When it’s cold out, all you want to do is relax in a hot tub - well, this exercise is called hot tub, but it’s definitely more work than relaxing! This works best with a barre, but you can use a countertop or even a wall, and do these movements from more of a wall sit position.
Sit back with your shoulder blades against a barre and rest your elbows on the barre as if you were in a hot tub.Bend your legs so you are sitting low and your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your hips back and under your shoulders. Avoid resting all your weight in your arms - the arms are just for support and balance, but this is a leg workout so you should really keep the weight and work in your quads! For an added challenge, hold your arms in a prayer position or straight out in front of you. If this becomes unstable, don’t hesitate to gently replace your elbows on the barre for support.
Hold the position, and raise and lower your heels. Then, shift your weight to one leg and raise and lower the other leg. Straighten the leg and continue to raise and lower it. Then, hold it out at hip height and bend and stretch the leg. Finally (this is a balance challenge too), hold the leg at hip height and move it out to the side and back. Try to do each of these exercises at least 8 times and remember to do both legs! Also, just holding the position and shifting your hips an inch or so back toward the wall is a good challenge.
תגובות