12 Days of Fitness Exercises For the Holiday Season
Mobility is the foundation of movement. If joint and muscle are stiff, it is often difficult not only to move but also coordinate a series of movements like walking or climbing stairs. If you break down the act of stepping up on a curb with your L leg, you need good range of motion in both ankles and hips. The pelvis also needs to rotate around your hip as you step up. Shoulders and mid back also need mobility to rotate and counterbalance your lower half. As you can see, just the act of stepping or walking successfully not only requires mobility, but coordination and balance. If any of the following exercises are too challenging to complete, it may be time to follow up with a visit to your favorite Form and Fitness Training Team!
Day 1 – Supine Kick
Instructions
Setup
Begin lying on your back with your legs straight.
Movement
Using your hands, slowly pull one knee toward your chest until you feel a gentle stretch in your lower back.
Day 2 – Supine Butterly Groin Stretch
Instructions
Setup
Begin lying on your back with your knees bent and feet resting on the floor.
Movement
Place the soles of your feet together and let your knees drop toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your inner thighs and hold.
Day 3 – Supine Lumbar Rotation Stretch
Instructions
Setup
Begin lying on your back with your legs straight and arms to your sides.
Movement
Bring one knee toward your chest, then lower it to the ground on one side of your body and hold. You should feel a stretch in your lower back and hip.
Day 4 – Sidelying Upper Thoracic Rotation
Instructions
Setup
Begin lying on your side with your knees and hips bent at 90 degree angles, arms straight, and your palms together by your knees.
Movement
Lift your top arm up toward the ceiling and diagonally behind you, rotating your upper trunk. Then slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
Day 5 – Child Pose Stetch
Instructions
Setup
Begin on all fours.
Movement
Sit your hips back while reaching your arms overhead and lowering your chest to the ground. Hold this position.
Day 6 – Cat Camel
Instructions
Setup
Begin on all fours with your arms directly under your shoulders and knees bent 90 degrees.
Movement
Slowly round your back up toward the ceiling, then let it sag down to the floor while looking up, and repeat.
Day 7 – Downward Dog
Instructions
Setup
Begin on all fours.
Movement
Prop your feet up on your toes, then push your body up into an inverted V position with your elbows and knees straight. Hold this position, feeling a stretch through your back and legs.
Day 8 – Pigeon Pose
Instructions
Setup
Begin on all fours.
Movement
Bring one knee up towards your arms and rest the outside of that leg on the ground, with your other leg straight behind you. Bring your trunk forward, with your arms straight on the ground, until you feel a stretch.
Day 9 – Half Kneeling Dorsiflexion Stretch at Wall
Instructions
Setup
Begin in a half- kneeling position with your forward foot a few inches away from the base of a wall.
Movement
Shift your weight forward, pushing your knee toward the wall as far as you can. Hold, then relax and repeat.
Day 10 – Tree Pose
Instructions
Setup
Begin in a standing upright position.
Movement
Slowly slide one foot up your other leg, using your hand to pull it further if necessary. Then bring your palms together into a prayer position in front of your chest and hold.
Day 11 – Warrior 1
Instructions
Setup
Begin in a downward dog position, with your hands and feet flat on the floor.
Movement
Place one foot on the ground between your hands, rotate your back foot 90 degrees, then raise your arms toward the ceiling, keeping your front leg bent and back leg straight. Hold this position.
Day 12 – Warrior II
Instructions
Setup
Begin in a downward dog position, with your hands and feet flat on the floor.
Movement
Place one foot on the ground between your hands, then rotate your back foot 90 degrees. Raise your arms straight toward the ceiling, then lower them to shoulder level, so they are in line with your legs, and keep your head facing forward. Hold this position.
Happy Holidays From Form and Fitness Staff
If any of the following exercises are too challenging to complete, it may be time to follow up with a visit to your favorite Form and Fitness Team!
