12-Minute Morning Workout

Throughout each exercise remember these three cues:
1. Keep your shoulder blades sliding down your back to prevent overuse of your neck muscles.
2. Keep your abdominal muscles engaged by actively drawing your belly button in towards your spine.
3. Think about pinching your glutes (AKA your ass muscles) towards each other at all times

Bridge

Round 1: With feet on the ground and knees bent, lift hips up towards the ceiling and hold for full 90 seconds. Make sure there is a straight line between your shoulders and the tops of your knees.
Round 2: Make the exercise more active by rolling up to the top of the motion one vertebrae at a time, pausing, and then slowly rolling down. Keep your feet relaxed so your mainly just using your glutes and hamstrings (back of your legs).

Plank

Round 1: Set yourself up into this plank position, remember your cues- those are whats going to help you keep a nice straight line across your back. Make sure that your shoulders are set up right over your wrists, and there is a nice long line going from your heels to the top of your head. If you have trouble holding this for the full 90 seconds, place your knees on the ground and continue holding there. It’s OK to modify!
Round 2: If you were comfortable where you were the last round, stay there. If you feel up to adding another challenge, draw one knee towards your chest, making sure that your shoulders stay right over your wrists. Then switch legs. Continue switching at a nice even pace for 90 seconds.

Push-up

Round 1: *Remember your ‘shoulder-blades sliding down cue!* From your plant positon, place your knees directly beneath you on the floor and lift your feet up. Move your hands a little bit wider than your shoulders. There should be an even diagonal line going from the top of your head to your knees, like a slide. Then, keeping that line engaged, bend your elbows to 90 degrees for a pushup. Continue until time is up.
Round 2: Either repeat round 1, or advance by propping up onto your toes. This should be the same plank position you were in for the second exercise, just your hands are a little wider. Keep your plank engaged as you come down into your pushup. It’s better to put yourself back down on your knees half-way through, then rest completely.

Wall Sit

Round 1: Find an empty portion of the wall in your house, and set your back flat up against it. Walk your feet out and bend your knees to a 90 degree angle. Your tailbone should be against the wall, and your heels should be right under your knees. Hold for 90 seconds. The taller you sit up in your upper body, the less weight your lower body is holding.
Round 2: Repeat.