Mat with Hand Weights

Hi. I am Lara Hamlin back on the mat for a workout using a light set of hand weights. So I have two pounds. Do what you need. Of course, option to not use weights at all. Always listen to your body. We'll start down on the mat.

I'm gonna place one weight off either side, and then we'll begin kneeling knees underneath the hips, palms underneath our shoulders, taking a moment to open up that spine with some cat cow stretches as you inhale release the belly towards the floor, sit bones, tailbone reach back, heart gaze lift up and forward deep breath in, exhale press the palms down, pressing shins and tops of the feet down, gazing back between the thighs, maybe even up in towards the belly. Again, just like that feeling shoulder blades slide away from the ears, opening up across the collar bones on that inhale, exhale round and contract lifting in the waist. Using the breath here, allowing it to flow through the movement like a wave, deep breath in, and exhale deep breath out. From here, we'll find a long flat back taking a moment to really be aware of our alignment. Shoulders slightly further forward over the wrists actively press the palms down. Like, you're shoving someone away. You don't want close to you.

So our heart is lifted between the shoulder blades, belly button is lifted to the spine, sit bones tailbone reaching straight back to that wall behind us. Beginning with some serratus push ups, allowing the chest and the heart to release down between the palms, between the thumbs, and then again pressing the floor away, lifting the heart up, feeling the back open, the scapula spread wide across the back. Again, inhale heart lowers. Exhale heart lifts, belly lifts the whole time to support the spine. Gay stays down, crown of the head reaching long, inhale, and exhale engaging in our upper back, opening across the back and taking tension out of those wrist joints really always coming back to this lift in the heart sensation as we move through anything on all fours. From here, we'll add on option to take that weight into your right hand, right arm reaches forward with the head of the weight and or the thumb facing upward, and then the left leg floats behind us in opposition.

Feel the shoulder blades pull away from the ears, inhale lift the arm and leg a little higher, and exhale lower the arm and leg just an inch or two. I think of lifting bicep by the ear. Resist to lower. Feeling that left palm continue to press down into the mat, right shin and top of the foot down into the mat. One more time, we lift the arm and the leg to hold, breathe, and find the length through the fingers and the toes. Exhale round and contract elbow and nose draw to the knee, again, taking the gaze back and maybe up towards the waist.

Inhale, we lengthen through the arm, through the leg, exhale belly button scoops up and in, keeping that right hip over that right knee and left shoulder over that left wrist. So our collarbones, our hip bones remain square to the mat. We're not twisting. We're just lifting and rounding through our spine. One more time, inhale to lengthen and lift, exhale to round and contract from there reaching all the way back out long to stay. Right elbow pulls in tight towards our right ribs.

We'll flex back through that left heel, lengthen that right arm as you bend the elbow, bend the knee, I think two ninety degree bends of knee and elbow joint. Inhale to lengthen heel and fist back, exhale belly pulls up his elbow and knee bend. We lengthen on the inhale. Resist pulling up in that waist on the exhale lengthen and reach, bend and return. For three, heart stays lifted, belly button stays lifted.

Keep pressing the floor away too. One more all the way out, bend it in this time, lengthen to extend and hold with the arm and leg a little higher, and then open them just about mat width away from one another. Squeeze the arm to the waist and the inner thighs towards one another. Inhale to open the arm and the leg to the side, exhale squeeze it back together. Think of keeping the arm and the leg on a horizontal plane so they're not lifting or lowering. They're opening.

And closing. Inhale out. XL ribs squeeze together, inner thighs glutes squeeze together, staying stable and strong through the whole body. Flip right palm up, pulse the arm in the leg a little bit higher. Last moments here, we lift for four for three for two and one from there.

Lower the left knee down. Weight stays in that right hand. We reach the gaze up and the right arm up. Feel a stretch across the shoulders, inhale, round through your upper back, twisting from your thoracic spine, right hand reaches under towards that left side. Again, opening up through the chest and the heart gaze goes up towards right arm, exhale pull your belly up, open up and twist under.

Trying to keep that left arm strong and stable here, so not a huge bend in that left elbow. We're really trying to keep our hips square and rotate from that upper back one more time all the way open and exhale to round underneath. From there, releasing that weight to the left side of the mat, We'll stay twisted lowering right forearm down coming up onto the left fingertips, and then extending left leg back and opening the hips to the side. Really important, right hip now stays over the right knee, so I'm not sinking into my right shoulder or hip. But I'm opening up through hips and pelvis. Lift the left leg a little higher, lengthen through the toes inhale, exhale left knee towards that left tricep. Nothing else moves.

My spine stays long. I'm not rotating my hips. I'm crunching from my left oblique, shoulders away from the ears, crown of the head reaching long to the front of my mat, left toes reaching to the back of my mat, crunching in from that waistline, last time lengthen the leg back, exhale to pull it in. Reach that left leg all the way back, begin to pulse that left leg a little higher, straighter towards the ceiling. Right forearm continues to press down into the floor. Option to stay right here, or take that weight into your left hand and reach that left arm to the ceiling, finding a long line through the left fister fingertips, shoulders away from the ears, hips open, working that right arm, right oblique to stabilize for three.

To hold the leg and arm up on one little circle forward around and back for four. For three, working the whole body right away here to pulling up in that waistline one, reverse your circle back and around for four. Zipping up through that core. For three, lift the leg, reach the arm a little higher too. Last one, hold that leg up with control, release the weight back down. Press left palm into the mat, right palm into the mat square off through the hips and shoulders.

Again, right hip over the right knee, shift your shoulders over your fingertips. We have a tricep pushup elbows bend to the back, forehead hovers off the floor, left toes slide up the back wall, lifting your waist, press the mat away, finding that long horizontal line. We lower on the diagonal inhale, press the mat away on the exhale three more times lower and lift for two. Draw the ribs tight, lifted in the heart once again, inhale down. And exhale up. From here, lower the left knee, take a moment to sit all the way back into a child's pose, reach your arms long, reach your hips back, take a breath in, exhale, let it out.

One more breath, rolling out the wrist, shaking out the hips, anything you need here, recentering our mind, our body, letting something go. Coming back up onto all fours for our second side, taking it to moment again to reset, hips over the knees, feet press down. Let's let that heart release between the hands and then actively press the floor away. Feel the lift in the heart, the lift in the waist. Option to take weight in left hand this time.

Arm reaches long, right leg extends back, hips are square, little tuck at that tail, so the belly is lifted, arm and, like, lift an inch on the inhale, lower down just an inch as you exhale, keep pulling shoulders away from the ears. We lengthen and lift. Resist to lower, finding that alignment long through the limbs and the crown of the head, that engagement into the back of the body, right glute and hamstring, lift the leg up shoulder blades engage behind us for two. One more time, lift and hold, lengthen a little longer away through the fingers and toes, pull the belly up, round, and contract elbow and nose to the knee right underneath that belly button. Hip stay square collar bones pointing down, inhale to lengthen.

Exhale abs lift up, rounding all the way out through the crown of the head, inhale to stretch a little longer. Exhale, we curl up a little higher. For two, shoulders keep pulling away from the ears, right palm left shin keep pressing down into the mat. One more time, lengthen and reach, exhale curl and contract. Reach all the way back out long to stay and hold, pull left elbow into your waist, pull the shoulders down, press the floor away, flex through that right heel, lengthen the arm back, deep breath, and exhale bend the elbow, bend that right knee. We lengthen back on the inhale, bending elbow and knee to 90 on the exhale, press and reach.

We'll resist pulling that waistline up and in, lengthen and bend. For four, hips and shoulders still square. For three, think of working both glutes, both arms too. One more all the way out, all the way in, length and reaching through heel and arms. We open mat widths to the sides.

We squeeze everything into the midline, inhale to open, shoulders keep pulling away from the ears, exhale to close, open, and squeeze, keeping the toes pointing down so square and parallel inhale and exhale last time to open, close and hold, palm flips up, little pulses higher to the ceiling, squeezing into that left tricep, pressing that right palm down to keep the heart lifted for four. For three, for two, and one, lowering our right knee down, reaching that left arm up, open up through the chest as you inhale reach to the ceiling, excel left arm holes underneath the right gazing underneath the right. Right arm stays pretty straight here trying to open up through our waist, pulling up in those abs, keeping our knees square hips pretty square as well. Inhale, we open through the chest and shoulders, exhale, we round and contract underneath that right arm one more time all the way open and all the way under. Place the weight off to that right side, lower left forearm down, come up onto the right fingertips so you get off the wrist, right leg shoots back hips open. Again, being aware that my left hip is over my left knee. I'm not sinking to the side, putting pressure into my neck, into my hips, I'm engaged into my whole body, right leg lifts a little higher from there. Right knee towards that right tricep exhale.

Inhale to lengthen through the crown of the head and the toes. Stay long through the spine as the knee draws into the arm. Stretching longer through the leg crunching a little tighter into that waistline, inhale to lengthen exhale we crunch. Use the breath for three. Sholders keep pulling away from the ears for two. Belly button keeps pulling up and in towards that spine one more time, leg back, and knee and right leg extends long, press left forearm down, start to pulse that right leg higher option to take weight into the right hand.

And reach that right arm up. Now I'm working my outer right thigh, my abductor, really working to lift that leg up towards the sky and pull my shoulders away from my ears. For three, two leg stays lifted, arm stays lifted. If you can, we circle that leg forward around and back. Keep it small for four.

Four three, can we stabilize with that bottom arm and lap? Two. And one, working our balance reverse for four. Reach a little longer. For three, lift that leg a little higher for two.

Last one, hold that leg up one inch higher. Release the weight. If you have it, both palms come down. Square collarbones, square hips, shoulders away from the ears, take that forward shift. We have those tricep push ups, elbows bend back, toes slide up the back wall, press them out away, inhale to lower.

Exhale waistline lifts back up. Hips still over that knee reaching those elbows straight back for it to lift in the heart, lift in the waist one more time, inhale, and exhale. I gently lower the right knee. And once again, we'll take a child's pose, maybe allowing those knees to open a little wider, arms to reach a little longer, take a second here, open up across the back, across the back of the pelvis, all the way across the shoulder blades, thinking both lengthen with wise deep breath in deep breath out. From there, walking those hands in towards our knees, we'll stay nailing for some arm work of course, if kneeling is in a good position for you, you can always modify and do some of this arm work maybe even standing or seated.

Moving on, again, optional weight, one in either hand. Coming up onto those shins, we'll bring our knees about hip distance apart. Toes stay tucked under, feel a little tuck of the tail, not zipper sensation in the low waist, and then flip your palms forward. Parenthesis shape of those elbows, we scoop and reach forward and up, take a breath in, exhale as you lower the arms to your hips, lower your sit bones to hover over those heels. Squeeze the glutes forward as you reach the arms up on the inhale, lowering down with control on the exhale, working both directions, on that lift, shoulders pull away from the ears as palms lift up, resist to lower back down.

Scoop to reach, resist to lower. One more time, all the way forward and up, all the way back down. This time we keep that lift, reaching the arms forward, taking them down around and up for a circle. Inhale, and exhale ribs close, arms close. Chinstays lifted off the chest.

Little tuck of that tail, so we can stay and engaged in our low belly. One more this direction, hold at the top shoulder height and width, reverse that circle palm stay facing up. Belly pulls back in in for four and reach for three. And scoop for two and up one more time. Hold those arms out in front of you. Simple bicep curl elbows are lifted in line with the shoulders.

Link them back out long in how we bend. Accelly extend. I'm thinking of squeezing my inner thighs together. That's gonna help engage my adductors. So I'm really lifting in my low belly in my inner thighs, so I don't sink into my kneecaps. We curl and stretch one more time.

This time, bend your elbows to a 90 degree angle. Flip your palms to face one another and then step that right foot forward. I think of two ninety degree bends in both of my knees, keeping that tuck of my tail. Open those arms reach them to the ceiling, pull them back to 90 degrees, close the elbows, close the ribs, inhale to open, exhale to press. Little more work for those arms and shoulders using the breath.

Reach to the sky, pull the shoulders away from the ears, close the arms, inhale, and exhale. We bend and connect once more. We open and reach bend this time weights, palms, elbows hug towards the midline, back toes, tuck under, tuck the tail under, press into the right heel and left toes, see if you can hover that left knee. We pulse up an inch with the body and down an inch with the body. Up an inch. Down an inch, keep that tuck of the tail, left knee pointing straight to the floor, maybe out a pulse of those palms up as the body lifts up for four.

For three. Last two. Last one, stay low. Reach your arms forward. Shift your body weight forward.

Left leg stays long. Arms in line with the shoulders. We row those elbows up tight to the body. Reach those arms straight back down towards the right toes. Pull up, reach down. In how we row, exhale, we lengthen. We pull and extend. I have a deep bend in my right knee, right knee tracking over my right middle toe, a long beautiful diagonal line, all the way through my left heel, through my hips to the crown of the head, squeezing tight between my glutes, tight between my shoulder blades for two.

One more from here, reach your arms back forward, then that left me all the way down always using the whole body to control us, tuck your left toes, and bring your right knee back to the mat. From here, we keep those palms facing inward, left leg right away steps forward, little tuck of the tail, change of the arms. Palms press together and reach up. We have a tricep kickback behind the head on the inhale, extend those arms up as you exhale. We bend pulling that belly button and pressing right hip forward finding length through the front of the hip and the thigh, a long beautiful line of the spine out through those arms.

Think of shaving off the back of your head, elbow staying tight to the ears for three. Reach it up. For two. Hard to close the ribs here. Still stay connected in that core one more time. Reach it up. A little more challenging with this arm position. Bend your elbows to 90.

Tuck your right toes. See if, again, you can find that balance. Pulse the body up an inch, down an inch, lift an inch, lower an inch, pull the shoulders down, maybe add a pulse of those arms. Arms lift, arms lower, knees lift, knees lower, inhaling, and exhaling for four. Can we squeeze the seat a little tighter for three?

Last two. Last one, we stay low. Arms reach where we keep pressing palms together. Take that forward shift, weight into the left heel. Think of your hug a tree arms.

They open wide like a fly closing back in front of the heart, inhale to open, squeeze between the shoulder blades, exhale, pull the belly up as you close back over that left knee. We open. We close. Gaze is long. Belly is lifted. Then a little deeper into that left knee, a little more length and strength through that back right leg for three.

And connect using that breath too. Belly keeps pulling up and in one more time we open, we close, lift the chest, reach those arms long with control slowly bend the right knee, lowering it down to the floor. Tuck those toes, left leg comes back. Make sure your square, little tuck of the tail, little lift and bend in the elbows sticking with our hug a tree, deep breath, and we're closing the arms, closing the ribs on that exhale today. Everything opens wide, everything draws to the midline, open, and close.

Chin is lifted. We have beautiful posture, lifting the heart, open across the chest and collar bones, as well as across the back, across the arms. For three. For two. Last one, tight fist around those weights. Can we punch the fist together keeping like a big baseball beach ball inside of our arms? Squeeze the seat, inhale, twist to the right as you exhale, making sure the pelvis doesn't twist again.

We're rotating from the waistline. Inhale center, weights, hands stay right in front of the chest. Small rotation. Beautiful, inhale center. Keep squeezing the seat forward, pulling the belly and the right obliques back center. Rotate to the left.

A lot of core pelvic and glute stability here one more time each side inhale, exhale to rotate. Inhale center, moving a little rotation for the spine, something we don't often do in every day. We need it. Extend your arms forward palms facing towards one another. Select hinge forward with the chest back with the hips pull the elbows in tight to the ribs back to some tricep work. We have a kickback on the inhale bend with resistance on the exhale. Inhale to lengthen exhale to resist.

Maybe sit the hips a little lower. Little tuck in that tail to pull that belly up a little higher for for, resist to bend. Again, long wind through that tail through the crown of the head for two. One more we extend to hold. This time, flip the palms up, squeeze your shoulder blades together, pulse the palms higher to the ceiling, feeling the back engage, the triceps engage, spine is long, collar bones are open, pulse for four, for three, for two, For one, arms stay straight, palms will face down. Arms will reach forward in line with the chest and the shoulders, pelvis lifts to tuck underneath us.

Moving into some chest expansion. Those palms press back behind. Again, squeezing in the lats and the shoulder blades opening through the heart. Maybe lift palm's one inch higher as you look to the right. You look to the left, loosening and opening through the neck. Rotation for that cervical spine look to center.

Belly pulls back arms reach forward to shoulder height. Again, deep breath and to press the palms back, exhale as you look left, exhale as you look right, think of opening across the opposite collarbone back to center, resist those arms back back to chest shoulder height one more time each side. Inhale, we squeeze between the shoulder blades, exhale looking right. Looking left. Think of pinching a pencil between those shoulder blades center. Belly pulls back arms float up one more time. Inhale to press Exale lengthen through the fingertips or fists, looking left, looking right, looking center, reach arms forward. Hold them there.

Keeping those arms long and strong in front of us. Keep that tuck of the tail. We have our thigh stretch. Long diagonal line from knees to hips to shoulders, inhale to hinge back. Feel that stretch, exhale squeeze the seat.

Keep reaching energy out long through those arms. Only three more. Can we find a link through the front of the hips and thighs? A tight zipper sensation through that low belly as we lift back up to vertical. Glute stay tight, supporting that low back, inhale and exhale. Once more inner thighs squeeze a little tighter spine and arms lengthen a little longer.

Exhale come all the way up and come all the way down. Take a second, maybe roll those shoulders, shake it out, do what you need. We're gonna make our way to a seat on the mat. Legs will be extended long. Give them a little shake, up down side to side.

They're going to stay straight. Arms extend long in front of us, and then palms face up to the ceiling. Starting with a simple bicep curl as we flex through the heels, deep breath, and exhale begin to round and contract back. Think of our rowing exercise from the reformer with those elbows lifted at that 90 degree bend. See if you can find the middle back hover there, take another breath where you are, pull the waistline in to rounding contract back forward, shoulders over the hips, elbows stay lifted, point through the toes and lengthen out through your arms. Again, just like that.

Elbows bend toes flex up, exhale deep low belly connection to round and contract back, scooping through the waist, elbows stay lifted at a 90 degree bend, maybe get a little lower inhale to hold, exhale to curl back forward shoulders over the hip, lengthen through the toes and the arms and the crown of the head adding on flex and bend inhale. So we curl back. Maybe you go to the same kinda half roll back. Maybe you go a little further to the of the shoulder blades, make sure you don't get stuck. We curl right back forward and up, lengthen through arms and legs, flip your palms, dive the crown of the head forward to your knees.

Arms take a big swim behind us. Maybe the heads of those weights tap with palms facing up. See if you can lift the palms a little higher towards the sky behind you, and then with control circled arms out, palms will flip down as those arms lower all the way towards the floor to the sides of our ankles, letting the crown of the head release to the knees. Take a moment here. Point flex your feet, shake out your head and neck. We're gonna do that one more time.

Start to roll up through the spine. Arms reach forward palm flip up. Bicep curl flex the feet inhale, round and contract exhale. Such a beautiful exercise that we do on the mat and can carefully do on the reformer, almost harder here without that spring to help us, sit up tall, lengthen arms and legs long, flip the palms, pull the waistline in to reach head forward arms back. Use the triceps, lift your palms a little higher to the sky, carefully circle, taking care of your shoulders as you reach over those legs.

From here, rolling back up to vertical, flex through the feet, keep the palms facing down, inhale. Long arms, long legs, we roll down onto the mat vertebra by vertebra. Zip tight through the inner thighs all the way up to that waistline shoulders pulling away from the ears, belly button pulling deeper to the spine, hover at the tips of the shoulder blades, reach your arms by your ears, before lengthening the head down, arms stay by the ears and reach back overhead, making sure those arms don't collapse to the floor, especially with this added weight, anchor your shoulders away from your ears, your inner thighs together, reach to the ceiling, inhale. Round and curl up on the exhale. Keep pulling the waistline back, reaching heels, fingers, or fist forward, open up through the spine, soften across the shoulder blades, deep breath in.

Exhale to round and contract back down one bone at a time, zipping up tighter through the waist, lengthening out through the legs, arms by the ears, reach it all the way back. Two more times arms up. Round and roll up, allowing this movement to feel good, maybe even easier somehow with these weights. It kind of helps propel us forward, but stay strong in the arms and back so we don't feel tension in the neck and the shoulders, taking our time rolling back down bone by bone, zipping up tighter through the waist, all the way to that belly button, arms along, all the way back last time all the way up, inhale we reach, exhale to roll. We'll reach arms one inch further forward.

Pull your belly one inch further back, deep breath, and exhale to roll back down. Keep the arms reaching forward. Slowly point your toes forward. Once you arrive at the tips of the shoulder blades, lower the arms to hover in line with the shoulders by the floor, right leg to tabletop. Left leg comes up to meet it.

Start pumping those arms option to use the weights or not breathing in through the nose for five and exhale out. Two, three, four, five. I like to hold on with a tight grip here working my arms in my back as I continue to tighten up in my core. Right leg extends long, left leg to tabletop inhale and exhale out. Inhale to three, four, five curl a little higher. Switch your legs right knee to tabletop, left leg long, two breaths here inhale, and exhale. Nice lift over those ribs, exhale out two, three, four, five.

Both legs extend long in a diagonal We stay lifted over the ribs, lengthening through fist and toes for two and out. One more breath and exhale to three, four, five, stay hold and reach with control, bend your knees in. Place your weights vertically off to the sides of your mat. So the head of the weights, if you can, is facing upward, and then hug your knees all the way into your chest. Release the shoulders down. Give those knees a squeeze, maybe a little rock side to side, maybe a wipe of that sweat off your brow, if you're working as hard as me. I hope so. Take one more breath here.

Axyle let it go. We'll keep the knees into the chest. Holding on to the shins, curling back up to the tips of the shoulder blades, right leg stays in, left leg extends long to hover off the mat, right hand to right ankle, left hand below the right knee, elbows bend wide. Can we curl even higher over the ribs, breathing in twos? Switch, inhale for two, exhale for two.

Switch and switch. Never making this punchy. It's called single leg stretch for a reason. Stretch that extended leg longer. Pull your abs deeper for four.

For three. For two. We're going right into our scissors, same breath, right leg up, left leg lifts inhale, exhale. Give a little extra pull of knee to the nose, maybe curl higher over the ribs for two. Last one. Bring your right leg up, lower your left leg to the floor.

Lower your head to the floor. Right toes, keep reaching to the sky. From here, press your palms into the head of those weights. Of course, you could press them into the floor by your sides, this is going to create a little more instability. Can you feel your shoulder blades pull down your triceps engage, inhale to hold, reach so your toes, feel your legs working, exhale to circle the right leg across down out. Can you pull your belly deeper, press your palms further into the floor? We circle for four abs pull down toes reach up gaze days lifted for three, lengthen to lift for two.

One more around, lift and hold, inhale, reverse on that exhale out down across. Link them to lift for four. Abs pull a little deeper, toes reach a little higher for three. Last two. Last one.

Hold that right leg up. Take the weights in your palms, keeping the head of the weight facing up and palms facing towards the hips. Curl up over the ribs, turn over the chest, arms hover, left leg hovers, open your arms out towards a tee. Close your arms as you scissor and switch your legs, right leg up arms open, legs switch left leg up arms close, inhale open, exhale close, not letting those arms open too wide, focusing on the lift up over the ribs, a smooth scissor of those legs. For two, one more time, left leg stays lifted arms reach forward, curl a little higher, right leg to the mat, head of the weights to the mat, palms press into the tops of them, head releases to the floor.

Shoulder blades slide down, belly pulls down breathe in. Left leg across down out. Can we sink the belly deeper reach those toes higher for four? Really finding this gorgeous long leg line for three, like your toes are gonna touch the sky. For two.

One more around length and hold at the top. Inhale reverse. Keeping those hips square and stable, using the low belly, using those arms. For three, lengthen and lift for two. One more time, circle, lift and hold.

Once again, take the weights, palm stay facing inward, curl back up to the tips of the shoulder blades, hover that right leg, float it all the way up to the ceiling, float your arms up to the ceiling over the chest, and press the heads of the weights together. Reach the fingertips and toes. Bend your elbows. Think ahead of the weights come to the crown of the head. Extend your elbows back up, adding on right leg lowers as the elbows bend. Elbows extend right leg to the sky. Left leg lowers elbows bend, reach everything up, curl a little higher over the ribs.

Option to always have the head down as you move through this or maybe the knees bent. One more each leg, inhale, bend and lower. Accel reach and lift, lower, and up both legs together for four. Pull that belly deeper, knit those ribs tighter. For three, heel squeeze tight, palms pressed tight for two. Inhale, and exhale one more time, inhale legs lower, exhale legs and arms lift, lift the heart up a little higher, pulse it up for four.

Reach fingers towards your toes for three belly deeper to the mat for two. Last one, we hold, bend the knees in, give them a squeeze, releasing head to the floor, taking a breath where you are, and exhale let it out. Again, maybe a rock of the head side to side. Maybe a rock of those hips side to side. I think carefully finding center of the spine on the mat will lower the feet to the floor, knees straight up to the ceiling, heels in line with the hips.

Those weights are still in our hands. We reach them straight up, palms facing towards the legs, shoulders pulling down into the mat and the back and lift it off the chest. Take a deep breath to prepare. Exale belly scoops down to start to tuck and curl those hips up. Think of reaching these straightforward over the middle toes, pubic bone, hip bones, up gaze, stays lifted. We wanna feel equal weight into both shoulder blades here. Of course, option to always ditch these hand weights and have the arms onto the mat by the hip.

See if you can lift your pelvis a little higher, and then we'll take a wide elbow row, elbows bend wide to the sides, beautiful open sensation across the shoulders, exhale pull the ribs together, squeeze the glutes together, arms reach back up over the shoulders, inhale we bend exhale, we reach and extend. We bend wide. Belly pulls deeper, squeeze those glutes a little tighter for two. One more with just the arms. We add a pulse of the hips, hips lower just an inch or two as the elbows bend, lift the pelvis reach the arms up four more down. Everything up.

For three, pressing into the heels, for two, feeling the back of the legs working one more time, hold high at the top for that breath in. And exhale to roll down with control bone by bone. Feeling a little more length through the crown of the head, out through the tail and the sit bones, flip your palms to face one another and then press the hands, palms weights back towards the midline here. Walk your feet together so you feel a connection in the ankles, the knees, the thighs. If you have unhealthy knees and this doesn't agree with you, maybe you stick with hip distance apart.

If you're here, squeeze the legs tight, palms tight breathe in to prepare. Again, we tuck and curl the hips back up. Can you feel your glute sit bones butt cheek squeezing tighter together? Imagine a $100 bill between your knees, your thighs. You don't wanna drop it. Same thing between your palms.

Pull the belly down. A little bit more challenging to not arch through the back here. You might not be as lifted, and that's okay. Starting this time with our Hugg a tree arm, slight bend in the elbows, they open to the sides. They don't have to go all the way to the floor, exhale, close the arms, close the ribs, so they press back together over the heart, inhale arms open, exhale arms close. Can we lift the hips a little higher? Open.

Close, squeeze the seat a little tighter too. Belly button keeps pulling down ribs and it together one more with just those arms open and closing. We add a very small opening and closing of the knees, let them open just an inch or two, squeeze that 100 back between your thighs, working our adductors, we open arms and legs, we squeeze everything to the midline for three. Can you knit the ribs tighter? Feel that corset around your waist for two? Belly pulls deeper. Maybe pelvis and gaze lift a little higher last time open and close.

From here, arms stay long. Reach them higher to the ceiling. Pelvis higher to the ceiling. We have a single leg exercise. Right foot stays down, thighs stay together.

Breathe through it. Left leg extends. Hold it. Take another breath where you are. Can you lift your hips higher? Nothing else moves. Drive your right foot down.

Pull your shoulder blades down into the floor. Lift the hips up, lift the chin up, lengthen longer through that left heel, take one more breath in with control, place that left foot back on the mat, feet are together, knees are together, drive the left heel down, squeeze your inner thighs, extend long through the right leg. Keeping pelvis square to the ceiling. Really nice challenge here. Simple balance work.

Do we feel that left glute engaging? I feel mine. One more breath in, exhale to lower that right foot back to the floor. Really good control, lifting hips up a little higher, take one more breath in at the top, squeeze in her thighs and glutes tight, exhale to melt back down into the floor bone by bone, upper back, middle back, enjoy that articulation, low back, finally releasing that glute engagement at the bottom, pelvis stays heavy into the floor. Arms open back in line with our shoulders, right and left leg float to tabletop. Now option to keep knees together here, maybe you're slightly open with the knees or the feet.

I like to really feel my adductors continuing to work for me. It helps find the midline of the body, but listen to your body. Take a breath and exhale curl to the tips of the shoulder blades. Those hands reach to the outside of the knees. Of course, they could always hold on for a little more support. Take another breath where you are. Scoop from the low belly knees stay bent, but they shift away from the chest as we float up to find a bent knee teaser position.

Once you arrive, flip your palms up to the ceiling, lift your heart, lift your palms a little higher and then simply lower the arms down to hover by the mat, exhale scoop and lift those arms straight back up. We've been here before in the beginning of class with this simple scoop of the arms, little bit more challenging here using that cord to support us for two palms lift, heart lifts. One more time, arms lower. Arms lift to hold. Wherever you are, can you lift your chest and your palms one inch higher? Maybe extend your legs, maybe keep your knees bent, take a breath where you are, begin to lower everything down bone by bone in four. The knees could bend into the chest or the legs could lower straight in three.

You hover the tips of the shoulder blades, sink your belly one inch deeper to slowly release everything on one. Again, maybe knees are into the chest, maybe legs are long, wherever you are, give them a shake, a little rock side to side, releasing some tension. We only have one more full teaser. Bent or straight knees, listen to your body, will add those beautiful arm circles, taking a breath in to prepare, exhale chin over the chest, body hovers, legs hovers scoop through the space with control, lifting up, up, up, find that balance. Arms start by lowering down by the hips. They circle around and up towards our ankles.

For four, belly pulls back arms reach up. For three, ribs knit together, keeping that core connected to stabilize too. Nothing else moves, but those arms, squeeze those legs tight. We reverse right into it for five. Belly button pulls down palms lift up for four, lengthen and reach.

For three, fight through these moments. Use that breath for two. One more. Lift to hold. Take one more breath and lift up one inch higher. Lower all the way down for four. Squeeze those inner tie ties tight for three.

Pull your belly a little deeper as you have our two. And release on one. Again, shake those legs out, reach your arms to the ceiling, flex your toes to the ceiling, take a breath in, exhale to round and roll up to a seat. Reach all the way forward, take a forward stretch. Waits can release, head, and arms can release, chest can release, taking a moment to fold over those legs and join this forward fold position for the back, and then come all the way up.

We'll spin around. Meet lying on our stomachs. Place the weights off to the sides of your mat here. I like to think of them kinda to the sides of my ribs or my shoulders. I'm gonna start with my arms down, my feet down, my chest down, maybe even a little wiggle of the hips and pelvis, really feeling tops of the feet pressed to the mat, feel how that engages your glutes, supporting that low back, by staying connected in the core. Palms stay down for a moment.

Take a breath here to prepare. Press the feet and the palms down. Begin to lift your chest and your heart forward and up. Imagine pulling your elbows back, your shoulder blades back, feel that hyper extension of the spine, keeping it small to start inhale, exhale belly pulls up lower back down. We'll do that once more option to go a little higher, inhale at the bottom, feet and palms press down, begin to lift up where you left off only as high as you could go without using your hands, maybe challenge yourself or not up too high yet. Take another breath in.

Now maybe you choose to really use the tricep to use the arms to lift a little bit or all the way up. Again, allowing this to feel good, pulling the shoulders down, lifting the heart, deep breath, and exhale to lower and lengthen out through the crown of the head back through those toes. Now we'll stay down feet stay down where they are. Still working the back of those legs, taking one weight in either hand, making a tight fist around the weights, and then punching those fist down into the mat. Again, I like to think somewhere around my rib cage here. My elbows hug in tight so they're up towards the ceiling.

I stay connected through my inner thighs and my waist. I hover my fists on the inhale. I hover my forehead and chest on the exhale. Now this will really will depend on your shoulder range of motion. Start by tricepic extension, reach the fist back, lift your heart and your chest a little higher.

Make sure the shoulders are rolling forward. Squeeze between your shoulder blades, lift your heart, lift your gaze a little bit, and then bend your elbows. Nothing else changes. Those feet are down glutes engaged. Arms extend back on the inhale old tricep extension resist as you bend those elbows straight up.

Maybe your hands come all the way back underneath the ribs or your shoulders. But if your shoulder mobility is somewhat limited, many of us are due to our work these days rounded over devices, this will be challenging, not strength wise, but mobility wise. So listen to your body. Don't force anything. We wanna feel our back working.

Shoulder blades pull down away from the ears, triceps extend two more times, punch to the back wall, resist to bend it in once more punch back to hold. Lift your heart a little higher, flip your palms down, and then lower your hands and lower one face cheek, either one to the side. Again, give your feet, your hips a little wiggle. Take a second here to just release into the floor. We're gonna do one more arm exercise with those weights, arms by the sides, flip your forehead back down, punch to the back wall, deep breath in, lift the arms, lift the chest, lift the heart. Feed stay down to protect the back, squeeze the glutes tighter, lift the heart a little higher. Now think of the head of the weight where your pinky finger is pulling closer towards your hips and then open your arms to a tee.

Take a breath in, exhale, pull the head of the weights, the pinky finger side back towards your glutes squeeze tighter between your shoulder blades. Like you're flying, like you're doing your t pulls on the row former, really important that the palm stay facing down. We open wide, inhale, pull back on that exhale lifting the heart higher for two lift and squeeze one more time open, lift and squeeze from here, carefully reach to the tee, carefully reach all the way forward, and with control, lower the body all the way down, arms in line with the shoulders, separate the feet back in line with the hips. Again, maybe a wiggle of those hips. Option to use the weights or not here. We're gonna take a little swim. Again, listen to your body.

I'm gonna choose not to use them. I like to find a little more extension here, deep breath, and to prepare. Exhale. Everything lifts up. Find it again. Waits are optional. Go for that swim.

Alternateating arms and legs. We inhale. We exhale. Opposite arm and leg lifting higher. Glute squeezing tighter, heart lifting higher for four.

For three, deep breath in two. Deep breathe out one. Hold the lift. Release the weights if you have them. Squeeze your inner thighs together.

Lift everything up higher. Pull your elbows back to your rib cage. Can you press your palms back underneath your shoulders? Tuck your toes, press the balls of the feet into the floor. Make sure those toes are tucked option to use the knees, deep breath, and to prepare, use all that arm stroke strength we have left to press them out away.

And meet me in a plank position, tuck the tail, lift the heart, lift the waist. Think of those serratus push ups we started with on all fours. Same thing here. Heart lowers an inch inhale, spread across the back, open across the scapula, press the floor away as you act exhale four more times. Heart lowers on the inhale.

Heart lifts belly lifts on the exhale. Inhale down. Axhale up. Keep squeezing inner thighs and seat tight for two Spine stays long one more time, all that strength from the arms in the back, lifted in the waist, lifting the core, hold it one more breath in, exhale pike your hips, find a downward dog, adjust hands feet however you need, to enjoy this moment, not just to stretch out the legs, but the arms, the armpits, the sides of the waist and the spine. Maybe pedal the feet, shake out the head, wiggle out the hips, and deep breath in. Deep breath out.

If you wanna add on a little deeper stretch and some rotation here, making sure you're solid, feet stay down, left palm stays down, our right hand reaches towards the left leg, maybe wrapping that left calf or ankle, maybe reach and look under that left armpit with your gaze, deep breath, and press the chest back further heels further towards the floor. Right palm comes back down carefully press it into the mat. Left hand, maybe reaching towards the right calf, maybe ankle. Can you take your gaze up underneath that right armpit? Press the heels further back, chest, further back, breathe into that side body inhale and exhale. Beautiful stretch for those arms and shoulders.

Both hands come back down square off through the hips with control gently lower those knees all the way down to the mat. We'll take one final child's pose together, hips reach back, arms reach long, take a moment, letting the heart release over the thighs, the shoulder blades to release across the back, maybe flip your palms to the ceiling, take a breath where you are, and exhale let something go. From there slowly rolling all the way up to a kneeling or seated posture. Very grateful for everything our body did for us in class today. Especially that upper body.

Thank you so much for joining me for a fun, sweaty weight workout. See you next time.