Fit to Print Volume 24 Issue 1 March 2015 | Page 27

Spring Into Action!
continued from page 24

Sit tall with your legs out in front of
you. Neutralize your spine, squaring
your shoulders over your hips. Squeeze
your legs together and flex your feet.
Press your hands flat on the mat along
side your hips. Look down toward your
legs as you flex your spine at the waist,
use your upper body strength to lift
your butt and upper legs off the floor.
Pull your hips back behind you and then
return them under your shoulders
“swinging” yourself forward and back a
few times before returning to start.
Repeat 5 sets. Note: Do not sink into
your shoulders…keep lifting “out of
your armpits”
Variations: Outdoor ideas: Sit with your
feet against the face of the lowest
step. Sit on a step with feet lower and
perform exercise lifting your butt off
the step and not touching butt to step
until you come to rest.
8. Sneaky Sparklers

Tendon Stretch 1

How to do it:
Stand tall with heals together and
toes apart in a small “v” position Pilates stance. Hold your light
weights down by your thighs. Turn
them in to slightly face each other.
Start making small circles as if you
are twirling sparklers on the Fourth
of July. Make eight circles as you
move the arms up and eight circles to
move the arms back down to the
start position. Repeat 3 to 5 times.
Be sure not to shrug the shoulders
and to keep the body still in neutral
spine.
Variations: Advanced challenge:
Balance on one foot. Outdoor ideas:
Hold something a bit heavier like
small watering cans filled with water
or small bags of seeds, small flour
pots full of soil or even small potting
soil bags instead of weights. Balance
on a step.
9. Standing Leg lifts
Get your heart rate up while
sculpting the legs!!!
How to do it:
Stand with your arms crossed in front
to you at shoulder height. Keep your
spine in neutral with your abs tight
and lift your right knee up toward
your right elbow…only as high as you
can without bending your spine or
leaning forward or back. Lower the
leg quickly and repeat on the other
side. Keep switching sides for a total
of 10 on each leg.

Variations: Jump up and down on a step
- one rep on the step, one rep off the
step…repeat alternating.
Finish: Once you get your breath back,
come back to the floor and come into a
plank high up on the hands. Hold for 1
to two minutes in neutral spine. Lower
down to the knees, and sit back to your
heels with feet together and knees wide
bringing your head to the floor. Rest
here for 8 to 10 breaths. Slowly come up
to sit and then down to lie on your back.
Bring your knees into your chest and
take some deep, long, slow breaths.
Stretch your body out long on your back
and rest here, allowing your body to
breathe itself. Stay here for 5 to 10
minutes, until you feel ready to get up!
Once you have conquered the mechanics
of these exercises, you will be surprised
at how little time they take, yet how
effective they truly are! Don't wait,
start today!!! SPRING INTO ACTION!!!
Summer is right around the corner!!
If you have any questions or need
clarification on any of the exercises,
email me at:
dina@fitnessincentive.com.

Variations: Advanced challenge …do
more reps. Add straight leg kick at
the top of the leg lift. Outdoor ideas:
Stand on a step, bench or retaining
wall ledge.

Tendon Stretch 2

This is a “sneaky” arm toner that
strengthens and tones the enti ɔ