4 Minute Abs - Core Activation

Namaste. Let's begin our practice for today with a seated cat-cow stretch. Inhale, sweep your arms back, lifting through your heart, and on your exhale, sweep your arms forward, rounding your spine, chin towards your chest. Continue wrapping this movement around your breath, releasing tension while creating more space and ease through your neck, shoulders, chest, spine, and abdomen. Release and return to center. Moving into a seated twist variation. With your hands to your thighs, begin to gently twist from right to left. Inhale, center. Exhale, gently twist. Continue wrapping this movement around your breath, keeping your spine long with your navel back towards your spine. Feeling this twisting action re-energize and nourish your spine while working through your obliques. Release and return to center. Sitting tall, raise your arms out in front of your chest. Begin to alternate lifting your legs from right to left, working to bring your knees to touch your hands if possible. With each inhale, re-lengthen, and with each exhale, lift through one knee as you squeeze and contract through your ab muscles. Continue here or for more of a challenge, tap your hands together under each leg. Continue alternating right and left, making sure to exhale on the exertion, squeezing and contracting through your legs and abs, feeling your hips, thighs, and deep core working together to boost coordination and endurance. Adding a leg extension, continue alternating right and left, sitting tall, lightly lifting through your lower belly, strengthening through your hip flexors, core, and quadriceps, while stretching through your hamstrings and calf muscles. Adding a toe touch, inhale, arms reach overhead, and on your exhale, reach across your body as you lift through the opposite leg. Continue wrapping this movement around your breath, lightly lifting through your lower belly. Feeling this action awaken your center, strengthening and toning while creating more flexibility through your legs. Release and return to center. Closing our practice for today, placing your hands in prayer position, allowing a moment to honor yourself. Namaste. Now that was good.