![]() Hold On! During workouts I usually run, lift weights & do Yoga. Then at least twice a week, I make time for a little Zen at the end. I do two poses and hold them for at least five minutes. One is the plank. About a year ago I incorporated long plank holds in my work outs. My goal: five minutes. Surprised I was able to make it on my first try but—wow—I was squirming in that last minute. Planks for Health! 1/Great for our core. Works a lot of the ab muscles. 2/Helps ease back pain. Building abs helps to strengthen the back which lessens pain. 3/Improves flexibility. Shoulders & upper body in general are made stronger, thus more flexible. 4/Great for metabolism. Challenging our body with the plank holds helps burn calories. 5/Better mood. Planks ease tension which helps with our general outlook on life. Tip: Plank holds are just one of the moves we should include in our regimen. Make sure you do other forms of strength training & cardio. Click here for tips on the plank. Now, after planking, there’s one more pose I like to do and hold. And this one is good for the booty. Yay! ![]() It’s the bridge. Bridge Benefits 1/Relieves menopause symptoms 2/Strengthens core 3/Boosts mood, reduces anxiety 4/Improves performance, especially for runners 5/Improves posture Click here for tips on how to do the bridge. These poses are relaxing and can be done anywhere, anytime. Try them in a hotel room, while watching TV, reading a magazine. It’s okay to start slow. ![]() Encouragement You don't have to start off doing 10 minute holds. It's incredibly empowering to work up to it each day or week. So, let's say you can hold a plank or bridge for :20 today. Tomorrow shoot for a bit longer--do a :40 hold, next day try for a minute. Every day you will progress and that feels so good physically & mentally. I guarantee you will feel stronger! "Hold" progress is a good barometer of just how far we’ve come. For instance, that first long plank-hold I did? Killer. Now? Relatively easy! Ten minutes here I come! Make it a great day!
2 Comments
kevin nunn
2/19/2020 07:10:48 am
Excellent post and demos
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2/19/2020 07:16:54 am
Hi Kevin, Thank you so much. It's fun to try our hardest to push through these holds. Kind of like a metaphor for life--to strive to hold on when it seems we can't!
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