Fitness

One of the main reasons people don’t exercise is because they feel they don’t have enough time. Well, I’m here to tell you that you do!

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

These people all did AMAZING things with their time. You can and you should spend time on yourself. You can be fit and have your dream body. It’s not a big deal, just do it!

Experts used to think that we needed 60 minutes of exercise each day. I know I don’t want to devote an entire hour each day to exercise and I’m sure you feel the same! But get this; experts now say that you only need 30 minutes of physical activity a day. That’s it!

You can take a walk, swim laps, lift weights, run, ride your bike, do an exercise video, or anything else that gets you moving. Or, you could try doing two or three of these during your thirty.

Take time for you. You are worth it. YOU can do it! Make fitness a priority in your life. You’ll look good and feel good!

I’ll end this post with one of my favorite fitness quotes. Remember this, girls!

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn

Photo Credit: www.nwitimes.com

Camel pose is totally a fav yoga pose of mine! I almost always include camel in my daily yoga routine. It stretches nearly all of the body’s major muscles. Camel tones and stimulates the chest, abdomen, thighs, and limbs. I feel that it stretches and loosens up the front of my body the most, which feels so good! I’m going to guide you through this awesome pose.

1. Start by kneeling on the floor with your knees hip width apart. Your thighs should be perpendicular to the floor. Rotate your thighs slightly inward and keep your hips soft. Your shins and tops of your feet should be pressed firmly into the floor. 

2. Place your hands on the back of your pelvis and palms below your lower back, pointing fingers downward. Move your pelvis forward and press your front thighs back. Take a big inhale and press your shoulder blades against your back ribs.

3. Lean back, keep your head up, and hands on your pelvis. It’s hard for beginners to drop backwards into this pose, while touching hands down to feet and keeping thighs perpendicular to the floor at the same time. So, I’d suggest tilting thighs back slightly and twist a little bit on one side to get the one hand on your foot. Then bring your thighs back to perpendicular and straighten out your torso. Touch your second hand to your other foot. If you can’t reach your feet, feel free to turn your toes under to make your heels more reachable.

4. You don’t want to compress your lower back or harden your stomach, so make sure that you’re lower front ribs aren’t protruding sharply toward the ceiling. Press your palms into the soles or heels of your feet. The base of your palms should be on your heels and fingers point in the direction of your toes. Your neck should be kept in a neutral position, but if you feel comfortable enough, drop it back. Be very careful not to strain your neck!

5. Beginners should only hold this pose for around 20 seconds so as not to strain anything. After you’ve practiced this pose multiple times and feel comfortable, hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute. When you’re ready to come out of camel, place your hands on your hips, inhale, and lift your head and torso up. If your head is tilted back, let the front of your body lead you out of the pose. Don’t jerk your head forward. Now, relax in Child’s Pose; forehead on the ground, arms under your shoulders, palms facing up. Come out of this pose whenever you feel ready.

I hope you enjoyed learning how to do camel pose.

I’m totally crazy about downward-facing dog!  I always try to incorporate this pose into my yoga practice because it stretches out my legs, which feels sooo good! This pose is also a great shoulder stretcher! Just grab a yoga mat, throw on some comfy clothes, and I’ll teach you how to do it!

 1. To start this pose, get down on your hands and knees. You want your knees to be directly below your hips. Position your hands slightly in front of your shoulders. Spread out your fingers and curl your toes under.

2. Exhale and push your knees off the floor, raise those hips! Start to straighten your legs. Keep your arms straight and hands flat on the floor. Rotate your shoulder blades away from your head. Your head should hang parallel to your arms. Keep your eyes focused on the center of your stomach.

3. Keep your tailbone pointed toward the ceiling. Your body should now look like an inverted “V”.

4. Hold for 30 seconds to two minutes. Only hold the pose for as long as you feel comfortable. If you feel any pain in your shoulders or wrists, stop and come out of the pose.

5. To come out of downward dog, exhale and slowly bring your knees to the ground. Then go into Child’s Pose; forehead on the ground, arms under your shoulders, palms facing up. Come out of Child’s Pose whenever you feel like it.

I hope you’ll give downward dog a try! You’ll get super relaxed shoulders and your legs will feel amazing!