Ready for liftoff
Here’s a fun yoga exercise that will build strength and flexibility in your core muscles and arms. Prepare your body for this move by starting on all fours, rounding your spine and pushing your navel up to the spine. Hold this cat stretch for a few seconds, then practice the following exercise.
-- Karen Voight
1 Bring your feet together, bend your knees and lower your hips. Place your hands on the ground, shoulder-width apart, and move your knees to the outer sides of your upper arms.
2 Press your hands firmly into the ground, pull your navel to your spine (like you did in the cat stretch) and let your buttocks drop down. Now slowly tilt forward and lift your feet off the floor, bringing the inner edges of your feet together. Don’t let your buttocks rise up; instead, pull up your knees and feet. Balance in this position for 3 to 6 seconds, then come down and repeat two more times.
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Voight is the creator of a line of fitness DVDs, including “Sleek Essentials.”