Celebrity fitness guru Jillian Michaels says yoga is great for flexibility and kettlebells are great fat burners. Here are two of her top workout suggestions:
Cobra Pose
Lie on your belly with your hands under your shoulders, fingers pointing forward. Hug your elbows in tightly to your sides as you draw your shoulders together behind you. Stabilize your lower back by firming the abdominal muscles and drawing the tailbone down toward the floor.
Begin to lift the chest up to the ceiling, taking care to keep your neck long. This action is supported by the arms, but the majority of the work should be done by the paraspinal muscles in the back. Only go up to your comfort level—you don’t get more points for “going higher” in the pose. Hold for 5 to 15 breaths, then gently lower your body to the ground. Repeat 3 times.
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Kettlebell swing:
Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides in front of a kettlebell. (Your spine should be straight.)
Bend your knees to lower your body into a half-squat and grasp the kettlebell with both hands. (The hips and your behind stick out behind you as you lower your body.) Come up out of squat, letting kettlebell swing out in front of you to chest height, then bend at hips and knees to squat back down as it swings back between legs. (Maintain good posture throughout, bend the knees slightly, and plant your feet firmly to maintain balance).
Do 3 sets of 15 reps each.
Trainer tip: Instead of thinking about raising your arms, let your hips power the move by thrusting them upward as the kettlebell lifts.
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