Category: Health and Wellness

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1) Bear Crawl

• From hands and knees, lift your knees and “crawl” forward moving opposite arm and leg.
• Now try crawling backwards.
• Core strength, shoulder and hip mobility, coordination.

2) Side Plank:

• Start in hands and knees, or plank position.
• Turn to your torso to your left, lift left arm to the ceiling.
• You could also do this with your forearm or knee on the ground.
• Core strength, arm/ shoulder strength.

3) Medicine Ball Push Up:

• Start in a plank position (knees down or legs straight).
• Place right hand on a medicine ball.
• Slowly bend and straighten elbows, keeping neck long.
• Chest strength, shoulder stabilization, abs.

4) Flye (supine):

• Lying supine (on a foam roller if you have one).
• Hold weights over your shoulders, elbows slightly bent.
• Take arms out to the side (about 45 degrees).
• Slowly bring arms back to center.
• Chest and shoulder strength.

5) Tricep extension (supine):

• Lying supine.
• Hold weights above your shoulders, elbows straight.
• Bend elbows to bring weights alongside your ears. Keep elbows pointing up to the ceiling (think of a rubber band holding your upper arms in place).
• Extend arms.
• Tricep strength, shoulder stabilization.

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based Personal Trainer, Pilates and Yoga instructor and Licensed Massage Therapist. This post is meant to jog your memory about moves we have done together either in class or in a private training session. Please see your health care professional prior to beginning a new exercise program.

BACK

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.