Shoulder Bridge

Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor

• Extend both arms straight along the sides of your body
• Squeeze your glutes, exhale, and lift your hips up four to six inches off the floor
• Inhale and slowly lower your hips back down to the floor to complete one repetition

Toe Taps

• Begin by lying on your back
• Lift both feet up off the floor into tabletop position: with your knees over your hips and your lower legs parallel to the floor
• Place both arms straight along the sides of your body
• Inhale and gently lower your right foot toward the floor (keeping leg bent at 90 degrees)
• Tap only your toes on the floor
• Exhale and return your right leg to your starting position
• Repeat with your left leg, then alternate dropping and tapping each foot for a total of 10 reps

The Hundred

• Begin by lying on your back
• Bring both legs up one at a time into a tabletop position (knees over hips and shins parallel to both floor and ceiling)
• Hover your arms a few inches above the floor, straight out along the sides of your body
• Keeping an activated core, exhale and peel your head and shoulder blades off the floor
• With your legs and torso still and stable, begin pumping your arms up and down at a fast, but controlled pace, moving them no more than about two inches
• Inhale for five counts, exhale for five counts. Do this 10 times.n

Roll Back, Roll Up

• Begin seated on the mat with your knees bent and both feet flat on the floor
• Hold both arms forward and parallel to the floor at shoulder height
• Exhale and slowly roll your upper body halfway down to the floor, vertebra by vertebra (really think about using your abdominal muscles—not your hip flexors—for stability and control) 
•  Inhale as you slowly roll your upper body up to return to your seated position

Swimming

• Begin lying on your stomach
• Reach both arms straight overhead
• Engage your core, squeeze your glutes, and tuck your check to your chest
• Lift both your chest and legs a few inches off the floor (similar to a superman position)
•  Inhale and exhale as you kick your legs and flutter your arms up and down at the same time, performing a moderately paced “swimming” motion.
• Do this for 10 to 20 seconds, then rest and repeat

Wall Squat

• Begin by standing and leaning your back against a wall
• Place both feet about hip-width apart and about a foot away from the wall
• Extend both arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height, arms parallel to the floor
• Inhale and sink your body down 6 to 12 inches, using your back on the wall and your feet on the floor as support anchors
• Continue to take deep inhales and exhales, holding this isometric squat for 10 seconds • Slide back up the wall to return to standing

Cat and Cow

• Start on your hands and knees on the mat
• Inhale. On the exhale, tuck your chin to your chest and round your back up toward the feeling and let your tailbone tuck under your pelvis
• As you inhale again, tilt your nose and tailbone up toward the ceiling and arch your back, letting your belly expand and drop toward the floor
• Repeat this combo in a fluid motion for 10 reps, moving with each breath

Side-Lying Clam

• Begin by standing and leaning your back against a wall
• Begin lying on your right side with your legs bent and stacked
• Place one arm under your head and neck for support
• Keeping your ankles together and hips facing forward, lift your top knee up about 6 inches, and then slowly lower down. Focus on using just your glutes (not your back) to squeeze and lift the right leg (aka open the clam shell!)
• Repeat for 10 reps, then switch and repeat for 10 reps lying on your left side

For the print version, use the link below to download the PDF.

Shoulder Bridge

Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor

• Extend both arms straight along the sides of your body
• Squeeze your glutes, exhale, and lift your hips up four to six inches off the floor
• Inhale and slowly lower your hips back down to the floor to complete one repetition

Toe Taps

• Begin by lying on your back
• Lift both feet up off the floor into tabletop position: with your knees over your hips and your lower legs parallel to the floor
• Place both arms straight along the sides of your body
• Inhale and gently lower your right foot toward the floor (keeping leg bent at 90 degrees)
• Tap only your toes on the floor
• Exhale and return your right leg to your starting position
• Repeat with your left leg, then alternate dropping and tapping each foot for a total of 10 reps

The Hundred

• Begin by lying on your back
• Bring both legs up one at a time into a tabletop position (knees over hips and shins parallel to both floor and ceiling)
• Hover your arms a few inches above the floor, straight out along the sides of your body
• Keeping an activated core, exhale and peel your head and shoulder blades off the floor
• With your legs and torso still and stable, begin pumping your arms up and down at a fast, but controlled pace, moving them no more than about two inches
• Inhale for five counts, exhale for five counts. Do this 10 times.n

Roll Back, Roll Up

• Begin seated on the mat with your knees bent and both feet flat on the floor
• Hold both arms forward and parallel to the floor at shoulder height
• Exhale and slowly roll your upper body halfway down to the floor, vertebra by vertebra (really think about using your abdominal muscles—not your hip flexors—for stability and control) 
•  Inhale as you slowly roll your upper body up to return to your seated position

Swimming

• Begin lying on your stomach
• Reach both arms straight overhead
• Engage your core, squeeze your glutes, and tuck your check to your chest
• Lift both your chest and legs a few inches off the floor (similar to a superman position)
•  Inhale and exhale as you kick your legs and flutter your arms up and down at the same time, performing a moderately paced “swimming” motion.
• Do this for 10 to 20 seconds, then rest and repeat

Wall Squat

• Begin by standing and leaning your back against a wall
• Place both feet about hip-width apart and about a foot away from the wall
• Extend both arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height, arms parallel to the floor
• Inhale and sink your body down 6 to 12 inches, using your back on the wall and your feet on the floor as support anchors
• Continue to take deep inhales and exhales, holding this isometric squat for 10 seconds • Slide back up the wall to return to standing

Cat and Cow

• Start on your hands and knees on the mat
• Inhale. On the exhale, tuck your chin to your chest and round your back up toward the feeling and let your tailbone tuck under your pelvis
• As you inhale again, tilt your nose and tailbone up toward the ceiling and arch your back, letting your belly expand and drop toward the floor
• Repeat this combo in a fluid motion for 10 reps, moving with each breath

Side-Lying Clam

• Begin by standing and leaning your back against a wall
• Begin lying on your right side with your legs bent and stacked
• Place one arm under your head and neck for support
• Keeping your ankles together and hips facing forward, lift your top knee up about 6 inches, and then slowly lower down. Focus on using just your glutes (not your back) to squeeze and lift the right leg (aka open the clam shell!)
• Repeat for 10 reps, then switch and repeat for 10 reps lying on your left side

For the print version, use the link below to download the PDF.