Category: Exercises

Categories
Exercises

Supine Knee and Arm Extension with Band

Supine Knee and Arm extension with Band (Exercise Classification: Advanced)

  • Lay on your back a comfortable surface with knees bent.
  • Grasp a resistance band between your hands and raise your arms up at shoulder height.
  • Bring your knees up to a 90-degree position.
  • At the same time, extend your right leg until parallel with the floor as you scissor your left arm overhead and right arm pulling down towards your left leg.
  • Switch sides and make the same motion.
  • Do this exercise slowly, using a count of three as you extend and return to the start position.
  • Remember to exhale as you extend and inhale as you return to the start position.

Modified Version

Easier:

You can rest one foot on the ground (shown below) or a couch (not shown) with your knee bent as you extend the opposite leg.

If you have a difficult time with the arm movements, lengthen the band’s distance between your hands.

Harder:

You can increase the difficulty of the exercise by shortening the band length to create more tension.

Slow the repetition to a count of five and hold for several seconds as the leg is extended.

Categories
Exercises

Seated Roll Back

Seated Roll Back (Exercise Classification: Intermediate/Advanced)

  • Sit on a comfortable surface with your knees bents, feet resting on the surface, and back straight.
  • Extend your arms out in front of you at shoulder height.
  • Take a breath and exhale as you slowly lean back until you feel your tummy tighten. Keep breathing normally as you hold for a count of five seconds.
  • Avoid leaning back to the point where you feel your tummy or back strain–you should feel a slight tightening or pulling-in sensation at the front of your abdomen as you do this exercise.
  • Slowly return to sitting position.
  • Repeat 5-10 repetitions.

MODIFICATION:

Place pillows or a thick rolled towel behind you to help limit how far you go down and support you at the hardest point in the movement.

Categories
Exercises

Standing Leg Extensions with Arms in Front

Standing Leg Extension with arms in Front (Exercise Classification: Intermediate)

  • Stand with your arms bent at your sides.
  • Bring one knee out in front of you as you raise your arms to shoulder height.
  • Lean forward balancing on one knee and extending the opposite leg out behind you as you reach your arms out in front of you.
  • Return to start position and repeat on the opposite side. Repeat for 10-12 repetitions on each side.
Categories
Aerobics

Standing Rotation with Band

Difficulty: Beginner

Standing Rotation with band Original

  • In a standing position with feet shoulder-width apart, place the end of the band under your left foot and grasp the end in your right hand. Step slightly forward with your right foot.
  • With your arm holding the band, raise your right arm out in front of you pulling the band as you slowly twist your body to your right side, raising the band overhead and to your side as you twist.
  • Slowly return to the start position and repeat for 10-12 repetitions.
  • Switch band to opposite foot and hand and repeat for 10-12 reps.

Modifications

You can increase or decrease the difficulty of this exercise by shortening or lengthening the distance of the band between your foot and hand.

Categories
Aerobics

Dip and Turn

Dip and Turn (Exercise Classification: Advanced)

  • Stand with your arms out in front of you at should level as you hold a resistance band between your hands.
  • Step forward on one leg and then dip down to 90 degrees on that leg as you dip the opposite leg knee to the floor.
  • Twist to one side bring your arms fully to your side.
  • Return to start position and repeat on the other side, 10-12 repetitions on each side.
  • Remember to breathe during the exercise.

Modifications

You can increase or decrease the difficulty of this exercise by shortening or lengthening the distance of the band between your hands. If you have trouble dipping down to 90 degrees, you can decrease how far you dip your front knee down.

Categories
Exercises

Ball Sit Overhead Reach with Band

Ball Sit with Overhead Reach with Band (Exercise Classification: Advanced)

  • Sit on a large exercise ball with your feet resting on the floor. There should be a 90 degree bend in your hips and knees (video demonstrates angles larger than 90 degrees. This can be fixed by getting a bigger ball.)
  • Place a resistance band underneath each foot and grasp the ends of the band in each hand. There should be slight resistance as you sit upright from the band. Adjust the length if it feels too slack or too tight.
  • Take a breath and exhale as you slowly raise the band upward as your count to five and contract your abdominal muscles as you lift.
  • Slowly return back to the start position as you count to five.
  • Focus on a slow, controlled motion as you lift to engage your abdominal muscles.
  • Repeat for 10-12 repetitions.

Modifications

You can increase or decrease the difficulty of this exercise by shortening or lengthening the distance of the band between your feet and your hands.

Categories
Exercises

Door Pulldown with Band

Exercise Classification: Beginner

Categories
Aerobics Exercises

Bird Dogs Legs Only

Bird Dogs Legs Only (Exercise Classification: Intermediate)

The following exercise effectively build cardiovascular and muscles strength, and you can build a routine of a circuit by doing one set of each exercise for 10-12 reps, building slowly to five or more sets.

Safety tips:

  • Always warm up by walking in place for several minutes.
  • Perform you exercises on supportive flooring with plenty of room to move.
  • Wear athletic shoes and avoid working out on thick carpet that can make movement difficult.
  • Don’t push to the point of exhaustion­–take a rest if you start to feel out of breath or overheated.
  • As your pregnancy progresses, modify the exercises as suggested for comfort and safety, and avoid any exercise that makes your feel unsteady or causes discomfort.

Instructions:

  • Assume a position on all fours so that your knees are directly under your hips and hands are directly under your shoulders.
  • Make sure your spine is in a neutral position. You do not want to have your back sagging or arching
  • Slowly raise and straighten your left hip and raise your knee, attempting to straighten it until it is at, or near parallel, to the floor without any rotation in the hips and pelvis. Both hips should stay parallel to the floor. If you had headlights on your hip bones, they should stay shining at the floor the whole time.
  • Slowly lower leg back to starting position and repeat with the other leg.

© WKU {2022} All rights reserved.

Categories
Aerobics Exercises

Bird Dogs Arms Only

Bird Dogs arms only (Exercise Classification: Beginner)

The following exercise effectively build cardiovascular and muscles strength, and you can build a routine of a circuit by doing one set of each exercise for 10-12 reps, building slowly to five or more sets.

Safety tips:

  • Always warm up by walking in place for several minutes.
  • Perform you exercises on supportive flooring with plenty of room to move.
  • Wear athletic shoes and avoid working out on thick carpet that can make movement difficult.
  • Don’t push to the point of exhaustion­–take a rest if you start to feel out of breath or overheated.
  • As your pregnancy progresses, modify the exercises as suggested for comfort and safety, and avoid any exercise that makes your feel unsteady or causes discomfort.

Instructions:

  • Assume a position on all fours so that your knees are directly under your hips and hands are directly under your shoulders.
  • Make sure your spine is in a neutral position. You do not want to have your back sagging or arching.
  • Lift right arm until it parallel to the floor without any tilting at the shoulders- both shoulders should stay parallel to the floor.
  • Gently lower arm back to your starting position and repeat with the other arm.

© WKU {2022} All rights reserved.

Categories
Aerobics Exercises

Side Lying Transverse Abdominis with Clamshell

Side lying transverse abdomens (Exercise Classification: Intermediate)

The following exercise effectively build cardiovascular and muscles strength, and you can build a routine of a circuit by doing one set of each exercise for 10-12 reps, building slowly to five or more sets.

Safety tips:

  • Always warm up by walking in place for several minutes.
  • Perform your exercises on supportive flooring with plenty of room to move.
  • Wear athletic shoes and avoid working out on thick carpet that can make movement difficult.
  • Don’t push to the point of exhaustion­–take a rest if you start to feel out of breath or overheated.
  • As your pregnancy progresses, modify the exercises as suggested for comfort and safety, and avoid any exercise that makes your feel unsteady or causes discomfort.

Instructions:

  • Lay down on your side with knees bent and legs together. Place upper hand on hip and support head with the other hand.
  • Modification: Place 1-2 pillows between your knees if the above starting position is uncomfortable.
  • Take a breath in and as you exhale pull your tummy inward and hold the contraction. If you do this correctly, it will create a little “mouse house” dome between the floor and your waist.
  • Hold the abdominal contraction but breath normally as you raise your top knee as you turn your inner thigh outward keeping your ankles together and hold for five seconds.
  • Return to start position and repeat.
  • Switch to opposite side and repeat.

© WKU {2022} All rights reserved.