Equipment: Mat, bench or step, resistance bands, dumbell
Begin lying on your stomach on a yoga mat with both legs extended behind you, toes tucked. Extend your arms above your head, palms facing towards the mat, to form a straight line from hands to feet. Elevate your head off the mat. Draw your belly button in towards your spine to prevent discomfort in your lower back. This is your starting position.
Inhale. Elevate your right arm off the mat. At the same time, elevate your left leg off the mat slightly with foot pointed. You should feel tension in your core as you hold this position.
Exhale and return to the starting position. Inhale. Elevate your left arm off the mat. At the same time, elevate your right leg off the mat slightly with foot pointed. Alternate between sides for the specified number of repetitions or time.
Start by lying flat on your stomach on a yoga mat with both legs extended behind you, toes untucked. Rest your forearms on the mat on either side of your chest and rest your forehead on the mat. Draw your shoulder blades down and back and your belly button in towards your spine. Elevate your forearms off the mat slightly. This is your starting position.
Inhale. Set your T-zone. Exhale. While drawing your shoulder blades down and back, sweep your arms forward along the mat as far as you can.
Inhale. Sweep the arms out to each side and in towards your torso to return to the starting position, ensuring that your forearms remain parallel to (in line with) the mat at all times. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions.
Place a bench horizontally in front of you. Start by lying straight on your back on a yoga mat, with your feet elevated on a bench and hands behind your earlobes. Engage your abdominal muscles by drawing your belly button in towards your spine. This is your starting position.
Inhale. Exhale. Release your left hand and extend your arm forwards, slowly allowing your head, shoulder blades and torso to lift off the mat. Twist over to the right side of your body and touch the bench immediately next to your right foot. Ensure that it is your abdominals that initiate the movement, and that you do not use your arms to ‘swing’ your torso up.
Inhale. Untwist and slowly lower your torso, shoulder blades and head to the mat to return to the starting position.
Exhale. Release your right hand and extend your arm forwards, slowly allowing your head, shoulder blades and torso to lift off the mat. Twist over to the left side of your body and touch the bench immediately next to your left foot. Once again, ensure that it is your abdominals that initiate the movement, and that you do not use your arms to ‘swing’ your torso up.
Inhale. Untwist and slowly lower your torso, shoulder blades and head to the mat to return to the starting position. Continue alternating between left and right for the specified number of repetitions.
Start by lying flat on your back on a yoga mat with your arms extended out to your sides, forming a T-shape with your body. Brace your core. Keeping your feet together, slowly raise your legs off the floor until they form a 90-degree angle with your hips. This is your starting position.
Inhale and ensure your core remains braced. While maintaining a 90 degree angle at your hips, slowly lower your feet to the right until your legs are almost parallel with the floor.
Exhale as you use your arms to press into the floor to brace your upper body as you return your legs to the starting position. Continue alternating between right and left for the specified number of repetitions.
Begin in a kneeling position with your knees hip-width apart, with hands together resting in front of your chest. Draw your shoulder blades down and back. This is your starting position.
Inhale and brace your core. Looking straight ahead, transfer your bodyweight on to your left knee and bring your right foot forward into the squat position. Push through your right heel to take the weight and allow you to bring your left leg into the squat position. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, knees in line with your toes, and thighs parallel to the floor.
Exhale as you transfer your weight to your left foot and step your right foot backwards to return your right knee to the kneeling position. Shifting your weight to your right knee, step your left foot back to return to the starting position. You should feel tension through your quads, glutes, and core throughout this movement. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions or time on each side.
With a long resistance band around the bottom of both feet, plant both feet on the floor slightly further than shoulder-width apart. Hold the band in front of your shoulders with an overhand grip (palms facing away from your body). Bring your elbows forward and elevate them to approximately shoulder height, resting your hands on your shoulders so that your palms are now facing upwards. This is your starting position.
Inhale. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees point toward your toes. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel with the floor. Ensure that your elbows remain elevated and your back remains as upright as possible.
Exhale. Push through your heels and extend your knees to return to the starting position.
Using the muscles in your shoulders and arms, extend your elbows to press the band directly above your head. Your arms should be in line with your ears on either side of your head.
Inhale. Bend your elbows to lower the band into the starting position. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions.
While seated on a yoga mat, extend both legs out in front of you with your feet flexed. Wrap the recovery band around the bottom of your feet so that you are holding one end of the band in each hand. Ensure that the recovery band is in good condition and securely anchored around your feet to avoid injury. You could also press your feet against a sturdy object to help keep the band in place. Sit up tall and draw your shoulder blades down and back to push your chest out. Extend your arms in front of you so that you are holding the ends of the band with a neutral grip (palms facing inwards). This is your starting position.
Inhale. Exhale. Using the muscles in both your arms and back, bend your elbows backwards to increase the tension in the band, ensuring that your elbows remain in close contact with the sides of your body. You should feel a small squeeze between your shoulder blades.
Inhale. Extend your elbows to return to the starting position. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions.
Lay on your right side with your arm extended along the mat and your head relaxed on your arm. Bend both knees and draw them forward slightly to bring your feet in line with your glutes. Elevate your right leg to hip height, ensuring that your hips are stacked and that you maintain a small gap between your waist and the floor. This is your starting position.
Inhale. Set your T-zone and bend your knee to bring it in towards your chest.
Exhale. Extend your knee directly in front of your body. Flex your foot and sweep your leg backwards to return to the starting position, ensuring that your shin remains parallel to (in line with) the mat. Complete half of the specified number of repetitions on the same side before completing the remaining repetitions on the other side.
Lay on your left side with your arm extended along the mat and your head relaxed on your arm. While keeping your left leg straight, bend your right knee and plant your foot on the mat in front of, but slightly below your hips. Rest your right hand on the mat in front of your belly-button, ensure that your hips are stacked and that you maintain a small gap between your waist and the floor. This is your starting position.
Inhale. Set your T-zone. Exhale. Using the muscles on the insides of your thighs, elevate your left leg off the mat, ensuring that your toes remain pointed and your knee cap is facing forwards.
Inhale. Lower your left leg to return to the starting position, but without resting your leg on the mat. Complete half of the specified repetitions on the same side, before repeating the remaining repetitions on the other side.
Begin lying on your left side on a yoga mat with a resistance band looped around your lower thighs, left arm either bent or extended and your head relaxed on your arm. Extend both legs, ensuring that your hips are stacked and that you maintain a small gap between your waist and the floor. This is your starting position.
Inhale and gently draw your ribs to your hips to engage your core. Exhale and activating your right glute, elevate your right foot towards the ceiling. You should feel tension in your glutes as you do this.
Inhale as you lower your right leg to return to the starting position. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions or time on each side.
With a resistance band looped around your lower thighs, begin seated on a mat with a bench placed horizontally behind you, feet hip-width apart and your knees bent. With your feet firmly planted on the floor, lean back onto the bench so that it is gently pressing into your upper back. Place your hands on your hips or behind your head — whichever is most comfortable. This is your starting position.
Inhale. Exhale. Press your heels into the mat and raise your hips off the floor until your body forms one straight line from chin to knee, resting your shoulders on the bench and ensuring that your head is an extension of your spine.
Inhale. Slowly lower your hips to return to the starting position. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions.
Start by lying on your back on a yoga mat with your left arm extended above your head and your right arm out to the side so that it creates a 90-degree angle with your torso. This is your starting position.
Inhale. Exhale. Raise your right leg off the mat to create a 90-degree angle at your hips. At the same time, bring your left hand towards your right foot – slowly lifting your head, shoulder blades and torso off the floor, ensuring that your right shoulder remains pressed into the mat.
Inhale. Slowly lower your leg and arm to return to the starting position, but without resting them on the mat. Complete half of the specified amount of repetitions on the same side before completing the remaining repetitions on the other side.
With a resistance band looped around your upper legs, plant both feet together on the floor. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Ensure that your back remains within a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips. This is called a close squat position.
Ensuring your hips remain level, take a step forward and outward with your left foot.
Step your right foot forward and in toward your left foot to return to the close squat position.
Ensuring your hips remain level, take a step forward and outward with your right foot.
Step your left foot forward and in toward your right foot to return to the starting position. Continue alternating between right and left for the specified number of repetitions, inhaling for one repetition and exhaling for one repetition.
Begin in a seated position on a chair. Loop the resistance band around the front-right leg of the chair and your right ankle. With your feet resting on the floor directly beneath your knees, place both hands on the side of the chair holding the edges. This is your starting position.
Inhale. While keeping your torso and upper leg as still as possible, exhale as you extend your right knee until your leg is straight or as close to as possible. You should feel tension in your quadriceps (top of your leg).
Inhale as you bend your knee to return to the starting position. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions or time on each side.
Holding a dumbbell with both hands, lie down on a bench. Plant your feet on the floor on either side of the bench, or on the bench itself — whichever is most comfortable. Extend your elbows to hold the dumbbell directly above your chest. This is your starting position.
Inhale. Without changing the angle of your elbows, draw the dumbbell backwards and over your head in an arc-like motion until your upper arms are in line with your ears.
Exhale. Draw the dumbbell upwards and forwards in the same arc-like motion to return to the starting position, once again, ensuring that the angle of your elbows remains unchanged. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions.
Place a bench vertically behind you and loop a recovery band around the base. Lie on your back on the floor in front the bench and plant your feet on the floor hip-width apart with knees bent. Holding each end of the band in a neutral grip (palms facing inwards), extend your elbows directly above your head, ensuring that your hands are together. This is your starting position*. *It is important that there is some tension in the band when in this position. If there isn’t, you will need to place your hands further down the band.
Inhale. Exhale. Ensuring your arms remain straight, pull the end of the band towards your upper legs.
Inhale. Ensuring your arms remain straight, raise your arms to return to the starting position. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions.
Plant both feet on the floor slightly further than shoulder-width apart. Hold one hand on each end of the recovery band with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you) and extend your arms overhead. This is your starting position.
Inhale. Exhale. Using the muscles in your shoulders and back, slowly pull the recovery band ends outward and backward to lower the band behind your head until it reaches shoulder height, bending the elbows slightly if needed.
Inhale. While maintaining tension on the band, extend your elbows to return to the starting position. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions.