We get it—adhering to a strict workout regimen is hard. (Seriously, no judgment here.) However, taking baby steps toward incorporating exercise into your routine is an all-around win: You look better, feel better and the sense of accomplishment is highly rewarding. Here, five fitness experts weigh in on effective moves even the lazy girl can do in the comfort of her own home.
No-Excuses
- Stand on your left foot with your left knee slightly bent, and put the top of your right foot or shin on a foam roller behind you with your back leg extended straight. Raise your arms long out to the side.
- Inhale as you bend your left knee, keeping the knee over the heel, and extend your right hip, thigh and leg back, pressing into the foam roller as it rolls up your shin until your right thigh is nearly parallel to the floor.
- Exhale as you use your deep core to pull yourself back up to the starting position.
- Repeat this movement 8 times on each side.
Lauren Roxburgh is a body alignment, fascia and movement expert and author of Taller Slimmer, Younger: 21 Days to a Foam Roller Physique.
- Start on all fours, bend one knee in half, and pull your heel into your glute as tightly as you can. Start to pulse that heel up to the ceiling. (Right away you'll start to feel the back of your seat and hamstring fire up.) Do 10 pulses to start.
- Tuck the toes of your leg that's still on the ground and lift that knee just a couple of inches off the ground. (This will start to get your standing quad and your abdominals in on the action.)
- Add a pulse down with your arms (like a push-up) as you pulse the heel up, keeping your knee off the ground.
- Do 10 to 15 pulses with your knee hovering. Repeat 3 times on each side.
Tip: The tighter you keep your abs and straighter you keep your spine, the more you'll feel your glutes working.
Ashley Perez is an instructor at Physique 57.
Start with Tricep Girl Push-Ups:
- Come onto hands and knees, then walk hands forward until your body is in one long line from shoulders to knees. Bend arms with the elbows close to the body—do not let them flare out to the side or go past your chest. Hold here for 3 breaths, then push back up. Do 20 reps.
Follow with Small Circles with a weight:
- Standing upright, hold arms up and to the sides slightly below shoulder height in a small V-shape forward (just make sure your arms are not behind you) with a slight bend in the elbow. Holding a small 2- or 3-pound weight, make dinner-plate-size circles with both arms. Do 20 in each direction.
Goal Post Open-and-Close with weights:
- Still standing upright, still holding weights, bend arms so that elbows are at shoulder height, hands at head height parallel in front of your face. Open arms maintaining the bend so that your arms resemble a "goal post." Open and close 20 times.
Goal-Post Lower and Lift:
- Arms begin in the goal-post shape. Keeping elbows at shoulder height, lower hands to shoulder height, rotating upper arm, then lift back up. Repeat 20 times.
Repeat the whole arm series 4 times.
Heather Andersen is the owner of New York Pilates.
- Start by standing upright. Reach your arms overhead, then bring your hands to the mat under your shoulders. Step back to plank pose and lower your body to the mat.
- Immediately reach your arms in front of you (like Superman), then bring your hands back under your elbows. Reverse the push-up and pop the legs back up to the top of the mat. Stand upright and repeat.
- Move as quickly and carefully as you can. Go for one minute, rest 30 seconds, and repeat.
Nicole Sciacca is the Chief Yoga Officer at Playlist Yoga.
- Start seated with your knees bent in front of you, feet on the floor. Hold on to the backs of your thighs as you elevate your feet off the ground, balancing on the tripod of your tailbone and two sitting bones. Draw your shinbones parallel to the ground and stay here or keep straightening your legs until your toes are in line with your eyes.
- Release your legs and extend your arms straight in line with your shoulders. Hold for 5 breaths.
- Lower your body until your legs and shoulder blades hover low over the ground. Extend your arms powerfully straight next to your sides.
- Gaze at your navel. Hold for 5 breaths. Lift back up into full boat. Repeat, taking 5 breaths per pose.
Kathryn Budig is a yoga instructor and author of Aim True.
