Finding time to take care of you these days is critical. It’s important to do what you love, even in isolation. Lucky for us, Pure Barre, Dance Dynamics and TruFusion at Downtown Summerlin® have shared a few tips to help keep your mind and body in tip top shape. Find a Zen space and settle in for a daily sweat session.
Lauren Montz, owner of Pure Barre
Triceps
- From a standing position, grab a light set up weights (water bottles or canned goods make great at home weight replacements)
- Feet hip width apart, parallel
- Hinge forward from the waist
- Pull elbows back behind rib cage
- Extend elbows straight (so arms are parallel to the floor and straight. *Note, everyone’s length and height might look a little different)
Work:
– Contract triceps tightly
– Squeeze in the midline 15 times
– Squeeze up to the ceiling 15 times
– Hold with a tight squeeze 15-20 seconds
Seat Exercise: Ledge of Seat
- Using a counter or chair for balance/support, place both hands on your support.
- Curl your right heel to your seat
- Slide the right working leg back behind the left
- Soft bend in the left support leg
- Abs in tight, spine neutral and flat
Work:
– Curl heel to seat 30 times
– One curl heel to seat, one press back 15 times
– Just press back (squeezing from the ledge of the seat) 30 times
– Extend leg 3/4-point toe – repeat the series above
– Curl heel to seat 30 times
– One Curl heel to seat, one press back 15 times
– Just press back (squeezing from the ledge of the seat) 30 times
**Repeat on the other leg**
Cool Down
- Stretching and cooling down after a workout are so important for muscle recovery and to reduce soreness. *Note* only stretch to your working level! You should be able to feel your muscles stretching, but never to the point of pain or strain.
- Lie on your back
- Extend your right leg to the ceiling, left leg long on the floor
- Gently grab behind your hamstring or calf (wherever you can reach avoiding the knee) and lightly pull toward your chest; hold for 2 breaths
- Open your right leg to the right 1-3 inches; hold for 2 breaths
- Bring your right leg center and 1-3 inches across the body to the left; hold for 2 breaths
- Come back center, float your left leg up, extend right leg long on your floor
- Hold for 2 breaths (still avoiding the back of the knee)
- Open left 1-3 inches; hold 2 breaths
- Come center across the body to the right 1-3 inches; hold 2 breaths
- Come back center – hug both knees into your chest
- Gently rock back and forth, side to side to release the lower back
BONUS: Pure Barre Live Stream Offer: the studio is currently offering any new clients $15 for 1 Week of Live Streaming classes during this virtual platform. Please email lasvegas@purebarre.com or henderson@purebarre.com to sign up!
Paige Melanson, Dance
Dynamics
Cardio burst:
- Take either of the following songs as example “Fireball” or “Timber”. Each time the song says the keyword, do a burpee. In between keywords switch between different cardio movements. Great options are jumping jacks, mountain climbers, jogging in place, high knees, etc. This will keep you moving for the duration of the song giving you a blast of cardio mixed with the full body workout!
- Superman – lay on your stomach, legs extended straight. Place hands out in front or behind the head. Using your lower back muscles keeping your legs on the floor lift your chest up as high as you can before coming down. Lift up and down 10 times and on the 10th raise hold for 10 seconds before coming down. Repeat 3 sets.
- Seated
stretches – here are some seated stretches for any level.
- Pike – sit up straight with both legs in front of you squeezing your knees, ankles and feet together. Reach up with both arms and reach forward trying to maintain a flat back reaching for your feet keeping your legs straight and hold for 30 seconds to 1 min.
- Straddle – Sitting up tall extend both legs to each side as far as you can keeping your knees and feet facing up (not rolling forward). Reach to each side and hold for 10-20 seconds per side. Then reach in the center extending the arms straight in front while keeping the knees and feet pointed up and lengthening in the spine. Hold for 30 seconds – 1 min.
- Butterfly – sitting up straight in place with the bottoms of your feet together. Reach forward to stretch the hips. For the ultimate stretch use your elbows to press down on your knees.
Lacy Schorr, Fitness Enthusiast, Summerlin Resident and TruFusion Instructor
- Go for a walk or run. Sprint to the end of your neighbor’s house. Return to starting position, then add a house each time. How many can you do?
- The standards work: Try 20 sit ups or crunches followed by 10 push-ups, 4 rounds!
- Grab two, gallon water jugs and hold them by their handles. Hold them low in front of you (relaxed arms) for 10 squats, then hold them at your sides for 10 sets of reverse lunges. Back to your squats, repeat 4 rounds!
- Abs and guns: hold one water jug sideways with both hands and do a kneeling bicep curl to press, or a diagonal wood chop. Sit down and hold it while you do Russian twists. Lie on your back and chest press it, use both jugs or add a hip lift if you want an extra challenge.
- Consistency is key so even doing some of these drills every day for 30 minutes total will help boost your mood and your metabolism. Also, it’s best to snack on things that are low in sugar and high in protein/fiber to avoid the dreaded “Quarantine 15”!
Stay well. Stay fit. Stay strong.
