The Fat Burn Revolution (17 page)
Read The Fat Burn Revolution Online
Authors: Julia Buckley
hip circles
Look after your body, it’s the only one you have!
target area
hips & lower back
Hip circles are a classic dynamic stretch to help loosen the muscles around the hips and lower back. If you feel a bit stiff or the movement is jerky at
first don’t worry, that’s quite common, you’ll be winding like a belly dancer after practicing for a few weeks!
1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips, keep your head up, look straight out in front of you.
2
Begin circling your hips in a clockwise direction, shifting your weight onto your right foot as you move them to the right and then onto the left
foot as you rotate over to the left.
3
Perform 10–12 repetitions in this direction and then repeat in an anti-clockwise direction.
TIPS
Feel free to perform more than 12 repetitions if you feel you need to, many people get quite tight in the hips and it’s a great idea to loosen up this area before
exercising
Move very slowly, think about exaggerating each phase of the movement to really feel the stretch
Avoid stretching beyond a comfortable level, this should never be painful
Keep your back straight, core tight and head up while you perform this stretch
calf step back
Warming up preps the body and mind for action
target area
lower leg
This dynamic stretch targets the calf muscles in the lower leg, which often get tight with regular training and can be prone to strains and tears if not properly
looked after and warmed up before you start exercising.
1
Start with the feet together, hands on hips. Step backwards with one leg, bending the front knee and keeping the back leg straight.
2
Keeping your back straight and your core tight, activate the stretch by pressing the back heel down to the floor before returning to the start
position. Repeat 10 times and switch legs.
3
Now take a short step back and bend both knees. Allow your hips to drop toward the floor, but keep the pelvis tucked forward as you ‘sit
into’ the stretch, feeling it lower down your calf. Repeat 10 times and switch legs.
TIPS
The length of your stride will depend on how tight your calf muscle is. Try stepping half a metre behind you at first and extend further back until you feel a stretch
In Step 3 you only need to take a short step backwards, try about 30cm to start with
Feet and knees should stay pointed forward at all times
Keep your knees in-line with ankles, don’t let them flare inwards or outwards.
lunge walks
target areathighs & buttocks
