| This exercise is highly beneficial for your shoulders, hips, trunk muscles, and joints. While it may be challenging at first, it will become easier with practice.
Step 1: Start by standing as upright as possible over your center of gravity with your feet approximately 12 inches apart. Your arms should be hanging by your sides.
Step 2: Slowly lift your arms above your head. Push your hips forward and pull your shoulders back simultaneously to ensure that you’re as upright as possible—as if trying to touch the sky. Hold this pose for three seconds.
Step 3: Slowly lower your arms while bending your hips until you touch the floor or reach as far as possible. Keep your head down and try not to round your back. Slightly bend your knees to take pressure off your back and hamstrings, if needed. Hold for three seconds, then slowly stand up and repeat.
Step 4: Reaching up and then down counts as one repetition. Try to do three sets of 15 repetitions, adjusting as needed.
Don’t be discouraged if you can’t do many of these exercises at first. Just stick with it, and they’ll get easier. |
