Functional Plyo Exercise: Skater

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Skater: leaping from side to side, right to left, landing with knee bent, swing arms from side to side, right to left

* Try this exercise for 20 seconds to 1 minute, and repeat

**High intensity, anaerobic activity, builds lower body strength, works on balance

*** To make it harder,  use light dumbbells in each hand or ankle weights

Photo by Cathy Craft

Featured Dutch DeCarvalho and 6 others.

Squats Are A Great Total Body Exercise

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Start standing with feet hip distance apart, bend knees, keep a long spine (shoulder blades move towards spine), navel to spine (glutes should be engaged), weight is in the heals, move back to starting position, 2 sets of 10 reps

* You can make this exercise harder by adding weight in each hand or by increasing reps

Photo by Cathy Craft

exercising withEmily Montesino and 22 others.

Stretching

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Stretching: Need I say more…The student’s are stretching their hamstrings (inner thigh)
*Start on your back, face up
*Use a towel, yoga strap, or hand to hold onto the ball of the foot
* Either fully extend leg to the side or keep the leg bent if you have tight hamstrings
*Opposite arm is resting to the side into the floor
*Leg that is on the floor is still active, find length in the leg
*Engage abdominals, drawing the navel to spine

Photo by Cathy Craft

practicing yoga with Jocelyn Reed, Lauren Bates, Will M. Dillard-Jackson