Traveling a lot this summer and wanting to keep up with your True40 workouts? If you’re like us, sometimes you forget what movements you can do when not in the studio. Grab a friend or a family member and get your workout on no matter where you are! As always, please feel free to call us at the studio, email us, or ask your instructor before or after class if you have any questions about any of the postures or movements we do in class!
- Plank- Whether it is 10 seconds or a full minute, plank holds engage your entire body. Remember to keep your shoulders over your wrists and pull your belly button to your spine to fire up your core. Try side planks to work your obliques! Remember, the more often you do these planks, the longer you will be able to hold them as you get stronger.
- Power plie squats – Make sure to do this on each side to keep that body even! Start with your feet out in that squat position, turn your feet out to about 10 and 2. Keep your knees tracking towards your toes, scoop your tailbone under and shoot it towards the ground, engage your core and roll your shoulders back. Move up an inch and down an inch for 1-2 minutes, and then hit that full range movement too for another 30 seconds!
- Tricep Push-ups – In the studio we take these at the bar and/or on the floor. Whether you use your kitchen counter or the vanity in your hotel room, try to do these one-inch movements 1-2 minutes before transitioning into full range push-ups for another 30 seconds to flush your muscles.
- Horse Pose – To set this leg posture up, you first want to step your right leg forward, keeping your knee above your ankle. Send your left leg behind you and then lower down. Be sure to level out your hips and raise your back heel, keeping your knee under your hips. Melt your shoulders down your back, pull your tummy in and engage that core. Move up and down an inch for 1-2 minutes before transitioning into full range of motion for another 30 seconds. Be sure to repeat these movements on the opposite side to balance out the body!
- Bird Dogs – To get ready to start your bird dogs, start on all fours with your knees under your hips and your wrists under your elbows. Get ready for a balance challenge! Pull your core in tight, lift one leg up behind you, make sure you’ve got your core pulled in tight as you pull your leg in towards your chest. Moving back and forth slowly, working on your balance and your core! If you want to add an extra challenge, lift your opposite arm and extend it out while your leg is extended. Move your arm and leg at the same time, in and out, working on your balance. After 1-2 minutes, switch sides to keep your body even!
- Side squats with arm raises – We love to use this movement in the warm-up at True40! Start with your feet parallel, about one inch apart. Roll your shoulders down your back, engage your core, and get ready to increase your heart rate. Step your right leg out to the side and drop down into a squat before returning back to the center, standing tall. Step your left leg out to the side and find the same squat that you did on the right side then return up to the center standing tall. Alternate lunging side to side for 1-2 minutes. For an additional challenge, bring your arms straight up over your head when you come into the center standing tall in between lunges. As you step out to lunge, bring your arms down in a goal-post position, being sure to keep your shoulders down and away from your neck.
- Marches with lat pulls – This is one of our studio manager, Kristin’s, warmup favorite! Standing tall with your shoulders rolled back, core engaged, and feet about an inch apart, reach your arms straight above your head. Pulling your arms down into a goal-post position, draw your right knee up to hip height. Set your right knee back down, extend your arms back up, then draw your left knee up to hip height. Remember to pull your knees up with your core, not your legs. Continue alternating these marches from side to side for 1-2 minutes. For an additional challenge, you can draw your opposite elbow to opposite knee when bringing your knee up.
- Warrior 3 with fly – The Warrior 3 hold works on your balance and your core. Standing on your right leg, tap your left toes behind you or send your left leg up and behind you toward the opposite side of the room. Tilt your hips forward and keep them in line with one another. As you lean forward, engage your core to help keep your balance. Bring your arms in front of you, with your elbows bent at a 90 degree angle and your arms parallel to each other. Begin to move your arms out to the side (not past your shoulders) and then back into the center, all while trying to keep your balance. Continue working on one side for 1-2 minutes before switching to the other leg to balance out the body.
- Glute bridge – It’s everyone’s posture that we love to hate! You can usually catch our owner, Allie Weingarten, challenging you in this pose when she’s teaching! Roll onto your back, bring your feet close to your seat and then raise those hips up. Make sure your upper body is relaxed on the ground, pull your core in tight to protect your lower back. Start to move in a full range motion, tapping your hips on the ground and raising them up to the top. Make sure to squeeze your glutes in tight! After you’ve moved in the full range for 1-2 minutes, pulse those hips up at the top! This is where our instructors are telling you to squeeze those glutes tighter and pulse a little higher! Pulse for 1-2 minutes and then hold your hips at the very top, squeezing your glutes tight for that 10-15 second grand finale hold!
- Leg Drops – Get ready for that core work! Laying on your back, pull your stomach in and engage your core. Straighten your legs up above your hips and alternate dropping each leg until you reach your catching point. Remember, your catching point is the point where you lose your core connection and your back pops off the floor. For a challenge, lower both legs at the same time. This increases the weight your core has to work with. For a modification, try reverse marches. Instead of straightening your legs, bend them at a 90 degree angle and bring them into a tabletop position. Keeping your core engaged, alternate dropping your toes to the ground while keeping your knees bent. Whether you are in the leg drops or the reverse marches, do this exercise for 1-2 minutes.
Make sure after each exercise you stretch out your body with child’s pose, downward dog, or whatever you feel your body needs! We hope these movements help you stay in your exercise routine while you’re traveling or can’t get into the studio!