YOUR 15 MINUTE WINTER WORKOUT FEELING TIRED ALREADY? BUT IT'S STILL EARLY...

by Erin King

Let’s maximize time and consult with fitness experts in our Niagara community! We have connected with Diane Archer, from Compassionate Body Pilates, Josh Green, Owner of Go Fitness Niagara, and George Picard, Director of the Village of Healing and Wellness, to deliver you with a winter routine that is realistic and refreshing.

We asked for their best 5-minute exercises, which we're combining to bring you a doable 15-minute winter workout.

With limited time, Josh and Diane agreed that working on your core is the most productive way to spend your fitness, while George breathing exercises that can add more impact in the beginning and end of your core workouts.

George suggests a book was written by G. Catlin published in 1861 called, The Breath of Life that illustrates adenoid faces in many engravings and advocates nose-breathing. Though with George, The Breath of Life is a simple, effective breathing technique that oxygenates blood cells and reduces stress and anxiety.

To begin, we will get into position for warm up breathing exercise: ͒

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands at your side, knees slightly bent. ͒ Take a deep, slow breath as you raise your arms to shoulder height, palms down. ͒ As you exhale slowly, extend your arms horizontally to the side palms facing inward. ͒ Inhale slowly again and bring your arms back towards the center, shoulder-width apart. ͒ Then slowly exhale as you take your arms back down to your side, palms down. ͒ Remember to keep your arms relaxed.

According to George, "ancient health practices, such as Qigong (pronounced chi-gong) focus on the whole person. Studies show the effectiveness of Qigong not only for good overall health but also in healing many of today's health issues. Simple slow movements combined with slow deep breathing bring the body back into balance, encouraging physical fitness and spiritual well-being. Adding this element to your workout brings peace of mind to the table as well."

Next, Diane takes us through a “Seated Partial Rollback Series” – this is a fantastic exercise, but Diane cautions you to skip this positioning if you have existing lower back issues with bulging discs:

͒ Start position: Sit tall, legs parallel, knees bent, arms straight out in front at shoulder level. ͒ Inhale to prepare, exhale to tilt your pelvis, tucking your tail under and rolling back onto your pelvis, creating a c-curve in your spine. ͒ Pause and take a breath in, widening your arms to the sides, then exhale to return to the start position. ͒ Repeat for 4 rotations ͒ You can add a rotation, overhead reach and then advance the difficulty by rolling all the way down to the floor as your strength improves.

According to Diane, "this exercise develops abdominal strength, spinal mobility, and core control. In Pilates, quality of movement is important, so you go slowly through the entire movement to work your muscles efficiently. This is my favorite because it can be adapted to any fitness level, and it's a great way to gain core strength quickly."

For the next part of the routine, Josh suggests alternating between the next two exercises for 60 seconds each until the 5-minute counter is up:

͒ The Plank – For beginners, start on your knees, place your forearms on the ground, elbows under your shoulders. (You can advance this by lifting your knees off the ground.) Drop your hips down until your tailbone is slightly lower than the top of your spine. Take a deep breath and pull your navel toward your spine. Once the abdomen is tight, keep it there and go back to regular breathing.

͒ The Vacuum – While seated, standing, or lying down, pull the navel back as far as possible and hold while breathing normally. It's important not to hold your breath on this one, as breathing is a crucial part of the routine. "These exercises strengthen the Transverse Abdominis located under the obliques. It wraps around your spine, providing strength and stability helping draw the abdominal muscles inward. By strengthening them, you can flatten your stomach and reduce back pain at the same time." Josh said.

Once these core exercises are completed, return to a standing position, and conclude your workout with the last 2.5 minutes of breathing exercise.

Building this into your daily routine places emphasis on core strength and overall well-being. If you have time, follow this workout with a cup of hot tea and do not let winter woes derail you from taking this short time for yourself.

George Picard

Director The Village of Healing and Wellness

Master Picard is an internationally recognized, 4th generation lineage holder in the Wu Yi Jie He system with over 40 years of martial arts teaching experience.

Josh Green

Owner Go Fitness Niagara

Josh is a personal trainer, instructor, acrobatic performer, and nutritionist. He helps individuals achieve their health and fitness goals through a variety of programming.

Diane Archer

Owner & Instructor Compassionate Body Pilates

Since 2012 Diane has been teaching with focus to enhance functional movement and injury recovery, pain relief from chronic conditions and supporting athletic excellence.