It’s time to reinvent your full-body workout.

When we think of these types of workouts, we typically think of working the core, glutes, legs, and arms. But if we want to truly care about our overall health, we need to expand beyond these muscle groups. In fact, experts say that as we work to improve our health, we often forget to “work out” in several areas.

Other parts of our bodies need love too:

Your Brain

We tend to think of our minds as separate from the rest of our physical health, but they play a vital role and the brain benefits from training as much as anything else.

It is known that brain function declines over time, but there are ways to reduce the risk of this happening. While genetics do play a role in cognitive function, environmental factors such as diet, sleep habits, or chronic stress It slowly eats away at your brain, making you less sharp over the years.

The good news is that – just like consistent physical activity can extend our lives – regular brain exercise can enhance cognitive abilities and provide lifelong benefits. The idea is to use exercise to enhance the longevity of neuroplasticity, which, simply put, is the brain’s ability to adapt and master new skills and store memories and information.

A lack of mental exercise gradually reduces the effectiveness of the brain’s neurotransmitters, making it more difficult to focus, form and maintain lasting memories, and even perform daily tasks.

Adults should focus on keeping their brains active. We can do this in many new ways, from learning a new language to visiting a new city. The key is to challenge our thinking. We can also try taking up another hobby, such as learning to play the piano or a new sport. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to help with this too.

In addition to healing and repairing cognitive decline, regular brain exercises can improve mental acuity, mood, and overall quality of life.

Your Lungs

Keeping your lungs healthy should be our top priority because they carry oxygen from the air we breathe into our bloodstream.

Exercise is necessary for your lungs to function optimally, and since “lung function gradually decreases every year starting at age 35,” it’s important to develop habits that help increase your lung capacity.

This includes daily aerobic exercise and performing breathing exercises such as diaphragmatic breathing. Lie on your back and place one hand on your abdomen above your belly button and the other on your chest. Breathe in through your nose for two seconds and feel the air entering your abdomen and your stomach pushing out. Then purse your lips and exhale for two seconds to deflate your stomach. Repeat several times.

Your Wrists

To optimize strength and joint stability, it’s important to exercise the muscles that control wrist function.

Paying attention to your wrists is especially important for people who play sports or exercise regularly. A warm-up that specifically stretches the wrist and forearm can help prevent overuse or injury by preparing the muscles and tendons to overcome the accumulated stress that exercise can put on them.

Stretching the forearm muscles through “wrist extension and flexion” is one of the pre-workout wrist warm-up techniques.

Place your forearms flat on the table, letting your hands and wrists hang over the edge of the table. Slowly bend your wrist down and then up again. Repeat a few times, then move to the other side. You can also do this using small, light weights.

You may want to consult with a trainer to understand your wrist’s range of motion before lifting weights, which can put a lot of stress on the tendons and ligaments around the wrist, or yoga requires extreme wrist positions that leave participants vulnerable to ligament strains.

Your Toes

The five bones located behind the toes (called metatarsals) bear a large amount of our weight and require special attention to keep them in proper working order. The metatarsal area has some spring-like properties that help form the arch of the foot. This flexibility needs to be maintained to avoid injury and fatigue.

If you neglect regular foot stretching, your feet may tighten or contract, causing pain. Since many people experience some degree of stiffness in their feet when they first wake up, it’s important to stretch or exercise the top of your feet when you wake up.

To do this, take a page from the dancer’s playbook: It’s recommended to try point and bend foot progressions to strengthen and create flexibility in the toes and ankles. First, sit with your back against a wall, place your arms by your sides, and gently press the tips of your middle fingers on the ground.

Then, brace your core and squeeze your legs tightly together. From this point, point your toes to four. Then flex your feet and count to four. Do this a few times. In the extended position, your feet should be “like cashews or bananas.”

You can also perform standing quadriceps stretches to multitask and maximize foot mobility. While this move is primarily about stretching the front of your legs, you can bring focus to your feet by stretching your toes with your palms to stretch them.

Shift all your weight onto your standing foot and grab the other foot with the same hand. Holding onto a table or stable surface can help you maintain your balance. Then, place your palms on your ankles. Flex your feet and point your toes. After pointing and releasing your toes about 10-20 times, repeat on the other side.