10/28/2018
🤸♀️ ft.
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We made it!.. to Sunday! Today is the ultimate R&R (Rest and Recovery) day. Whether it was weekend full of celebrating, indulging, working or training 🥊 is here to get you back to your badass self. Let’s dive in.
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Today’s post is a yoga-style flow any athlete can adopt to fit their individual needs. These three stretches (poses) will alleviate stiffness in the thoracic and lumbar spine (upper/lower back), activate the core and elevate heart rate to increase total calories burned.
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#1- SIDE PLANK
While there are many benefits to this pose the biggest advantage is the versatility this pose presents. This plank can serve as the warm up or the entire workout, it’s up to you, the athlete to determine what is the best fit for your abilities. Maintain shoulders over wrist, chest open and don’t forget to breathe!
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#2- ACTUAL PLANK
When we transition out of our Side Plank, maintain balance as you shift onto BOTH hands. Squeeze your glutes (yes, your b***y muscles). Activating the glutes creates a domino effect with our hips. It allows them to return to neutral, which then activates the abdomen and fires up the muscles of the core. While we’re in this position be sure to look straight ahead to keep pressure off the neck.
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#3- COBRA 🐍
Last transition of the flow. Start by tucking elbows into sides of the body, still looking up, slowly lower all the way to the ground. Fold your feet over flat, allow your hips to sink the the floor, press through palms of hand firmly as if you’re pressing off the ground. No matter what variation of this move you’d like to do, be sure to take 5 full deep breaths in through the nose, and out through the mouth.
Take-Away:
1. Try all three of these poses as a “flow”- meaning altogether. Attempt to make the movement as fluid as possible. Noticing where any favored points are and any areas that could use improvement.
2. Incorporate these moves somewhere else in life. Whether it’s before a run, post lift session, or simply as a wind down routine before bed, see where else these moves can benefit your body.
3. Have fun with it!! Switch up the order (3-1), make the move dynam @ myFIT