August Exercise Week 1

August Week 1 Exercise and Stretch

Exercise: Upright Row

1. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand with palms forward and slightly less than shoulder width apart. The dumbbells should be resting on top of your thighs. Your arms should be extended with a slight bend at the elbows and your back should be straight. 
2. Use your side shoulders to lift the dumbbells as you exhale. The dumbbells should be close to the body as you move it up and the elbows should drive the motion. Continue to lift them until they nearly touch your chin. 
3. Lower the dumbbells back down slowly to the starting position. Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement.

*** Be cautious of the amount of weight you are using during this exercise. Too much weight can cause you to have poor form. Start light, and gradually increase as you start to perfect your form.

Stretch: Cat-Cow Yoga Pose

1. Start on your hands and knees, aligning your wrists underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips.
2.  Think of the spine as a straight line connecting the shoulders to the hips. Try visualizing the line extending forward through the crown of the head and backwards through the tail bone. This is the position of a neutral spine.
3. Keep the neck long, as the natural extension of the spine
4.  Curl your toes under and tilt your pelvis back while your belly drops down, but keeping your abdominal muscles hugging your spine by drawing your navel in.
5. Take your gaze up gently up toward the ceiling without cranking your neck.
6.  Release the tops of your feet to the floor and tip your pelvis forward, tucking your tailbone.
7. Draw your navel toward your spine, drop your head and take your gaze to your navel.

Repeat the cat-cow stretch on each inhale and exhale, matching the movement to your own breath.

Continue for 5-10 breaths, moving the whole spine. After your final exhale, come back to a neutral spine.