 Natalie’s Tip and Spot Check
Natalie’s Tip:
This month we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day so let’s all go green!
Eating healthy green fruits and vegetables offer a wide range of nutritional benefits. They provide minerals – iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium – and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients, which help protect against cell damage and age-related eye problems. In addition, green fruits and vegetables are good for your skin and digestive system. So think avocadoes, broccoli, kale, okra, peppers, spinach, Brussels sprouts, dark lettuce, tomatillo. If you are eating salads, watch the dressing! My favorite is olive oil, lemon and a sprinkle of salt. Try it, you might like it!
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Spot Check:
Spring is here and that means summer is around the corner. It’s time to step it up so you are ready for bikini season. This month we are focusing on the booty and abs with abdominal exercises for women. Each month I will present a new exercise routine that focuses on a different part of the body. You will do 3 sets of each exercise. So, let’s do it!
Exercise 1: Start on all fours. Extend one leg out, keeping your foot flexed. Then bring the leg back in toward the body. Repeat 25 times then switch legs.
Exercise 2: Go right into a side plank. Here, you are going to lie down on a mat on your side, feet together. Place your elbow underneath your shoulder, forearm flat on the ground. Align your body in one straight line from your feet to your shoulder, hips to center. Tighten up your belly button, by pulling it in, exhale and lift your hips up in straight line hold 10 seconds and lower down, then repeat. Go up and down 10 times then switch sides. You should feel the burn in your chest, back and core abdominal muscles. Try to do 2 or 3 sets in a row. If you can’t then do 1 set and work your way up to 2 or 3.
Exercise 3: We are now going to work the abductors. Stay on your side. Place your legs on top of each other, then bend the bottom leg for balance. Keep the top leg straight and your foot flexed. Bring the top leg up and down as high as you can, keeping your torso steady. Lift 25 times, then flip over and work the other leg for 25.
Exercise 4: The reverse crunch works your lower abdominals and enhances fitness in women. Start by lying on your back with your legs perpendicular to the ground, knees slightly bent and feet in the air, crossed at the ankles. Keep your arms on the floor next to you or place them under your hips. Your head is on the floor and your shoulders are relaxed and your back is straight.
Slowly lift your hips 1 to 2 inches off the floor, which will raise your legs and feet a few inches higher. Avoid rolling your hips backward and thus bending your back. Hold the position for a few seconds. Squeeze your abdominal muscles and keep your head and shoulders flat against the floor. Slowly roll back to the floor by lowering your hips.
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