Jacqueline is a former member of the Canadian National Swim Team with over 10 years experience as a fitness professional. She holds a graduate degree in Health Sciences and is also a nutrition expert. Jacqueline is the co-owner of Move to Heal, a sport injury, yoga, and Pilates clinic located in the heart of downtown Toronto in the Thompson Hotel Residences.
Occasionally, when I am meeting clients for the first time, they will be slightly skeptical about how possible it is to get a great kickass workout purely from yoga and Pilates moves. By the end of the first session, they quickly change their tune. On top of the physical benefits, they also feel better. Because in one hour they raise their heart rate, work on their mobility, challenge their stability, and increase their flexibility, with no pain. Yoga and Pilates also work to detox the body and increase your metabolism by wringing out the organs and increasing blood flow and lubrication to the joints. On top of all of this, you activate your glutes and your core, which helps spine health and works to give you a killer 6-pack and bubble butt without killing your knees or lower back in the gym. Still skeptical? Here’s a Jax-approved workout that incorporates simple moves you can do at home. Try it this this weekend and burn off some pumpkin spice lattes while also increasing mobility, stability, and flexibility.
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WARM UP
– 20 hip thrusts (no weight! Do these on a bench or chair with proper positioning and then you can add some light weight)
– 20 down dog to plank
– 10 each side downdog to plank with leg lift (same as above but lift one leg up while you are in downdog as if going in to pidgeon pose and then pull your knee in to your chest as you slide in to plank and then drive back again in to downdog)
– 10 sun salutations with chair pose progressions (move from sun salutation standing directly in to chair pose and then again into Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana) and then back in to the sun salutation sequence)
– 30 seconds plank hold
– 10 of each side donkey kicks (maintain neutral spine and keep hips stabilized (parallel to the floor throughout the exercise, including the lift — this should be quite challenging!)
– 10 T stand push ups
– 10 floor angels (keep low back flat and make sure you maintain abdominal brace throughout)
– 10 bird dog each side (you can choose to hold a Pilates ball or put on ankle weights to make this weighted)
– 30 seconds side plank hold each side
– 10 each side fire hydrant
– 10 dead bug to reverse crunch
– 20 hip thrusts
– 20 downdog to plank flow
– 10 downdog to plank with leg lift
– Pilates side leg series (hip stability here is the most important)
– 10 plank hold leg lift bum squeeze
– 10 sun salutations
STRETCH!
There you have it. You can repeat this a couple of times if you like or not. This is just an example of a quickie yoga/Pilates workout that would be a typical session. It’s really important that when you are trying out these moves for the first time you do them properly and establish the correct patterns in your movement so that, as you progress, you are progressing properly. You should feel a lot of this stuff — but you should feel it in the right places, not the wrong ones. Hip stability and core/glute activation are the goals! I love this workout because you can do it in your living room on a random afternoon or evening. It’s so great for rehab as well as for overall conditioning. So, go grab a pumpkin spice latte, your yoga mat, and get to it!
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What are your favourite yoga and Pilates positions for a great workout? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.