Here are some more simple, but effective exercises you can do at home.
As before remember to always:
- Warm up about 5 minutes or more before doing the exercises
- Maintain a neutral spine by engaging deep core muscles
- Keep breathing; never hold your breath
If you would like to try a virtual workout, please contact Debora at debora@pftl.net, or 847-722-2115.
Hip Lifts
Begin lying on the ground with your feet flat, knees bent.
- With your arms at your sides, stabilizing the body, raise your hips up toward the ceiling. Try not to arch your back at all.
- Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing the glutes.
- Reverse the motion and bring the glutes back to the ground smoothly and evenly.
The glute bridge (also called a lying hip raise) will strengthen your glutes and hamstrings, while also working your abdominals, back and inner thighs. For a fun variation, lift your hips with your feet flat on the floor and slowly extend one leg up the sky.
Bird Dog
- Begin on all fours on the ground, making sure that your head and neck are a neutral position. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the move, by engaging inner core muscles.
- Extend your right arm in front of you, simultaneously extending, raising your left leg to hip height.
- Using your core for balance, pause for a moment before lowering the arm and leg, smoothly and evenly.
- Repeat the motion with your left arm and right leg.
Side Lunge
- Begin standing with your legs side by side.
- Keeping your left foot planted on the ground, take a big step to the right with your right leg.
- As you land, bend your right knee into a 90-degree angle and pause for a moment.
- Use your right leg and glute to push off the ground and bring your legs back together.
- Repeat on the opposite leg.
Most people only exercise in two planes: up and down or forward and back. That’s what makes side lunges so effective — they train you laterally. This lunge variation is a great addition to any conditioning plan because it will challenge your muscle fibers, tendons and ligaments in a different movement pattern. To make this exercise more challenging, add a side leg lift to the equation and feel your core kick in, too.
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