Category: Health and Wellness

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1) Tai Chi Twist:

• Stand with feet about hip distance apart.
• Swing your arms from side to side, allowing your shoulders, hips, and legs to move.
• Spine twist. Ankle, hip and shoulder mobility.

2) Calf Raise:

• Stand on a yoga block.
• Slowly lift and lower your heels ten times.
• Strengthens whole posterior chain – calves, hamstrings, glutes.

3) Side Lunge:

•  Stand with feet a little wider than hip distance.
• Shift your weight into your right leg as you bend your right knee.
• Straighten legs and move hips back to center.
• Reach up to the left, lifting your left leg if possible.
• Ten each side.
• Strengthens legs and hips, improves balance.

4) Hamstring Curl:

• Stand tall. Bring your weight to your right leg and stretch left lag back behind you as you tilt forward.
• Slowly kick right heel towards your bum, then extend your leg.
• Ten each side.
• Strengthens hamstrings, hips. Standing balance.

5) Calf Stretch:

• Stand facing a wall, right foot a little in front of left, both heels on the ground.
• Slowly work your front knee closer to the wall, then back off.
• Stretches ankles, calves.

1) Baby Bear:

 

 

 

This is release work – your goal is to use the least amount of effort possible.

• Start lying on your back.
• Hug your knees and relax your back, hips chest and neck. No really, let everything relax, this may take a minute to figure out.
• Start to roll side to side, eventually rolling all the way onto your right side then onto your left side. If you notice tension anywhere in your body stop, and start again making smaller movements.
• Back, neck, hip and shoulder release.

2) Roll Up:

 

• Start on your back with knees bent.
• Reach towards your knees and as easily as possible start to roll your head and shoulders off the mat.
• Slowly roll back down with control.
• You may make it all the way up to seated. If this strains your neck, come back down and do a smaller version with one hand behind your head.
• Core strength, spine mobility.

 

 

3) Plank/ Twist:

 

•  From hands and knees, step back into a plank.
• Make a straight line through your ear, shoulder, hip and knee (drop to your knees if you need to).
• Slowly lower one hip towards the floor, come back to center, lower the other hip, back to center.
• One minute.
• Core strength, shoulder and back strength, spine mobility.

4) Chair/ Twist:

•  Stand with feet parallel, hip distance apart (or big toes touching).
• Sit low into your Chair pose (parallel squat).
• Twist to the right, bringing your left elbow towards your right knee. Switch sides.
• Our fitness model, Sara, is super strong and is showing the advanced version. If you feel any pain while doing this move, don’t sit as deep into your squat, or do a smaller twist.
• One minute.
• Strengthens back, legs, arms, shoulders.

5) Burpies:

Believe it or not, one of my ladies requested Burpies this month! You basically cycle through a squat, to a plank or push up, back to a squat (or jump), moving as fast as you can comfortably and without pain.

• Stand at the front of your mat.
• Squat down (keeping hips lower than your shoulders – do not round your back) and step or jump back to a plank.
• One push up.
• Step or jump back to the front of your mat (again keep hips low).
• Stand up (or jump up).
• Repeat for one minute.
• Cardio interval. Leg, back, hip, shoulder, chest and arm strength.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She suggests you shoot for one minute a day of these moves, to compliment your cardio, strength, and flexibility work. The above photos are meant to jog your memory about the work you and Anne have done together. Please see your medical professional before beginning a new exercise program.

 

1) Warrior II:

(Side lunge with front knee bent, back knee straight)

• Step right foot forward between your hands, step left foot back and press left heel firmly into the mat.
• Stack your shoulders over your hips (hips and shoulders face the side wall) and reach arms out to the side.
• Bend your front knee right over your ankle, as if your knee were looking over your front toes.
• Hold for one minute then switch sides.
• Hip stretch, balance, leg and back strength.

 

2) Leg Pull Back:

(Reverse plank with leg lift)

• From seated, lift hips up into a reverse plank with hands under your shoulders and fingers facing forward.
• Exhale as you lift your right leg a few inches off the ground; inhale as you lower your leg back to the ground. Alternate slow leg lifts for one minute, keeping hips stable.
• Shoulder flexibility and strength, core strength, hip stabilization.

 

3) Swan Dive:

(Roll down the front side of your body with control)

• Start from a plank position with knees down, hands under your shoulders.
• Slowly roll your legs, pelvis, lower belly then lower ribs onto the mat.
• Press through your hands and lift your belly as you lift back up to a neutral spine.
• Keep abdominals turned on; think of getting longer instead of gripping with your glutes.
• Strengthens spine extensors, arms, and tummy.

 

4) Double Leg Kick:

(Kick both heels to your bum, then extend arms, legs, and back)

• On your tummy, hands behind your back, looking over your right shoulder.
• Exhale as you kick both heels towards your bum, then inhale as you extend arms and legs and lift your chest off the mat.
• Exhale, relax back down onto the mat, look to your left and let your elbows drop to your side.
• Repeat alternating kicks, then back extension for one minute.
• Shoulder and leg strength and flexibility, Back strength, coordination.

 

5) Rolling Like A Ball:

(rolling on your back with control)

• From seated, lift your feet and hold on to either the backs of your legs or ankles.Knees turn out like a frog.
• Slowly roll back onto your upper back, then back to seated without touching feet to the ground.
• Pull your belly button to your spine to make your roll as smooth as possible.
• Core strength, spine flexibility, control.

My Mom, Claire is our fitness model for most of the March Five. I took these when she came to visit me here in Portland. Want to see these moves in person? Join us for an ongoing class, or call to schedule a one on one session with Anne (503) 705-4762.

 

1) Crescent Lunge:

• Stand at the front of your mat.
• Step left foot back into a lunge with left heel off the ground, shoulders and hips facing forward. Reach arms up and lift your chest.
• Hold one minute then switch sides.
• Leg and back strength, hip stretch, balance.

2) Pilates Push Up:

• Stand at the back of your mat.
• Exhale as you curl your chin towards your chest, and roll down, one vertebra at a time to hang in a forward fold (bend your knees a lot if you feel any discomfort in your back). Walk out to a plank position.
• Five Push Ups, then walk your hands back, and roll back up to standing.
• Strengthens chest, shoulders, back, and core. Spine mobility.

In the photo above, see how Claire has her hands wide, knees down, and her spine in a nice neutral position? This is a lovely option. You may also do “military style” with legs straight, and knees off the ground.

 

3) Half Moon:

• Stand in the middle of your mat, or near a wall for balance.
• Start in a lunge, with right leg front (Warrior II). Tilt forward and reach your right hand towards a yoga block, or the ground. Slowly lift left leg.
• Work towards stacking your shoulders and hips, so that you are flat like a piece of toast.
• Hold for one minute then switch sides.
• Improves balance, strengthens legs and back.

4) Boat:

• Sit up tall, and hold on to the backs of your legs.
• Pull your belly button in, and lift both legs to tabletop.
• Hold for one minute.
• Core, back and leg strength. Balance, and shoulder stabilization.

5) Single Leg Kick:

• Lying prone, lift belly button, guide shoulder blades down your back.
• Kick right heel towards your hip, then slowly extend your leg.
• Switch legs.
• Quad stretch, hamstring strength, hip stabilization.

This is one of the most misunderstood Pilates moves. While it looks like she’s not doing much Mom is stabilizing her pelvis, lifting her abdominal muscles, engaging her hamstrings (with minimal glute activation) keeping her shoulders away from her ears and breathing! Go Claire!!!

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She suggests you shoot for one minute a day of these moves, to compliment your cardio, strength, and flexibility work. The above photos are meant to jog your memory about the work you and Anne have done together. Please see your medical professional before beginning a new exercise program.