Marlo Alleva More Content Now

There still may be remnants of the holidays lingering around — leftovers pushed to the back of the fridge, decorations tossed here and there, and even dying Christmas trees standing in the corner of the living room.

But, our fitness is on track.

At this point, if you started on day one, you’ve tried numerous moves and types of exercises. Keeping it simple is perfectly fine, in fact it’s the perfect way to build on your new healthy habits.

Our move today is great to add to that list. It is a midstance dead lift with hand weights. You will need a flat surface and a set of medium weights. It will target your glutes, hamstrings and lower back.

Begin by holding the weights in each hand and positioning them over your front thigh. Hold your chest tall, shoulders back and down, engage the core, and place your feet just outside the hips with your toes facing forward.

It’s time to move. Keeping your head, neck and back in alignment, proceed to bend in the hips, lowering the upper body forward. Lower the hand weights down the length of your leg at the same time, controlling the move with the backside.

Once you reach your fullest extension, return to starting position. If you are new to workouts or have back restrictions, stop the weights near knee level. If you need more depth, shoot for the shins or ankles. Continue this dead lift for at least eight to 10 repetitions, keeping your movements slow to ensure proper form and protection for your back.

Give yourself at least three to five sets. For more intensity, increase your weight. For less intensity, drop the weight and build up to it. I’d rather hear you say, “wow, I could’ve done a few more,” instead of “that was too hard, I couldn’t finish.”

This move is good by itself and also great to add to any lower body or total body routine.

— Marlo Alleva, an instructor at Gold’s Gym and group fitness coordinator at Fontaine-Gills YMCA in Lakeland, Florida, can be reached at faluvzpa@msn.com