IT BAND ROLL

The cooldown exercise everyone loves to hate but knows they need to do! Foam rolling is so beneficial to aid in your recovery after a workout. Many people’s IT bands are very tight and I promise the pain is worth it in the end for the relief you’ll feel from the stretch. Foam rollers are an inexpensive purchase from retailers such as Walmart, Canadian Tire, SportChek, Winners, etc. Once you’ve got your foam roller at home, try this exercise out and remember to breathe. :)

START HERE (A):

Set yourself up as you would for side plank, and place the foam roller under your lower leg perpendicularly. Cross your top leg over and plant your foot for support. Lean on your lower forearm at 90 degrees, engage your core and lift your hips off the ground. Using your forearm and foot for balance, slowly roll from your hip towards your knee. Pause anytime you feel a sharp sensation and breathe into that spot until you feel a release. You can shift yourself to a slight forward or backward lean to access different spots around your leg. Take your time and listen to your body and it will tell you where you need to pause for a good stretch. Spend a few minutes on this side before carefully removing the roller and setting yourself up for the second side. Repeat!

Can’t keep yourself accountable to do this one on your own? Check out our instructors and find a class that suits your schedule, and we’ll walk you through it!

TABLETOP THORACIC SPINE TWISTS

This variation of child’s pose feels oh-so-sweet after a tough exercise session. I like to use this one as a reward for a workout well done! It’s important to stretch out your shoulder blades when you’re exercising regularly, as it’s easy to accumulate tightness there.

START HERE (A):

Start on all fours in tabletop position, with your shoulders directly over your hands and your hips over your knees. Engage your abdominal muscles to protect your lower back. Press your left hand into the carpet or mat, and extend your right hand, palm open, towards the ceiling. Follow your hand with your gaze.

MOVEMENT: (B)

Keeping your hips high and directly above your knees, swing your extended arm down and slide it along the mat with your palm facing up. Keep reaching your fingers so that you feel a stretch in your arm and shoulderblade. Breathe in to lift your arm back up to the starting position, then breathe out to slide your hand through. Keep your eyes on your hand as you flow through 2 sets of 8 on each side.

Working with your flexibility is a wonderful way to keep your body fit and active as you are getting older. We have many other stretching exercises to share with you here at Fifty 5 Fitness, click here to see them all!

HAPPY BABY - HAPPY BACK

We’ve had a great start to our Winter Session, meeting many new clients and welcoming back current clients from last session. Getting moving together is bound to make us all happy, and so will this week’s stretch: happy baby! A wonderful stretch for your back, hamstrings, hips, inner thighs, chest, and shoulders, this one is effective in so many ways!

START HERE:

Start with half-happy baby if you’ve never tried this one before: Lying on your back on a flat surface, bend both knees and plant your feet on the ground. Engaging your abdominal muscles, lift your right leg and grasp onto the inside edge of your right foot. While pulling down slightly with your hand, press your foot up slightly into your hand to create an isometric stretch. At the same time, press your right hip down into the floor. Notice if your shoulders have lifted off the ground and settle them back down. Hold for at least 30 seconds, then release and repeat on your left side.

LEVEL 2:

Now that you’ve tried half-happy baby, you’re ready to give the full happy baby a try! Engage your abdominals once more and lift one leg at a time, reaching your right arm to your right foot, and your left arm to your left foot. If you have difficulties reaching your feet, grasp onto the inside of your calves instead. Reach your tailbone toward the floor and lengthen your back to hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds.

Fifty 5 Fitness aims to have you moving in a healthy way that also feels fun! Exercising together as a group can be a powerful motivator - our classes in Winnipeg are always full of like-minded ladies you’ll enjoy exercising with! Pictured here is me, Emily, the owner of Fifty 5 Fitness, and some of our classes are taught by other talented instructors. Click below to meet us all, then sign up for class so that we can meet you!

STRAP-ASSISTED HAMSTRING FOLD

Whether it be to modify an exercise, help you with your form and alignment, or push you a little bit harder, your instructor is always there to help at a Fifty 5 Fitness class. When attempting hamstring stretches, many clients tend to round their backs and shoulders. Did you know that you get less out of the exercise that way? This modification helps with form AND alignment to give you a better hamstring stretch and prevent any back or neck injuries.

START HERE (A):

Seated with your legs extended forward, loop a yoga strap, tie, or scarf around the undersides of your feet. Take a moment to sit up tall by pressing your sit bones down and reaching the crown of your head up. Engage your core slightly, and hold the strap as closely as you can, keeping your elbows near your ribs.

Movement (B):

Next, draw your elbows back as you tilt your belly button down towards your thighs. Keep a long back - no rounding allowed! Keep your attention on keeping your shoulders away from your ears as you lean forward and pull both sides of the strap towards you. Bonus points if you also push your feet towards the other side of the strap! Breathe into the backs of your legs as this can be an intense hamstring stretch. Our hamstrings tend to shorten over time when we do too much sitting or too much exercise without stretching. This is an excellent stretch to do after any exercise or going out walking!

Remember to hold this stretch for at least 30 seconds and try to breathe naturally during this time. Be aware of any shortening or holding of breath - if this happens to you, you may be unconsciously lifting your shoulders by your ears. Small bouts of stretching over time will increase your flexibility and reduce your chance of injury, and remember you can always multitask and do this while watching television! Having an in-person instructor is helpful to show you modifications like this one that can help you get more out of the time you spend exercising and stretching. Our instructors are all trained to assist you in your form and alignment - try out a Fifty 5 Fitness class today!

Click here to register for classes in Winnipeg! Your first class is always free.

LYING HAMSTRING STRETCH EXERCISE

We know that yoga and fitness can be intimidating no matter what age you decide to start. 

Not sure about trying out fitness classes? No worries! Your first class with us is always free, and not to brag, but we’ve got the most welcoming ladies around! Plus, today’s exercise is completely beginner friendly. 

Starting lying down, draw in your navel towards your spine. Grip a yoga strap, scarf or tie loosely in each hand and bend your left leg, lifting it off the floor. Loop the strap around the middle of your foot and start to extend your leg straight up. Press your foot into the scarf and gently pull with both hands back towards you. Allow your left hip to stay close to the floor and see if you can relax your shoulders down as well. Look out for any accidental tension in your neck area and consciously relax. 

Breathe into the back of your left leg to maximize the hamstring stretch. After a minute or so, bend your left knee and loosen your grip on the tie. Lower your left foot slowly down to the floor and repeat the above steps for your right leg. 

We hope to see you stretching, posing and relaxing in one of our Winnipeg 55+ yoga classes soon!

SOMETHING ABOUT THAT SIDE-LYING-SPINAL-TWIST

We’re borrowing today’s exercise from our new class: Flow 55. In this 45 minute class, you’ll get the opportunity to stretch your mind and body, increase your flexibility and your balance. We’ve created a safe environment for the 55+ crew in a class that includes 5 minutes of mindful breathing, 25 minutes of stretching and balance exercises, 10 minutes of restorative postures and 5 minutes of relaxation pose and meditation. Can’t make it into class? Try this yoga-inspired stretch instead!

Begin by lying on your back and drawing your right knee in towards your chest. Relax your neck and shoulders and gently draw in your core. Stretch your right arm out towards the side with your palm facing up and using your left hand, pull your knee across your body. If you have no issues with neck tension, look towards your outstretched right hand. 

MOVEMENT (A)

While you’re resting into the pose, breathe into the area of your right hip and keep trying to relax your right shoulder towards the floor. Most people have a tendency to shrug their shoulders towards their ears - but see if you can resist! Soften into the posture in a way that the pose is doing the work and you just get to relax!

When you’re ready to come out of the pose, draw your navel towards your spine and pull your knee back to center. Take your time to release your foot down to the floor and slide your foot out until it’s completely outstretched. Repeat on the second side!  Try a one-minute hold and then increase your time as you become more comfortable in this posture. Join Fifty 5 Fitness  for flexibility and stretching exercises for women in Winnipeg! 

TIGHT HIPS? TRY THIS

In Sweat & Stretch, every Fifty 5 Fitness participant gets to enjoy the best of both worlds - 25 minutes of cardio (non-impact aerobics that is safe on your joints and muscles), 10 minutes of core exercises and 25 minutes of stretching. This 1 hour class will have you feeling revitalized and relaxed. If you can’t make it in for a class though, we’ve still got your back (er, hips!) with this week’s exercise. Any time you’re feeling a tightness in your hips, sit for a few moments in this posture to release whatever tension has built up in that space. 

Front View

Start in a  comfortable seated posture and bring the soles of your feet together. Let your knees flop to the side without worrying about how close to the floor they are. Even though Emily is wearing shoes in these photos, feel free to try it in socks or bare feet as well. Sit in a way that you feel balanced on both sit bones and find a tall spine. Continuing to reach the crown of your head up and your tailbone down is a good habit to get into! 

Side View

To deepen this butterfly stretch, try pressing the sides of your feet into the floor and the soles of your feet together while reaching your tailbone back and down. A nice lower back release awaits you with this variation! If you’d like more of a hip release, start leaning your torso forward while keeping your spine straight. Even though you may be tempted to round your shoulders - don’t do it! Draw your shoulder blades together down your back and keep that spine long.

Hold this for between 30-60 seconds or until your hips loosen up. Over time, you’ll be able to lean forward and relax your knees towards the floor even more. Try 2 - 3 sets of 30 - 60 seconds to start to enjoy more hip flexibility.  Fifty 5 Fitness offers flexibility and stretching exercises for women in Winnipeg!