to strain your neck at all, don't pull on it ever (and don't do this on bumby roads or turns, this is best done on straightaways!)
12. (GLUTES/ABS) Just sitting there and as a warm up/ cool down / or just want to move something, tighten your lower abs and glutes tight, or rock back and forth tightening one side then the other....
MOVEMENT IS GOOD!
Beyond these, I agree with mr tonymcclellan, a jump rope (that fits you! If you are different heights you will each need your own), maybe weighted if possible, would be awesome to have for places that you would feel comfortable using it... you do need the cardio afterall! And it is faster than trying to go for a long walk... but remember to start slowly... and maybe do a little five minute walk around to warm up before even trying, and DON"T FORGET TO COOL DOWN before sitting back down again in the truck!
GOOD LUCK,
Feel free to send any questions back through this forum (I don't think we are aloud to give out our contact info, just give out ideas...)
Note to anyone else reading, these can be done on an airplane as well...
