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Tag: Yoga for standing balance

May Five Exercises 2013 – Core Strength, Back Strength, and Balance

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

May Five Exercises

Anne Side Angle May 2012

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.

 

Anne plank 5.13

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.

 

Flight 2012

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.

 

Anne roll over 5.13

Anne roll over 2 5.13

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.

 

Anne Seal 2012

Seal 2 2012

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.

 

Warrior III – Yoga For Standing Balance

Here Amanda demonstrates Warrior III one of your November Five. This trains your back, your legs and the small muscles in your feet and ankles that help you balance.

 

 

You will notice she is doing this move standing on the BOSU. If you don’t have one of these at home you can challenge your balance by standing on an uneven surface like beach sand or a pillow.

 

Having balance issues? Try for one minute of this every day and see if your balance has improved by the end of the month.

Improve Your Standing Balance And Shoulder Flexibility With Eagle Pose

Here Lindsey demonstrates one of your October Five, Eagle Pose. Strengthen your legs, stretch your shoulders and improve your balance with this Yoga pose.

Plus it’s Halloween this week and there is this sort of spooky headless horseman thing going on when you really hide your head behind your arms… At any rate…

Lindsey is showing the most advanced version of this move. See how low she sits into her squat? This allows her legs to twist.

If your shoulders or hips do not allow for this (remember you should not feel pain in your joints – ESPECIALLY your knees while doing any of these moves), start with a modified version.

 

Below Dan demonstrates several options:

Option 1: Sit into a low chair pose or parallel squat with hips, knees and feet aligned. Extend your arms out in front to help with your balance (or try holding a medicine ball or small weight).

Option 2: Sit into a low squat (Chair pose) and bring your arms and legs together.

 

Again, Dan demonstrates some serious flexibility and strength by being able to sit this low while keeping his alignment. If your modified Eagle does not look like this please do not be discouraged. Do what you can, moving at your own pace. I am happy to take you through any of your October Five if you have questions. Call or email me or pop in to a class.  See you soon!

~Anne

 

Anne McCranie owner of Fluid Movement + Massage is a Portland Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. To schedule your movement + massage session contact  Anne  503-705-4762  Anne@FluidPortland.com