It’s that time of year, spring time! Time to come out of your winter hibernation and get moving again. I’m not sure we actually had a winter but you get the gist of what we’re saying.

Never fear, your mind and body will remember the movements and your strength will return sooner than if you had not been doing anything at all. But your body’s muscles and joints may have lost the strength and flexibility to get complete your old workouts right now. So, make sure to start slow and ease back into your workouts with the proper progressions and intensity level. After all, you don’t want to be so sore that you get discouraged and give up after just a few days. It takes time but it will come back.

We have provided 4 exercises to get you started. If you aren’t sure about an exercise please ask us or if an exercise causes something to hurt, STOP and ask us. We want you to be successful, injury free and to enjoy your workouts.

For those of you who have been working out during the winter, feel free to implement these on days you aren’t in the gym. More movement is always a good thing!

Step back lunge – Start with feet together and with your right foot step back. You will be on your toes on the back foot, with bend in both knees and your weight even in both feet. Step back to start with ft. together.  Perform 10-15 on each leg.  If this is too hard, take a shorter step back and don’t bend the knees so much.  If you need more of a challenge, when returning to start come up and balance on your front leg.

Planks – Start in plank position with the arms straight. Keep the hips tucked under and elevated as high as the shoulders. Turn the hips to the side and reach the right hand toward the ceiling. Return to the center and repeat on the left side. If you need a beginner move, start the plank on your elbows and do not rotate. Perform for 10 seconds, rest 10 seconds; repeat 3x. If you need more of a challenge, you can add a push-up and then rotate.

Bridges – Start lying face up with the feet on the floor. Feet should be hip width. Lift the hips while keeping the rib cage close to the floor and slowly return to the starting position. If you need more of a challenge, lift up to a bridge and lift one leg making sure to keep hips level. Slowly return to start position.

Squats with Standing Abduction – Begin in a standing position with feet hip approximately hip width apart or whatever feels comfortable. Perform five squats keeping weight evenly distributed between the ball of the feet and the heels. After the fifth squat, perform five lateral leg lifts on the right leg. Repeat 2x and then switch legs. If you need a beginner move, perform the squat and then stand on one leg for a count of 5. Repeat 2x and then switch legs.  For a more challenging move, increase the number of repetitions or add a theraband around your quads for added resistance.

Next month we will give you 4 new exercises to work on.