So far you’ve laid a nice foundation for health, strength and flexibility and we’re going to be building on that.
This week we’re going to increase the difficulty of a few of the exercises while adding five more exercises; bringing the total amount of exercises to sixteen.
When increasing the difficulty of a new exercise make sure to only perform the more difficult version from here out.
Exercises to Replace
This week you are going to replace exercise 5 which looked like this:
In the new version you are going to be standing with heels together and toes pointing away at a 45 degree angle. Now bend to right and bring a half bent left arm above and across your head.
The breathing and number of repetitions is the same as the lower difficulty level. Make sure to pause halfway and reverse the breathing.
The next exercise you’re going to replace is the second exercise which looked like this:
Now you’re going to be doing this exercise standing with one foot slightly in front of the other. Breathing and movements are the same as before. When you switch directions of arm circles, switch which foot is front.
Also, remember to keep the arm completely loose during the large circles.
Exercises to Add:
Exercise 12:
The first new exercise we’re going to add is a slow standing trunk twist with a lean to the right and left side. This exercise is really good for slimming your waist and adding muscle.
Stand with feet well apart and bring arms up to the side in a fist while inhaling. Twist your body only using your waist all the way to the right and lean your body over your hip while exhaling. The back should be slightly hollow and make sure to keep your eyes upward.
Bring the body back up and inhale while going the the left. Once your body is facing forward, and without stopping, start your exhale and keep going left and your body over your the left hip.
In all you go to the left 5 times and the right 5 times during 10 total breaths.
Where this is headed:
This eventually turns into a more difficult lean and bend when you twist to the right and left.
Exercise 13:
This exercise is a a quick leg swinging exercise. This is really good for adding flexibility in your hamstrings.
Place your hand on the back of a chair or dresser to support yourself and the other hand on your hip. Now swing the leg that’s opposite the hand holding the back of a chair like a pendulum back and forth from the hip joint very quickly. Make sure you leg is completely straight, especially at the knee joint. The kicks are short ones and you should’t go past 40 degrees in the air. Focus on your breathing and make sure you aren’t holding your breath for three complete breaths.
On your forth breath kick your leg as far as you can upwards repeatedly for the whole breath. While doing these long kicks make sure your leg is loose as possible.
After the forth breath switch legs and hand supporting yourself and do the same
Where this is headed:
Eventually you won’t need the support of chair and you will be kicking to the side as well to the front.
Exercise 14:
This is a slow twisting exercise very similar to exercise three. The main difference is this exercise eventually turns into a massage and exercise 3 doesn’t.
Sit in a chair with feet around the legs so you keep your lower body completely still during the twisting. Inhale and turn completely to the left and bring your right arm across your stomach and bring your left arm across the lower back. Once you’ve gone as far as you can begin to exhale and go the opposite way.
After six inhales make sure to pause once you’ve turned left and to switch directions of your breathing. Do 12 total breaths in all going to the right 12 times and to left 12 times.
Where this is headed:
Eventually you’ll be doing this standing and it will be a massage with slightly different breathing.
Exercise 15:
This is exercise is a quick bend from side to side. Stand with heels together and toes pointing 45 degrees out and without pausing quickly bend to the left and to right.
Your neck remains stiff and head must be kept straight and move with your trunk.
Make sure to focus on your breathing and to do a total of 4 breaths in all. if you want you can add a pumping acting once you bed to one side. For example, bend to the left, come up very slightly and go back down to the left with one inhale, and two more pumps with an an exhale and then switch sides. The video doesn’t show this way.
Where this is headed:
This eventually turns into a massage for the sides and thighs.
Exercise 16:
This exercise is a quick twisting exercise. Stand with feet wide apart and toes pointed towards each other. Your goal is to bring your left shoulder as far under chin as possible, while bringing your left arm across your stomach and bringing your right arm to the middle of your back. Do this while keeping the head and hips straight the whole time.
This is one of the harder exercises to properly learn and you can go slow in the beginning until you have the movement down. After you have the movement down than you can go as fast as you can go. Do for a total of four breaths.
Where this headed:
Eventually this will be a massaging technique.
And week three is officially over. You increased the difficulty of two exercises and learned five more exercises to bring your total up to 16. Next week you’re going to increase the difficulty of two more exercises and add four more exercises to your routine.
In two weeks you begin the massage and incorporating the cool shower into your routine. I hope you enjoyed these exercises.
See you next week!