move or stand.
1 Get down on to your hands and knees. Knees should be directly below your hips and your palms on the mat with your wrists directly beneath your
shoulders. Look down at the mat, keeping your neck in-line with your spine. Engage your core muscles and ensure your back is straight, not arching up or bowing downward.
2 In a slow and controlled motion, raise and extend your right arm until it is straight out beside your head, parallel to the floor. Once your right
arm is in place, extend your left leg straight out behind you until it is also parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 30 seconds, maintaining a flat back and thinking about extending from
your fingertips to your toes.
3 Lower the arm and leg back to the starting position then repeat with the left arm and right leg.
TIPS
If you’re not used to core exercises this may be tricky at first so don’t worry if you wobble, just attempting it will be giving those muscles a good
workout
If you can’t get your leg and/or arm parallel to the floor it doesn’t matter, just raise them as high as you can. But you do always need to keep your back
straight.
Control the movement as much as you can, don’t jerk the arm and leg up and do not lift higher than parallel to the floor
Maintain control as you lower the arm and leg, slowly and deliberately returning to the start position
basic crunch
The only workouts you regret are the ones you fail to do.
target area
belly
The abdominal crunch is a simple, easy-to-master tummy exercise suitable for even total beginners. Get ready to take your first step towards a flat,
sculpted belly.
1 Lie face up on your mat and bend your knees, placing the feet flat on the mat, close to your bum. Slide your hands behind your head to gently
support the weight of the skull as you perform the exercise. Let your elbows point out to the sides and keep them in that position throughout the movement.
2 Exhale hard and pull in your abdominal muscles as you curl your ribcage and lift your shoulder blades up off the mat.
3 Hold for a second at the top of the movement and then gently lower your back down onto the mat. This is one repetition.
TIPS
Breathe out as you lift and inhale as you lower
Do not pull yourself up with your arms. Your hands are behind your head only to gently support the weight of it and take pressure off your neck
Keep the chin tucked in and do not jut the head forward, neck should stay in-line with spine
Do not let the elbows drift inward, concentrate on keep them pointing out to the sides
side crunch
You are not a quitter
It’s not a question of ‘can you?’ but ‘will you?’.
target area
core
Side crunches are a simple yet challenging move to help tauten and tighten the sides of the waist.
1 Lie face up with both of your knees bent, feet flat on the mat. Twist the hips to drop your knees to one side, keeping your upper body flat on the
mat. Place your hands behind your head in the same way as basic crunches.
2 Perform the crunch move by curling the upper body straight up off the floor, exhaling hard and contracting your abdominal muscles as you lift.
3 Pause for a second at the top of the movement before slowly lowering your back down onto the mat. This is one repetition. Complete your reps on
one side before beginning the exercise on the opposite side.
TIPS
Breathe out when curling up and inhale as you lower
Use your hands to gently support your head, not to pull, let the abdominal muscles do all the work
Keep the neck and shoulders relaxed
Curl straight out in front of you, do not lean to either side
steam engine
target area
thighs & core
This exercise shifts your fat-burning engine into high gear and gets you puffing away like you’re steam powered! You’ll be building core
strength, tightening the tummy and improving your balance in this locomotive-like
1 Get down on to your hands and knees. Knees should be directly below your hips and your palms on the mat with your wrists directly beneath your
shoulders. Look down at the mat, keeping your neck in-line with your spine. Engage your core muscles and ensure your back is straight, not arching up or bowing downward.
2 In a slow and controlled motion, raise and extend your right arm until it is straight out beside your head, parallel to the floor. Once your right
arm is in place, extend your left leg straight out behind you until it is also parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 30 seconds, maintaining a flat back and thinking about extending from
your fingertips to your toes.
3 Lower the arm and leg back to the starting position then repeat with the left arm and right leg.
TIPS
If you’re not used to core exercises this may be tricky at first so don’t worry if you wobble, just attempting it will be giving those muscles a good
workout
If you can’t get your leg and/or arm parallel to the floor it doesn’t matter, just raise them as high as you can. But you do always need to keep your back
straight.
Control the movement as much as you can, don’t jerk the arm and leg up and do not lift higher than parallel to the floor
Maintain control as you lower the arm and leg, slowly and deliberately returning to the start position
basic crunch
The only workouts you regret are the ones you fail to do.
target area
belly
The abdominal crunch is a simple, easy-to-master tummy exercise suitable for even total beginners. Get ready to take your first step towards a flat,
sculpted belly.
1 Lie face up on your mat and bend your knees, placing the feet flat on the mat, close to your bum. Slide your hands behind your head to gently
support the weight of the skull as you perform the exercise. Let your elbows point out to the sides and keep them in that position throughout the movement.
2 Exhale hard and pull in your abdominal muscles as you curl your ribcage and lift your shoulder blades up off the mat.
3 Hold for a second at the top of the movement and then gently lower your back down onto the mat. This is one repetition.
TIPS
Breathe out as you lift and inhale as you lower
Do not pull yourself up with your arms. Your hands are behind your head only to gently support the weight of it and take pressure off your neck
Keep the chin tucked in and do not jut the head forward, neck should stay in-line with spine
Do not let the elbows drift inward, concentrate on keep them pointing out to the sides
side crunch
You are not a quitter
It’s not a question of ‘can you?’ but ‘will you?’.
target area
core
Side crunches are a simple yet challenging move to help tauten and tighten the sides of the waist.
1 Lie face up with both of your knees bent, feet flat on the mat. Twist the hips to drop your knees to one side, keeping your upper body flat on the
mat. Place your hands behind your head in the same way as basic crunches.
2 Perform the crunch move by curling the upper body straight up off the floor, exhaling hard and contracting your abdominal muscles as you lift.
3 Pause for a second at the top of the movement before slowly lowering your back down onto the mat. This is one repetition. Complete your reps on
one side before beginning the exercise on the opposite side.
TIPS
Breathe out when curling up and inhale as you lower
Use your hands to gently support your head, not to pull, let the abdominal muscles do all the work
Keep the neck and shoulders relaxed
Curl straight out in front of you, do not lean to either side
steam engine
target area
thighs & core
This exercise shifts your fat-burning engine into high gear and gets you puffing away like you’re steam powered! You’ll be building core
strength, tightening the tummy and improving your balance in this locomotive-like
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