Yoga | Tone and Tighten

Never miss a Weekly Workout Plan – Get it right to your inbox by subscribing to Tone and Tighten!

Use the black bar at the top of the screen to sign up for FREE!!

“My workouts always seem the same. How can I add some variety?”

Hey everyone! And welcome to another week! Every Monday here on Tone-and-Tighten.com we kick things off with a new “Weekly Workout Plan” – 5 days of workouts to get you through your week a sweatier and a lot healthier!

This week’s workout plan comes from a reader email I got last week – a young mom of two who didn’t have a lot of time who was looking to mix things up and add variety to her workouts. “I do pretty much the same thing every week and am looking to add some variety, I just don’t know where to start.” Anyone ever felt that way? I know I have. Luckily we’ve got the answer! Mixing your workouts with different styles / varieties is a great way to keep you motivated, active, and stretch your fitness style. With so many options available, this was a fun plan to develop. This week we’re taking 5 great styles of workouts and turning them into your week’s fitness activities.

So come on! Dare to try something new this week! You (and your results) will thank me!

Day One

Yoga

Day Two

Zumba (pick one)

Day Three

HIIT

Day Four

Pilates

Day Five

Circuit Training (choose one… or both!)

At Home Gym

Show T&T some Pinterest love!

Looking for more incredible workout styles? Check out our Workout Index where you can search for workouts by specific categories! Here are a few of my favorites:

Short on time Workouts

At-home Workouts

Gym Workouts

Ab Workouts

Do you have an idea you would like to see on Tone and Tighten? I would love to hear about it!

Email Jared at ToneandTightenFitness@gmail.com

Make it happen,

Jared

By Jared Beckstrand

To view the rest of this post, be sure to head over to www.tone-and-tighten.com.

Have a great day!

Jared

Be sure to follow on Pinterest, Google +, Tumblr, and Facebook for more workouts and fitness ideas!

When looking for a killer workout that combines strength with flexibility one needs not look any further than yoga. I have been to classes before where I walked out of there feeling like I had just spent an hour working out in the gym! Yoga poses and positions are a wonderful way to improve mobility in joints and strength in major muscle groups. In fact a lot of the poses are so good that I recommend them to my patients to do in the physical therapy clinic while rehabbing from an injury. From low back pain to IT band symptoms – chances are there is a yoga pose to help you out. Today I am sharing my top 10 yoga poses that I feel everyone should be doing. Get loose and limber, toned and tightened right here:

1. Child’s pose: one of my go-to’s for low back pain. Sit comfortably on your heels with your arms stretched out in front of you. Tuck you chin into your chest until a comfortable stretch is felt throughout your entire spine.

2. Pigeon pose: My personal favorite IT band and piriformis (that muscle that gets tight and painful in the back of your hip) stretch. Get down on all fours and cross one leg in front of the other. Lean down and back a little until a comfortable stretch is felt in your backside.

3. Downward facing dog: Great stretch for the back, hamstrings, and calf; also great strength for the shoulders/upper body. Start down on all fours. Push your hips up towards the ceiling

4. King cobra: Great exercise to increase spine mobility, especially stretching further into extension (a position that we typically don’t get into that much). Lay on your stomach. Push up onto your hands as high as you can with your hips still in contact with the ground until a good stretch is felt.

5. Cat camel: Another common exercise in my PT clinic

for increasing overall spine mobility. Get down on all fours starting with your spine in a neutral position. Tuck your chin into your chest and arch your back up toward the ceiling (this is the “angry cat” part of this pose). Next keep your elbows extended while dropping your chest/stomach down towards the floor and looking up straight ahead (this is the “camel” part of the pose”.

6. Bridge: I typically go to a bridge exercise in sets and reps for back and butt strengthening. However- the longer you hold it the more fatiguing it becomes. Lay on your back with your knees bent. Use your butt and back to push your hips towards the ceiling and hold. Your glutes should be contracted to hold your hips up off the ground.

7. Seated twist: A personal favorite of mine that I’m sure to do on the first tee block before teeing off. Sit on the ground with your legs out straight. Bend your left leg and put your left foot on the outside of your right knee. Rotate your trunk and put your right elbow to the outside of your left knee and push gently until you get a good stretch throughout your spine.

8. Wide legged standing forward bend: Great way to work on your hamstring flexibility. Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips. Keep your legs straight and bend forward at your hips, reaching towards the ground until a stretch is felt in the back of your legs.

9. Plank pose: Probably my favorite core strengthening

exercise. Few exercises work all the muscles of your abdominal wall and core the way that a plank does. Lay down on your stomach with your elbows tucked under you. Now push up so just your toes and forearms are in contact with the floor. Keep your back straight and your stomach tight.

10. Thread the needle: Another common stretch seen in my clinic. A great pose to losen up the hips and back. Lay on your back with both knees bent. Cross your right ankle over your left knee. Grasp with both hands around your left hamstring and pull your left knee up towards your left shoulder until a comfortable stretch is felt in your right hip.

Like it? Pin it!!

Looking for an amazing yoga workout to hone your new pose skills? Let Jillian take you through this amazing
“Yoga Meltdown Workout”

As always, comments and questions are welcome either below or email me at ToneandTightenFitness@gmail.com

Make it happen,

Jared

By Jared Beckstrand

To view the rest of this post, be sure to head over to www.tone-and-tighten.com.

Have a great day!

Jared

Weekly Workout Plan – Best way to add variety to your workouts

10 Best Yoga Poses Everyone Should Be Doing – Increase strength and flexibility with these essential poses!