After the Holiday Workout

Why? Because you KNOW you need one! We all know how those holidays are. And you know what you did....:). So, let's fix it! 

#fitness, #workouts #weight loss #holiday #fatburn #exercises

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Exercise of the Day: The Bridge

Bridges are excellent strengtheners of the glutes, lower back and your pelvic floor muscles. Do this exercise a few times a week and feel everything below the belt firm and tighten up.

Here's how to do them:

- lay face up on the floor, knees bent, feet positioned a few inches below the hips. Place your arms down by your sides with the palms down.

- lift your hips a few inches upward while slightly tucking your tailbone under as you lift.

- hold for a couple seconds while sucking your lower abs flat.

- lower hips to the floor and repeat.

** tip - contract your glutes (clench your butt cheeks together) as you lift for some extra added core control and pelvic floor conditioning.

I recommend that you do these at least 3x a week to achieve the best results, 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. These are more strenuous than they appear! If necessary, though, you can increase the intensity level by doing longer holds.

For more fine fitness tips, you can also visit TheWeightLossPlan.com

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Back to the Basics

Actually, I'm always sticking with the basics, because you really don't need a bunch of fancy techniques and elaborate pieces of equipment to get a great workout in.

The plank, as I'm demoing above, is one of those really great basic exercises that handles a few things at once. It's core strengthening as you're contracting and holding in those abs while holding your body in as straight a line as you can. I love doing these and do them just about every day. I do 30 second holds. If you're just starting out, begin at 20 second holds and slowly build up to longer times. In my classes on days when I'm being especially brutal, I make my class members hold these for up to a minute! ;)

Variations on the plank are many. You can do what I call the 'yoga plank', which is just the same move pictured, but up on your hands instead of your elbows, arms nice and straight. You can also do one legged holds, alternating knee ins (draw knee up and in towards the center of your chest, one at a time), and bi-level planks, where you switch back and forth from the elbow plank to the yoga plank over and over again. Those are killer, and also great for strengthening your triceps if you ever decide to try them.

Ok! So, off to do my own morning routine before I head out the door to teach my classes! If the plank is not a part of your present exercise routine, get it in there! These are great, and you will begin to see the results of these sooner than later. Go, now and do it! :)

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