| Being slim is no guarantee for having a flat | | | | Downward Dog will stretch out the frontal |
| stomach. Just walk around the beach on a hot | | | | shoulder muscles, lower back muscles, |
| summer day and observe the number of thin | | | | hamstrings and calf muscles, while |
| people with mild to extreme pot bellies. | | | | strengthening the abdominal muscles. |
| Being underweight does not mean a slim | | | | |
| physique or good health. If you want to firm | | | | From the Downward Dog, move into the Upward |
| up your waist line, strengthen your back and | | | | Dog. Drop your hips and raise your head. Move |
| trim that spare tire, read on. | | | | your weight from the balls of your feet, unto |
| | | | the tops of your feet. Keep your knees off of |
| The popular approach to flattening a stomach | | | | the ground. Now reach with the top of your |
| is often crunches, crunches, crunches. Then | | | | head to the ceiling. Do not slouch. Instead |
| cardio, cardio, cardio. And finally count | | | | try to separate your head from your |
| calories, calories, calories. Yep. It does | | | | shoulders. Let your chest project forward. |
| work...in the short run. But, I have it on | | | | The Upward Dog stretches the abdominals, hip |
| teenagers to athletes, soldiers, women and | | | | flexors, chest and strengthens the shoulders |
| teenagers. Working out like crazy, while | | | | and lower back. |
| starving might get you into your best clothes | | | | |
| prior to a wedding, prom or date, but your | | | | The Yoga Sun Salutation is more complicated, |
| body will be straining to snap back into its | | | | but is worth the effort. It combines all 3 |
| original form. | | | | previous exercises and then some. |
| | | | |
| A more intelligent approach is to work on | | | | 1. Stand erect, feet shoulder width apart. |
| your posture first. If this sounds | | | | Inhale and raise your arms above your head. |
| ridiculous, try pulling back your shoulders | | | | |
| and squeezing your shoulder blades together. | | | | 2. Exhale and bend forward at the waist while |
| Amazing, eh? Your stomach just sucked itself | | | | bending your knees slightly. |
| in a couple of inches. This is part of the | | | | |
| success of systems like Pilates, power yoga | | | | 3. Step your right leg back into a lunge. |
| and some martial arts: the trainees stand | | | | Keep your upper body upright. Inhale. |
| taller and appear slimmer. So, how to improve | | | | |
| your posture in record time? | | | | 4. Step back with your left leg, into a |
| | | | Downward Dog position. Exhale. |
| Generally speaking, a slouched posture often | | | | |
| has the following muscle problems: | | | | 5. Inhale as you move into an Upward Dog. |
| | | | |
| · Weak upper back | | | | 6. Step your right leg forward into a lunge. |
| | | | |
| · Tight chest and frontal shoulder muscles | | | | 7. Exhale while you bend forward at the waist |
| | | | and step your left leg forward, knees bent |
| · Tight and weak lower back | | | | slightly, so that your head is hanging |
| | | | towards the ground. |
| · Weak abdominal muscles | | | | |
| | | | 8. Bend your knees slightly and straighten |
| · Tight hamstrings | | | | your body up as you inhale. Repeat, but begin |
| | | | stepping back with the left leg. |
| · Tight hip flexors | | | | |
| | | | Repeating this routine 2-3 times in the |
| There, now that you might feel that your | | | | morning and evening will have a profound |
| world has gone wrong, consider the following | | | | effect on your posture, relaxation and |
| exercises: | | | | feeling of well-being. Keep at the Sun |
| | | | Salutation without rushing it. Most skinny |
| 1. The lunge | | | | people are high-strung and need to learn to |
| | | | slow down and concentrate. The Sun Salutation |
| 2. Downward Dog | | | | can teach you a bit of patience. Its nothing |
| | | | mystical, just a well thought out exercise. |
| 3. Upward Dog | | | | |
| | | | Crunches are pretty simple. Just remember to |
| 4. The Yoga Sun Salutation | | | | keep the small of your back pressed into the |
| | | | mat and exhale as you come up. Finger tips |
| 5. Crunches | | | | rest on the back of your head. Do not yank |
| | | | your head forward. |
| The Lunge is a basic fencing position. The | | | | |
| front leg is bent at the knee and the rear | | | | Once these movements are mastered to the |
| leg is held straight, while the upper body is | | | | point where you can do the sun salutation 6 |
| held upright. If your legs are too tight | | | | times in a row and make contact with your |
| bring them closer together. The front knee | | | | heels during the Downward Dog, then you are |
| should strive to stay above the ankle so that | | | | well on your way to more advanced movements. |
| the knee does not get out of alignment. | | | | |
| Gently rock back and forth. This will stretch | | | | One the nutrition side of the house, cut out |
| out the hip flexors (on the straight leg). | | | | the starches and sugars. Many skinny people |
| Apply the exercise to both legs. | | | | (like my former self) like to binge on |
| | | | starches and sugars. Keep up the water and |
| The Downward Dog is performed from the plank | | | | protein and fresh foods. I used to follow the |
| or push up position with the feet spread more | | | | Priority Eating strategy: Water, then protein |
| than shoulder width apart, weight on your | | | | (beef, chicken, fish, eggs), then vegetables, |
| hands and balls of your feet. While keeping | | | | then fruits, then grains, then whatever. The |
| your arms straight, lower your shoulders and | | | | trick to eating like this is to PLAN AHEAD. |
| head so that you are looking between your | | | | Either pack your meals, stock your |
| feet. At the same time, push your hips up to | | | | refrigerator or know ahead of time where you |
| the sky, while trying to extend your | | | | are going to eat out. Do not set yourself up |
| tailbone. Beginners will find their heels | | | | for failure. |
| raise off of the ground and will have | | | | |
| difficulty keeping their legs straight. The | | | | Good luck. |