Day 19! Can you believe how close we are to finishing our 21 Day Challenge?!!
Floor Switch Kicks - similar to the standing switch kicks we did on Day 15, but these are on the floor. Start sitting with your hands behind your hips, fingers pointed toward your heels. Knees bent, lift your hips off the ground and raise one leg into the air. Jump to the other foot as you kick the opposite leg into the air and then switch back and forth between legs while keeping your hips raised off the ground. The coordination can be a bit tricky on this, but if you start slow you will get the hang of it. The video shows two modification options. One is to still jump from leg to leg, but don't kick your legs as high. The other removes the jump and has you kicking leg to leg with a slow lift and no hop.
Skull Crushers - are designed to work those triceps. Start flat on your back, knees up and arms extended straight towards the ceiling. Keeping your arms still from the elbow down, slowly lower your forearms and hands toward either side of your head and then push your arms straight again. This exercise is best done with some dumbbells, but household items (like wine bottles) will work as substitutions. Try not to bash the weight into your head as the name of the exercise might suggest. Modify with lighter weights or do without weights.
Flutter Kicks - one of my favorite core exercises! Start in a hollow body hold (like Banana from Day 18), and with straight legs kick your legs up and down without letting them touch the ground. It is critical to keep your lower back firmly pressed to the ground. If you feel it start to come up, modify first by bringing your arms down to your sides. Then raise your legs a few inches higher for the kicks and keep raising your legs until you can keep your back pushed to the ground. You should still feel the fire in your abs as you kick, kick, kick!
By now your body should be starting to crave the movement every day. How do you guys feel after the workouts? Does anyone notice a boost in your mood or energy levels? What else have you noticed?
~Melanie
Video showing exercises
Video showing wine exercises...I mean modification exercises!