Do you warm up before you workout? A quick yoga hybrid of stretch and strength is a great way to get ready for a run or gym time!
Try these 7 poses and exercises in the morning to prepare your body for whatever work the day brings.
- Cat/Cow with Wrist Stretch – Start on hands and knees, shoulders over wrists and hips over knees. Turn the fingers, either out towards the sides or all the way back towards the knees. Spread the fingers wide, clawing down into the fingers and knuckles. Inhale to drop the belly, curling the tailbone up and shifting gaze forward. Exhale to push the ground away, rounding and contracting the spine. Do 5-10 rounds.
2. Toe Squat – Tuck the toes underneath, sit back on the heels to stretch into the toes, ankles, and soles. While hanging out here, bring the thumbs in and four fingers over top. Take some wrist circles. Switching directions after a few. After a moment, untuck the toes.
3. Thread the Needle – Return to table top. Extend the right arm up to the sky. Then thread it through behind the left hand. Lower down to the right ear and shoulder. Come up on the fingertips of the left hand, pushing into the right arm as well. Lean into the right knee as you hold here for about 10 deep breaths. Push back to table top and repeat on the other side.
4. Modified Plank Push Up – From table, walk the hands slightly forward. Shift the hips forward to a kneeling plank with long line from crown to the back of knees. Keep this line as you take a tricep push up. Keep your elbows in, bend into them and lower halfway down. Exhale to press back up. Do 5 or so of these.
5. Three-Legged Dog to Plank – Tuck the toes and lift the hips up to downward facing dog. Kick your right leg up to the sky. Inhale, to shift forward. Bring shoulders over wrists, and draw knee in to nose. Exhale back up to three-legged dog. Do a few rounds.
6. Hamstring Stretch – Then step the right foot through between the hands. Push into the right heel and straighten the leg any amount. Bend into both knees, tapping the back knee down to the ground. Alternating between stretch and straighten and bending the knees. Maybe flex into the front foot as you straighten, curling the toes up off the mat. Do about 5 rounds.
7. Low Lunge – Bend the right knee and lower the left knee down to the mat. Keep right knee over right ankle. Untuck the back toes. Push into the feet to lift up. Bring the arms into cactus, bending at the elbows and reaching the fingers up. Squeeze the shoulders back, and lift through the heart. Hold for a couple of breaths.
Repeat 5 through 7 through on the other side.
These poses come from a 10 minute morning yoga warm up on my YouTube channel. Check the full class out below.
Namaste,
Kassandra
