Here are your May Five 2013 Exercises. Try for one minute of each of these every day this month.

May Five Exercises

1) Side Angle:

• Start in Warrior II (side lunge) with right knee bent, left leg straight.
• Rest your right arm on your right thigh, reach left arm to the ceiling.
• Hold for five breaths.
• Strengthens legs, stretches hips and shoulders.

 

2) Plank:

• 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).
• Hold for one minute.
• Strengthens core, shoulders, back and legs.

 

3) Flight:

• Start lying on your tummy with arms by your side. Lift your belly button and slide your shoulder blades down your back.
• Reach back through your fingers and toes. Lift your chest up into a small back extension.
• Hold for five breaths.
• Strengthens back extensors, abdominals, stretches shoulders.

 

4) Roll Over:

• On your back with legs in the air.
• Exhale as you press your legs up towards the ceiling. Inhale and hold here. Exhale as you slowly roll down.
• Relax your neck and reach through your fingers, keeping arms on the ground.
• Strengthens lower abdominals, stretches hamstrings.

 

5) Seal:

• Sit up tall. Scoop your abdominals to round your low back. Lift your feet and hold on to your ankles.
• Slowly roll back onto your upper back, then roll back up to sitting. Now keep rolling and see if you can pause at the top and tap your feet together three times (seal noise is optional).
• Strengthens abdominals, increases spine flexibility, improves muscle control.