Day 3: The Final 10 of 30
Over the last few weeks, we have placed a huge emphasis on awareness. And we have also covered the theory of greasing the groove.
As a refresher:
Greasing the groove can be defined as exercising with low reps or performing activities for a short duration without exhausting the body or the muscles to failure
Pavel Tsatsoline claims, we need to grease the neurological “groove,” or pathway, between your brain and the exercises your body performs in small incremental steps so that the brain learns the movement, you begin to have better form and in doing so, slowly improve the routine, build more strength and are able to do more.
And this is the perfect place to begin. We have in total 30 essential core and strength instructional videos, a 5-minute Dynamic Mobility Warm Up15-minute core and strength workout and a 28-day/4-week plan.
To really begin to get the benefit of these, your task is to bring your awareness, your child’s mind of curiosity, to these routines.
Watch each video, give them a try, take your time, grease the groove and see how you feel.
Be aware of any sensations or aches or stiffness. Get your form right and allow yourself the time to get used to each one of these routines.
There is no need to rush anything. Just enjoy the motion and your body at work. No Gung Ho.
Even if you know them well, or have done tried them before or are just a complete beginner, just slowly go through each one. Learn the movement and get your form.
By not rushing as you would in a gym or class, you have the space and time to reframe your awareness of each move. And slowly gain good form when doing longer routines.
Below are the first instructional videos with a transcript included.
But before we proceed …
THE SAFETY AND HEALTH WARNING
Before we proceed, we want you to understand that these articles and the content we provide are based on simple daily increments and it is EXTREMELY important not just for understanding what success is but also how not to injure yourself. (i.e. it’s not success)
As a Million Step Participant, you have already agreed to our health and guidelines on safety. BUT we ask that you read them again HERE.
For anyone else reading this, again, we ask that you use common sense, do only what you can and also read our guidelines HERE.
Single-Leg Glute Bridge
Lay on your back and bend your knees to a 90-degree angle and keep your feet hip-width apart.
Extend one leg straight out and then press the other foot into the floor as you drive your hips up using your glute muscles until your knees and shoulders form a straight line.
Squeeze your glutes at the top before lowering back down again now repeat this for the desired amount of reps before switching and repeating this on your other side
Scissor Kicks
Lay on your back with your hands by your sides lift your legs up slightly off the ground and alternate crossing one foot over the other.
Keep your core engaged by pulling your belly in towards the spine and keep your leg straight avoid arching your back by pressing your lower back into the floor
Russian Twists
Sit with bent knees and your feet pressing firmly into the floor.
Lean back slightly while keeping your spine straight and your core engaged.
Then start twisting your upper body to the left immediately followed by twisting over to your right side and keep repeating this for the length of the exercise to make this more challenging you can.
Hold onto a weight as you’re twisting
Plank w Leg Raise
Start in a low plank position keeping your back straight your core tight and legs engaged then lift one leg up and feel that squeeze in your glute.
Then lower back down and repeat with your other leg and keep alternating sides remember to keep your core engaged and your back straight during the entire exercise.
Jumping Lunges
Starting from a lunge position with your right foot behind you and both knees bent at 90 degrees explosively jump up.
Switch your legs midair so that you land back into a lunge but now with your left foot behind you continue jumping back and forth like this passing as low as possible.
Froggers
Start in a high plank position then jump your feet towards your hands and land on the outside of them as close to your hands as you can, ending up in a kind of frog looking position.
Then jump your feet away from her hands returning through the high plank that we started in.
Curtsy Lunge
Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Cross the right foot behind the left, as you lunge back bending both knees 90 degrees, keeping the left knee directly above the left ankle.
Then push back up with your left heel and return to your starting position and then repeat this on your other side.
Commando Plank
Start in a high plank position come down on your right forearm and then your left so you’re now in a regular plank.
From there you’re gonna push yourself back up on your right side so your arm is straight and then follow with your left arm so you’re now back on both hands.
Keep your core engaged and maintain a flat back during the entire exercise
Bodyweight Leg Extension
NOTE: DO THIS EXERCISE WITH EXTRA CARE AND ATTENTION
Make sure you are fully aware of any stiffness and tension. Take it easy and slowly progress over the weeks to get better at the stretch.
Kneel on the floor with your torso upright the bend in your knees should form a 90-degree angle.
Engage your core and slowly lean back maintaining a straight line from your knees to your head.
Now keep leaning back until you can’t lean back any further then begin to come back to the upright position by contracting your quads bringing your upper body back to the starting position.
Banded Lateral Walk (Sidewalking Crab Squat)
NOTE: This exercise requires a resistance band. BUT if you do not have one, it’s ok. Follow the instructional video and pretend you are doing a squat but also moving sideways. We called it a Sidewalking Crab Squat)
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Bend your knees and come down into a squat position.
While in this low position shift your weight over one leg and take a step out to the side with the other leg.
Shift your weight and switch legs repeating this to the other side while staying in a low position
Remember what we said before and will say again and again.
Just try them gently and with awareness even if you are quite good. Just call it a revisit.
It does not mean you failed if you could not do them all
You have the rest of your life to be an expert at it.
But every time you come back to them, just do what you can and stop.
And come back again to it later in the day or the next day.
And keep doing it till one day, they become natural.
If you don’t like a routine or cannot do it. That’s fine, just stop.
And you can always come back to it.
It’s that simple.
Give your body, and importantly your brain, the chance to slowly build up the strength, dexterity, pattern recognition and knowledge they need.
- You’ll Grease Your Groove.
- You’ll build endurance.
- You’ll bring mindful awareness to each activity that you do.
- You’ll build patience with yourself.
- And you’ll just keep getting fitter.
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