1. Warm-up: Reclining big toe hold (supta padangustasana)
Lie
flat on your back, legs extended, feet flexed, and arms at your
sides, palms facing down.
Bend your left leg into your chest, pulling
the shin with both hands. Then grab your left big toe with your first
two fingers and thumb of your left hand and lengthen the leg as much
as you can while keeping both shoulders and hips on the floor.
Next,
wrap your right hand around the outside of left foot, shift your hips
to the left, and extend your left leg across your body, reaching for
the floor. Your hip will lift, but keep both shoulders on the floor.
Reach that leg as far as your can, then turn your head and look over
your left shoulder.
Hold for five to seven breaths. Gently lift your
leg, lower it back down to the floor, and repeat on the opposite
side.
2. Bridge pose (setu bandha sarvangasana)
Lift
your right foot off floor with the knee bent, drawing it toward your
face. Straighten the right leg in the air.
With the right foot, draw
small circles clockwise and counter-clockwise. Replace your right
foot next to your left one. Release your spine lowering one vertebra
at time.
Repeat with the other leg.
3. Leg climb
Tones
rectus abdominis
Lying
flat on your back with legs straight, bend your left leg to your
chest and raise it straight into the air.
Hold the back of your thigh
with your left hand. Activate your left leg,pushing forward with your
thigh and pushing back with your hand.
Press your grounded right leg
into the floor, toes flexed.
Now
tighten the belly, lift the upper body, and try to climb up the leg,
one hand over the other, without throwing the leg forward. It’s as
if you’re climbing an imaginary ladder or rope.
Climb until you’re
sitting tall on the sit bones. Climb down and repeat with the other
leg.
Modification: You can bend the extended leg until you’re strong and supple enough to do it with the leg straight.
4. Mermaid pose
Tones
obliques
Lie
on your left side, arms stretched and extended overhead together, so
that your body is one straight line.
Rest your head on your left arm.
Lift your legs in the air, and then raise your arms and torso as high
you can.
Engage your legs from the toes up and pull your stomach in.
”When you activate your quads to lift the thighs, it makes your
legs lighter,” Lindsay says. Hold for five breaths. Then repeat on
the other side.
5. Plank pose
Start
on all fours and make sure wrists are in line under shoulders.
Hold
your body away from the floor in plank pose, keeping your heels,
butt, spine, shoulders, neck, and head in one line.
Lift your left
leg off the floor, then carefully raise your right hand, reaching it
straight out in front of you.
Switch sides, lifting the right leg and
left arm.
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