Magic Floor Exercises
This series of 10 exercises comprise an ultimate core workout; done lying, sitting and standing on the floor, and can be adapted to bed, bath and sofa. They activate and engage the foundational building blocks of the body’s underlying musculature, supplying stretching, toning, alignment and abdominals. These are invaluable exercises for those seeking a sure-fire workout. The additional videos demonstrate ‘what not to do’, alternate variations and experiments.
2 supine overall stretches
overhead
crossovers
4 supine abdominals:
baby tantrums
mini crunch
soles of feet smiling at ceiling
3 small crunches
2 seated and standing – core connection:
touch Towards knees seated
touch Towards knees standing
2 standing squat preparation
touch pinkies
touch pinkies with squat
Note: Although it could be tempting to do 3 sets of 12 reps, because of the adjustments 2 sets of 5 is surprisingly adequate, and therefore time and energy saving.
I was first given these exercises in 1993 and have remained enamored with them ever since. Because they were so effective, within just a few weeks I witnessed drastically notable changes to my shape; not to forget to mention, the positive effect on the posture, and the subsequent correcting of the root causes of common everyday aches and pains.
You may recognize some of these as handouts from back education and general body maintenance classes. However, it is the configuration and execution that makes this series so special.
Use the resistance of your body weight, as if your body parts were weights in the gym, matching the two part breathing cycle of inhalation and exhalation (exhaling with the effort), to the two part movement. Take short deliberate breathing breaks between each set. See General Instruction for further detail.
The squat portion further instills and develops the cohesive action of the leg, hip and butt muscles of our haunches thus deeply imprinting the ‘heel-butt connection’ into our daily lives while serving to protect knees and back. Every time we bend and stand during the day, consider it an opportunity to reap the butt building benefits of squatting.
These exercises along with gliding provide a well-rounded cardio workout similar to the old school 5/10 BX program which claimed, like I do, to offer a full body workout that can be done in a small space in a short period of time. However, the BX program was debunked in 2008 due to reported injuries whereas my program offers a more concentrated, easier and safer way of working out.
These exercises were given to a friend’s military boyfriend who after doing them for just a few short weeks, was immediately impressed that such an easy workout could so significantly transform his shape. Despite all his years of physical training, for the first time in his life he finally had a well-defined body and he was proud of his butt (good news for people, who with aging, notice they have lost their butt).
