Get into that Wedding Dress.
Get into that Wedding Dress.
Exercise:
- Place an exercise ball between the wall and the curve of your lower back.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees and lower 5 to 10 inches, keeping your shoulders level and your hips square.
- Hold this position for 3 seconds and then stand back up.
- Start with 5 reps and work up to 12. Rest for 30 seconds and do another set.
Exercise:
- Holding a dumbbell in your right hand, stand with your left hand on your hip.
- Lean forward slightly, lifting your left foot behind you to about hip height. At the same, bring your right arm forward.
- Turn your palm to face the ceiling and do a biceps curl.
- Touch your toes back down briefly, then repeat for 12 reps. Be sure to keep your left leg straight while bending your right knee.
- Switch sides: Stand with your left foot forward. Hold thedumbbell in your left hand, and hinge forward, raising your right leg up behind you to hip height.
- Simultaneously, raise your left arm forward, turn your palm to the ceiling, and do a biceps curl.
- Touch your toes back down briefly, and repeat for 12 reps.
Exercise:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Squat down, bending your knees to 90 degrees.
- Now jump up and land softly again in the squat position. Use the strength in your legs and butt to jump up explosively.
- Remember to land as softly as you can with your knees bent; keep your weight back, over your heels.
- Do 3 sets of 8 reps.
Exercise:
- Lie back on the mat with your arms by your sides and your palms facing down.
- Begin by pointing with your left foot, as if reaching out with your toes toward the ceiling, and rotate your leg slightly outward.
- Inhale, and trace a circle on the ceiling with your left leg, moving your whole leg, but keeping your hips still. Don't lift your left hip off the floor.
- Trace the circle on the ceiling 5 times in a clockwise direction. Repeat in a counter-clockwise direction.
- Switch legs and repeat 5 times.
Exercise:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a 5- or 8-pound dumbbell in each hand.
- Lunge forward with your left leg, then straighten your leg. When you lunge, your right knee should come to about an inch above the ground without touching it.
- Keep your torso perpendicular to the floor, with your weight evenly distributed between your legs. Align your front knee over your front ankle, keeping the weight in your heels instead of on your toes.
- Continue these lunges for 30 seconds before switching sides and doing another 30 seconds on the other leg.
Phase 2 of lunges with dumbbells:
- Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing front.
- Lunge forward with one leg, then bring your feet back together and lunge forward with the other leg. You should continue lunging on alternate legs for 60 seconds.
- Add a biceps curl in the final progression of this move: After each lunge forward, push through the heel of your forward foot while lifting your back knee in front of you to hip level.
- Do a biceps curl, then step back into a lunge. Repeat the lunge, plus curl, on one leg for 30 seconds, and then switch legs for another 30 seconds.
Exercise:
- Come into a chair pose, abs engaged, inner knees and ankles touching, hips lowered to a half-squat, dumbbell over your head.
- Now come up onto the balls of your feet and keep your lower legs controlled as you lower and lift your butt, about 4 inches.
- Take your time and keep yourself steady as you lift and lower, between 8 and 12 times.
Get into that Wedding Dress.
Get into that Wedding Dress.
Get into that Wedding Dress.
