I know that everyone is always excited in January and ready to change themselves. By February, you are slightly less excited. And usually, by March, most people have fizzled out. What about if you could just improve on 3 exercises? That's it. Just 3 things to do to keep you going.
3 Simple Exercises to Keep You Fit:
- Plank pose, which is called kumbhakasana in Sanskrit, can help you to engage your core. When I first started yoga, mind you, I could not hold much weight on my wrists, so I assumed it was my wrists, typing, etc. Just all around bad posture that made it difficult. I will not forget how difficult the variation of side plank was for me. I could not do it. So in order to get better with a plank, here is what you need to do. Begin on all fours, and make sure your hands are under your shoulders. The key is the breath as this is the start of a push-up. So in order to show you what I mean, here is a photo. The best thing about learning to plank is that you WILL get better the more you practice it.
- Using a Kettlebell. I read this article about 4 years ago in a magazine on the benefits of a kettlebell and I just had to try it. I did the kettle bell swings, and I combined it with squats. It was better for my back, but the kettlebell did take some getting used to. All in all it was easy to do at home whenever I needed to just get a few sets in. But make sure to link breathing with it. Always, always link your breath to your routine.
- Boat pose. In my yoga classes, my students always groan during my core section. But they have groaned less and less and been more focused as I told them I had a C-SECTION and ALL my stomach muscles were cut and I couldn't even do one boat to yacht...as a friend called it, at first. I am not kidding. When I started my journey over 2 years ago, everything was just out of whack. I can now start in boat pose, and use a block between my ankles and hike up to touch it. That is my boat to yacht variation. If you want to start out slow, use your sitz bones and lean back, but keep your hands under your knees on the back of your thighs and lean back. Keep your hands there until you can extend your legs. It's okay to stay at the beginning of the pose. I did for a long time.
Side-plank variation as mentioned above:
If you want to know more about my 4 Weeks to Wellness, check out this link.
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