Tie flat with your legs squeezed together and long, strong arms by your sides (A). Lift both legs a few inches off the mat, squeeze your buttocks, and scoop your abs. Lift your head and look to your toes (B). Raise your arms over your thighs and pump your arms up and down with energy. Take a long, steady inhale for five pumps and a long, steady exhale for five pumps (C). Complete two to five sets (one set is 10 pumps) and work up to 100 pumps.
Saw
Sit tall with a straight back
and long waist. Open your arms straight out to your sides at
shoulder-height and “crack a walnut” between your blades. Open your legs
wider than your shoulders, flex your feet from the ankles, and anchor
your bottom to the mat (A). Inhale as you rotate your
trunk to the left and round over your left knee; pressing your right
hand against the outer edge of your left foot and lifting your back arm
as high as possible, palm down (B). Exhale as you slide
your right hand along your outer foot in three progressive forward
“sawing” motions while drawing back in your right hip to create diagonal
opposition for your oblique abs (keep the weight of your lower body
even on the mat no matter what the upper body is doing) (C). Inhale and return to start. Repeat the sequence, twisting right. Perform three sets.
Double-Leg Stretch
Hug both knees into your chest with your head lifted forward and your elbows wide (A).
Inhale with control as you reach your legs forward and arms
backward—stretching in opposition—and drawing your abdominals in deeply
to support your spine (B). Exhale slowly as you deepen
back into your hug position, using the pull of your knees into your
belly and chest to expel more and more air from your lungs (C).
Crisscross
Lie on your back with your
hands layered, palm over palm, behind your lifted head and with your
knees bent tightly into your chest (A). Inhale slowly
and twist your torso to the left until your right elbow connects with
your left knee, straightening your right leg forward and holding it a
few inches above the mat. Exhale with control and twist right,
connecting your left elbow to your right knee and extending your left
leg (B). Continue alternating sides, completing six sets of twists.
Corkscrew
Lie flat on your back with
long, sturdy arms by your sides. Squeeze your legs together tightly from
the backs of the upper inner thighs. Inhale slowly as you lift your
legs overhead, rolling back until you’re balanced in the middle of your
shoulder blades and the backs of your arms (A). Point your toes and exhale with control as you roll back down your spine, leaning your body slightly to the right (B). When your right glute touches the mat, circle your legs to the left and inhale slowly (C), rolling up the left side of your body while scooping your abs and lifting your bottom (D). Continue reversing the circle direction each time and complete three sets.
Single-Leg Circles I
Lie flat with your legs
squeezed together and long, sturdy arms by your side (the backs of your
shoulders are anchored to the mat). Stretch one leg up to the ceiling as
straight and as close to the perpendicular as possible (A). Draw circles in the air with your leg, beginning across your body (B), then down toward the ankle (C), out, around, and back up (D). Keep your movements controlled. Complete five circles in each direction and then switch legs.
Teaser I
Lie back with your arms
overhead, your biceps by your ears, and your lower legs in opposition to
the fingertips, keeping your back flat and the legs squeezing together
tightly. Your abs are scooped and your legs are wrapping from the backs
of the upper inner thighs (A). Inhale with control as you bring your arms forward, shoulder-width apart, and begin lifting your legs (B).
When your arms are parallel to your thighs, begin rolling up toward
your feet, articulating one vertebra at a time and not allowing your
pelvis to tip forward. Exhale slowly as you descend, replacing each
vertebra 1 inch behind where it was taken off (C). Do this move three times.
Swimming
Lie on your stomach with your
forehead down, the pubis anchored to the mat, and the inner thighs
pressed tightly together. Your arms are stretched forward with the palms
down, and your feet are pointed. Lift your arms, legs, chest, and head
up on one count and hold (A). Inhale and exhale normally as you alternate lifting right arm/left leg (B) and left arm/right leg (C)
without touching them down to the mat. Count slowly from 1 to 10 as you
swim, lifting higher and reaching longer with each progressive count.
Sit back to your heels for a counterstretch in your lower back, if
needed.
Side Bend
Sit on one hip, propped up on
one hand, with your legs nearly extended (slightly bent) to the side and
stacked ankle over ankle. The palm of the top hand is pressing onto
your outer thigh (A). Inhale with control as you lift
your hip away from the mat and reach your arm overhead, creating a high,
lifted arc in the torso (B). Bring the hand from overhead back to your outer thigh and turn your chin to your outer shoulder (C).
Exhale slowly as you lower the side of your calf to the mat. Inhale
slowly as you return to your high arc. Repeat three cycles.
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