What better way to get your heart pumping first thing in the morning than to do a few exercises while still in bed? You’ll immediately have more energy and may even see a difference in your waistline after spending some time!
Here are the five exercises:
1. Crisscross
2. Full Body Crunch
3. Leg Raises
4. Single Leg Pulses
5. Wide Leg Cross Sit-ups
Perform each move for fifty seconds with a 10-second break in-between exercises. If you have more time (say, on the weekends), feel free to repeat the exercise cycle a couple of times.
Here’s how to perform each move:
Give these a try.
Crisscross Exercises
– Lie on your back in a neutral position (straight spine)
– Bend your knees and bring your shins up so that they are parallel to the floor.
– Place your hands behind your head, supporting the base of the skull. Keep the elbows wide.
– Use an exhale to pull your abs into a deep scoop, and leaving the pelvis in a neutral position (not tucked or tipped), curl the chin and shoulders off the mat up to the base of the shoulder blades.
Full Body Crunch
– Lie on your back with your legs out straight.
– Place your hands behind your head or across your chest.
– Lift your feet up off the bed, tucking your chest as you “crunch” your torso upwards. Keep a space between your chin and chest as you lift your shoulder blades.
– Crunch both your lower and upper body in unison. Then, relax your upper body as you kick your legs out straight. Don’t allow your heels to touch the bed until all repetitions are complete.
Leg Raise Exercises
– Lie flat on your bed, placing your hands under your lower buttock on each side to support the pelvis.
– Keeping your knees straight, raise your legs by flexing the hips to a full-flex position.
– Return to starting position. Don’t allow your heels to touch the bed until all repetitions are complete.
Single Leg Pulses
– Lie with your back flat on the bed, legs straight. Then, slowly lift your head and shoulders so that your shoulder blades barely touch the bed.
– Bend one leg and place your hands on this leg’s knee. Keep the other leg straight.
– Pull the knee towards your chest in a way that is quick (“pulsing”) and mindful of technique.
– Alternate with the other leg. This counts as one repetition.
(Single leg pulse exercise videos are available if you’d like a visual depiction of the exercise. This may help.)
Wide-Leg Cross Sit Up
– Lay flat with legs spread wide.
– Extend your arm behind your head. Using your core strength, push yourself forward to touch your left toe with your right arm, inhaling slowly.
– Lie down with both arms behind your head. Again, push yourself up to touch your right toe with your left arm. This counts as one repetition.
(Perform this move slowly using your core strength.)
