Target Body Parts: Abs, Back

Step 1 Lie prone (on your stomach) on the floor with your hands by your sides, positioned directly under your shoulders and hands facing forward. Extend your legs and flex your ankles so your toes are pointing away from your body.

Step 2 Gently exhale and press your hips into the floor and pull your chest away from the ground while keeping your hips stable. This will arch your low back and stretch the muscles in your chest and abdominal region. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds.

Step 3 Gently relax and lower your upper body to rest back upon the floor. If you experience any pain in the low back with this movement, stop the exercise immediately and consult with your doctor.

Helpful tip: As the length of arms differ, individuals may often lift their hips off the floor as they fully extend their arms. If this happens to you, limit the extension in your arms to keep your hips on the floor.

Target Body Part: Abs

Step 1 Lie on your back with your knees bent and both feet flat on the floor and the knees aligned with the second toe of each foot. Extend your arms to the side with your palms facing the ceiling.

Step 2 Exhale and gently contract your abdominal muscles to flatten your low back into the floor. Avoid trying to lift your hips off the floor. Hold this position briefly.

Step 3 Inhale and slowly relax your abdominal muscles while gently contracting your low back muscles to increase the arch in your low back. Avoid raising your hips off the floor. Hold this position briefly before returning to your starting position.

Target Body Part: Back, Butt/Hips, Shoulders

Step 1 Lie on your stomach with your legs extended, ankles slightly flexed with your toes pointing away from your shins, arms extended overhead with palms facing each other. Relax your head to align it with your spine.

Step 2 Exhale, contract your core to stabilize your spine and slowly raise one arm a few inches off the floor keeping your arm extended and avoiding any rotation in your arm. Maintain your head and torso position, avoiding any arching in your back or raising of your head. Hold this position briefly.

Step 3 Gently inhale and lower your arm back towards your starting position without any movement in your low back or hips.

Exercise Variation 1: From your starting position, contract your core to stabilize your spine and slowly extend one hip (raise one leg) a few inches off the floor keeping your leg extended, ankle flexed with toes pointing away from your shins and avoiding any rotation in your leg. Maintain your head and torso position, avoiding any arching in your back or raising of your head. Hold this position briefly before returning to your starting position.

Exercise Variation 2: From your starting position, contract your core to stabilize your spine and slowly extend one hip (raise one leg) a few inches off the floor while simultaneously raising the opposite arm a few inches off the floor. Keep both your leg and arm extended and avoiding any rotation in each. Maintain your head and torso position, avoiding any arching in your back or raising of your head. Hold this position briefly before returning to your starting position.

Target Body Part: Butt/Hips, Thighs

Step 1 Lie on your side on a floor with your legs extended, feet together in neutral position pointing away from your body (at 90 degrees to your shinbone). Keep your lower arm bent and positioned under your head for support while the upper arm rests upon your upper hip. Your hips and shoulder should be aligned vertically to the floor. Your head should be aligned with your spine. Slowly flex (move forward) your lower leg until it lies in front of your upper leg. Rest both feet on the floor and keep both legs extended with feet in neutral position.

Step 2 Exhale and gently raise the lower leg off the floor while keeping the knee extended and the foot in a neutral position. The hips should remain vertical to the floor (knee of the raised leg should not rotate upward towards the ceiling or downward towards the floor). Continue raising the leg until your hips begin to tilt sideways or until your feel tension develop in your low back or oblique muscles.

Step 3 Gently inhale and slowly return the raised leg to your starting position in a controlled manner. After completing your set, roll over and repeat with the opposite leg.

Helpful tip: Due to the limited movement at the hip joint in this direction, the leg need only rise a few inches off the floor.

Target Body Parts: Arms, Chest, Shoulders

Step 1 Kneel on the floor and bring your feet together behind you.

Step 2 Slowly bend forward to place your palms flat on the floor, positioning your hands shoulder-width apart with your fingers facing forward or turned slightly inward and your shoulders directly over your hands. Reposition your hands as needed to allow full extension of your body without any bend at the hips or knees. Stiffen your torso by contracting your core, your glute and your quadriceps muscles, and align your head with your spine. Place your feet together with your ankles flexed, toes pointed towards your shins.

Step 3 Slowly lower your body towards the floor while maintaining a rigid torso and head aligned with your spine. Do not allow your low back to sag or your hips to hike upwards during this downward phase. Continue to lower yourself until your chest or chin touch the floor. Allow your elbows to flare outwards during the lowering phase.

Step 4 Press upwards through your arms while maintaining a rigid torso and head aligned with your spine. For extra strength think about pushing the floor away from you. Do not allow your low back to sag or your hips to hike upwards. Continue pressing until the arms are fully extended at the elbows. An alternative position is to turn your hands to face forwards and keep your elbows close to your sides during the downward phase. This shifts the emphasis from the chest muscles onto the triceps and may reduce stresses in the shoulder joint.

Helpful tip: Pushing through the heel and outside surface of your palm provides greater force in your press and stability to your shoulders.

Target Body Parts: Butt/Hips, Thighs

Step 1 Stand with your feet parallel facing forward and hip-width apart. Position your hands where comfortable to help you maintain your balance during the exercise. Stiffen your torso by contracting your core. Keep your head facing slightly upwards and shift your weight onto your heels.

Step 2 Inhale and slowly step to the right, keeping your weight over your heels and both feet facing forward. Once your right foot is firmly placed on the floor, bend at the hips, pushing them backwards while simultaneously shifting your weight towards the right foot until your shinbone is vertical to the floor and your right knee is aligned directly over the second toe of your right foot. Your left leg should be near or at full extension at the knee and your body weight should still be distributed into the right hip. The heels of both feet should stay flat on the floor. Keep your left foot flat on the floor as you allow your weight to shift into your right hip and alternate. Feel free to position your arms where necessary to help maintain your balance, reaching for your right foot with your left hand will emphasize hip flexion (alternate with the right hand reaching for the left foot).

Step 3 Exhale and push off firmly with your right leg, returning your body to your starting position. Repeat the movement for the opposite side.

Helpful tip: A common mistake when performing a side lunge is that individuals often step too wide and are unable to align the shinbone over the placed foot and the knee falls inside the foot. In this case, simply shorten the width of the step taken to allow you to align the shinbone over the placed foot.

Target Body Part: Abs

Step 1 Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and heels 12 to 18 inches from your tailbone.

Step 2 Place your hands behind your head, squeezing your shoulder blades together and pulling your elbows back without arching your low back. This elbow position should be maintained throughout the exercise. Align your head with your spine, but allow it to move into slight flexion (moving the chin towards the chest) during the upward phase of the exercise.

Step 3 Exhale, contract your core and flex your chin slightly towards your chest while slowly curling your torso towards your thighs. The movement should focus on pulling your rib cage towards your pelvis (the neck stays relaxed while the chin is tucked towards the neck). Your feet, tailbone and lower back should remain in contact with the floor at all times. Continue curling up until your upper back is lifted off the floor. Hold this position briefly.

Step 4 Gently inhale and slowly uncurl your torso back towards the floor in a controlled fashion keeping your feet, tailbone and low back in contact with the floor.

Helpful tip: Proper form is important for this exercise to prevent excessive stress on your low back. Individuals usually perform this movement too rapidly and recruit the hip flexors to assist with the upward phase. This technique tilts the pelvis anteriorly, increasing the stress on the low back and should be avoided. The abdominals connect the rib cage to the pelvis so the movement should focus on bringing these two body parts closer together while keeping the neck and shoulders relaxed.

Target Body Parts: Arms, Back, Butt/Hips, Calves, Shins

Step 1 Kneel on the floor and bring your feet together behind you. Slowly bend forward to place your palms flat on the floor, positioning your hands shoulder-width apart with your fingers facing forward. Slowly lift yourself into a push-up position, shifting your hands until your shoulders are positioned directly over your hands. Reposition your feet as needed to allow full extension of your body. Stiffen your torso by contracting your core to prevent any arching in your low back or hiking of your hips towards the ceiling.

Step 2 While maintaining a rigid torso and full extension in your arms and legs, slowly exhale and shift your weight backwards by pushing your hips backwards and upwards. Maintain your head alignment with your spine, but slowly move your head between your shoulders as your body moves backwards and attempt to push your heels towards the floor. Maintain the stiffness in your torso to prevent the tendency of your back to arch. Continue moving until your body forms an inverted-V, keeping both arms and legs extended and a neutral (flat) spine. Allow a slight bend in the knees if required to achieve the inverted-V position.

Step 3 Inhale and return your body to the starting push-up position, maintaining the alignment of all your body segments.

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