This month, focus on combining your exercises into a mini-flow, including uber-effective stretch/core combinations:
Triangle
1. Start with your feet slightly apart and arms straight up.
2. Step into a lunge position, bending the right knee to 90 degrees so that your thigh is parallel to the ground. Ensure your knee is not over your toes. Keep your back long and straight and sink deeper towards the floor by pushing that back leg straight and strong, keeping your feet firmly on the ground.
3. Reach out with your right arm and align the left arm over the back leg. Think long, strong and lean. Hold this pose and gently keep pushing deeper towards the floor without twisting or bending your back.
4. Reach down to rest your right forearm on your thigh.
5. Reach over with your left arm, keeping shoulders back and spine aligned.
6 & 7. For a more advanced pose, reach the right arm towards the ground and place your hand by your front foot. Always reach back with your shoulders and keep the chest away from the ground. Keep stretching and lengthening.
Remember to give yourself cues as you do this to straighten and strengthen the back leg. Ground the back foot and feel firmly connected to the floor with an even balance between front and back.
Then bring your top arm together with the front, turn your back leg so your feet are facing forward and position yourself into a straight arm plank with one leg. Balance your weight and bring the front foot back to meet the back leg and go into a full plank pose.
Hold this position.
Step forward with the opposite leg, come into a lunge position and repeat the above sequence on the other side.
Repeat this transition sequence three times – inhaling and exhaling as you go, aiming for control rather than speed.
