10/10/23: Plank: A Simple, Effective Strength Builder

I just found a photo of me in the plank position from three years ago. I look pretty good, but right away I noticed one adjustment I’d make in the feet. The point is, there are always going to be ways you can fine-tune your alignment in a yoga pose or an exercise.

Plank is a foundational position that you can hold on its own for certain strength and focus benefits. And once you have developed a strong plank that you can hold for between 30 and 45 seconds, then you’re ready to explore how to move in and out of plank.

How do you know if you have a solid plank? Well, I’ll give some tips in the video, along with some ideas for how to make movements in and out of plank part of your workout routine.

(By the way, when I watched the video I saw something in my alignment that I didn’t like!)

And of course, I’m happy to talk plank with you, and to have a look at how you do it. I could even give you feedback based on a photo you send – or, I’d love to work out with you in person!

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10/17/23: Challenge Yourself This Month

Back in May, some of you joined me for a month-long squat challenge. Six days a week we did squat variations, and the seventh day was for recovery movements.

At some point in the next few months, I’ll propose another challenge. But in the meantime, you can challenge yourself – and use this handy sheet to document it. I’ve used month-long challenges in various ways to jumpstart my daily routine – meditation, exercise, and writing, to name a few. This time, I’m going to challenge myself to do five yoga sun salutation variations each day for a month, and I’m starting it the day this newsletter goes out.

And since I brought up sun salutations, see below for a video you might find useful.

I’ve been teaching a Sunday morning yoga class at 2 The Top, and each class has a theme. Guess what this Sunday’s theme is? You got it – sun salutations! The downward dog I’m pictured doing here is a key part of the sun salutation. I’d love to hear what challenge ideas you come up with, and of course I’d love to see you at 2 The Top for yoga or a workout!

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10/24/23: Simple Movements for Happy Hips

Walking is awesome, right? You’re moving, you’re outdoors, maybe with a companion, and getting some mental health benefits.

And running is pretty great, too – I don’t run for distance anymore, but I do try to get a few sprints in every week.

In walking and running, you take your hips through flexion and extension. In the photo above, my lifted-leg hip is fully flexed. If I stepped it back behind me and tapped the ground, the hip would be extended.

But there’s so much more the hips can and should do. Hip movements in various directions improve strength and mobility and can ease tightness and soreness. (Often, when people say they have back pain, it’s linked to what’s going on in their hips.)

Today’s video link shows some of my favorite happy-hips movements, leading up to Tree pose, and the theme for this Sunday’s yoga class at 2 The Top is Balance: Steady and Strong. So that means we’ll do a Tree pose – hope to see you there!