10-Minute Toners: Lower-Body Routine

Glute Bridges, part 1 of 3

Works the back of the thighs and the butt

Lying on your back, place your heels on a fitness ball. Rest your arms by your sides, palms down. Straighten your legs and lift your hips.

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Glute Bridges, part 2 of 3

Keeping your spine neutral, draw the ball toward you as you bend your knees.

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Glute Bridges, part 3 of 3

Squeeze your butt as you lift your hips. Return to start. Repeat.

Trainer Tip

Don’t arch your back. Instead, lengthen it. This forces your glutes to support your lower back.

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Kick and Curl, part 1 of 2

Works the butt and core

Start on all fours. Resting on your forearms, bring your hands together and bend your left knee.

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Kick and Curl, part 2 of 2

Lift your left leg, then kick it back to align it with your spine. Return to start. Switch sides. Repeat.

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Single-Leg Touchdown, part 1 of 2

Works hips, butt and core

In a standing position, bend your elbows and place your fists in front of your chest. Bend your right knee, shifting your weight to your left foot.

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Single-Leg Touchdown, part 2 of 2

Bend forward as you kick the bent (right) leg behind you, and extend your right hand to the floor. Return to start. Switch sides and repeat.

By Andrea Metcalf

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10-Minute Toners: Upper-Body Routine

Workout Details

Time it takes: 10 minutes. Set a timer for one minute, repeat the first move until the bell rings, then reset the timer and do the next move for a minute, and then the next. Continue until you’ve exercised for 10 minutes. If you have 20 minutes to spare, add a second sequence (see below). String all three together for a 30-minute, full-body workout.

How often: Do at least one sequence every day. A few times a week, combine two or three sequences for a longer workout, or do two or three separate 10-minute sessions over the course of a day. To keep your heart rate up, rest for no more than 20 seconds between exercises.

See results: You will feel stronger after one week, and notice tighter muscle tone in six weeks.

Complementary workouts: Do at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise, such as walking or jumping rope, three to five times a week.

And here it goes ...

Shoulder Strengthener, part 1 of 2

Works core and shoulders

Place a folded towel on the floor, and assume the plank position by resting your weight equally on your toes and hands, with your arms straight, your hands shoulder-width apart and your back straight. Place your left hand on the towel.

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Shoulder Strengthener, part 2 of 2

Pulling in your abs and keeping your back raised, trace a circle on the floor with your left hand. Switch sides. Repeat until one minute has passed.

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Open Pull, part 1 of 2

Works the chest and shoulders

Stand facing a pole or beam, and wrap a towel around it. Holding both ends in your right hand, and a 3- to 5-pound dumbbell in your left hand, raise the towel to shoulder height. Then raise the dumbbell to meet the towel.

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Open Pull, part 2 of 2

Pulling on the towel as you squat, turn to the left and extend your left arm. Return to start and repeat. Don’t switch sides until the next one-minute set.

Trainer Tip
Don’t rotate your hips. Keep them aligned with your knees so you don’t overextend your arm.

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Crab Triceps Press, part 1 of 2

Works the shoulders and triceps

Start in a crabwalk position: Sit on the floor, then lift your hips so your weight is on your hands and feet. Point your fingers toward your heels

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Crab Triceps Press, part 2 of 2

Keeping your hips lifted, bend your elbows slightly. Hold for 30 seconds. Return to start. Repeat.

By Andrea Metcalf

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10-Minute Toners: Core Routine

Experts have long said that even short periods of exercise can boost heart health. Now there’s new proof. According to a study of postmenopausal women, just 10 minutes a day can help improve cardiovascular health. Quick stints “have a dual beneficial effect,” says cardiologist Peter Diamond, MD, of the University of Illinois Medical Center. “They improve lean muscle mass, which helps the body burn more calories, and the aerobic activity promotes fat burning.” Heart disease risk increases after 40, so this simple, effective, two-for-one workout is twice as smart now. Choose sequence A, B, or C.

Workout Details

Time it takes: 10 minutes. Set a timer for one minute, repeat the first move until the bell rings, then reset the timer and do the next move for a minute, and then the next. Continue until you’ve exercised for 10 minutes. If you have 20 minutes to spare, add a second sequence (see below). String all three together for a 30-minute, full-body workout.

How often: Do at least one sequence every day. A few times a week, combine two or three sequences for a longer workout, or do two or three separate 10-minute sessions over the course of a day. To keep your heart rate up, rest for no more than 20 seconds between exercises.

See results: You will feel stronger after one week, and notice tighter muscle tone in six weeks.

Complementary workouts: Do at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise, such as walking or jumping rope, three to five times a week.


Saddlebag Smoother, part 1 of 2

Works obliques and thighs, butt, and shoulders

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Raise your right knee and your right hand.

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Saddlebag Smoother, part 2 of 2

Leap to the right, swinging your right arm back and shifting your weight to your right foot. Switch sides. Repeat.

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Ab Flattener, part 1 of 2

Works the transverse abdominals

Lying on your back, raise your feet, bending your knees slightly.

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Ab Flattener, part 2 of 2

With your hips and lower back on the floor and your legs slightly bent, lower the left leg to create a 45-degree angle with the floor. (Modification: Put your hands under your tailbone before lowering the leg.) Pause. Return to start. Switch sides. Repeat.

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Waist Whittler, part 1 of 2

Works obliques and hips
Start in the lunge position by placing your left foot in front, with knee over ankle, and your right leg behind you, resting your weight on the ball of that foot. Place your hands behind your head to stretch your chest muscles.

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Waist Whittler, part 2 of 2

Twisting toward your left side, extend your right elbow slightly toward your left knee. Keep your spine upright so you don’t hurt your back. Assume a standing position. Switch sides. Repeat.

By Andrea Metcalf

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Stretch Your Way Out Of Stress: 6 Easy Moves

By Janet Ungless

Try this sequence from Yin Yoga instructor Magen Banwart, owner of New York City's MB Fitness Mind Body Connection two to four times a week. "You’ll feel an increased sense of relaxation right after the first stretch,” she says. As weeks pass, your posture will improve. “After practicing for about three months, my clients say, ‘I feel 10years younger!’ And they look it, because they’re so much more flexible.”

Butterfly

Sit on the edge of a folded blanket or cushion, pelvis tilted forward. Bend knees, press the soles of your feet together. Rest hands on feet, let knees drop, and bend forward until you feel a tug in your hips or spine. Hold for one to five minutes.

Targets: Hips, groin, spine (and the ligaments that run along it)

Half Dragonfly

Sit on the edge of a cushion. Bend your left knee as you move the sole of your left foot to the in-side of your right thigh. Inhale, and, as you exhale, place your hands on each side of your leg. Lean forward; hold for two

to five minutes. Switch sides; repeat.

Targets: Hips, lower back, hamstrings

Spinx or Seal

Lying on your stomach, place your forearms on the floor in front of you.

Relax your shoulders, press your arms into the floor, and lift your chest slightly; you will feel gentle pressure in your lower back. If you do not have low back troubles, try a more intense stretch: Lift your chest higher by pressing hands on the floor and straightening your arms. Hold either position for two to five minutes.

Targets: Lower back, spine

Child's Pose

Start on your hands and knees. Bend your knees, and push your butt back until you’re sitting on your feet. Then extend arms in front of you, and rest your forehead on the floor. Hold for two to three minutes as you breathe deeply and slowly. This is a resting pose, designed to help the muscles in the back recover from the Sphinx or Seal and other back bends. Use it any time your body needs a break.

Targets: Back

Forward Bend

Sit on the floor with legs extended. Look down and lean forward, reaching hands toward feet. Grab your lower legs and, if possible, stretch further and gently grasp your ankles or feet. (Bend knees slightly if you feel pressure behind them.) If you’re stiff or have back problems, try this version: Place a pillow on your knees, cross your arms, and place them on the pillow. Look down, lean forward, and rest head on your hands (as shown here). Hold either position for two to five minutes.

Targets: Legs, spine

Spinal Twist

Lie on your back with legs extended. Bend your left knee to bring it close to

your chest. Move the left knee across your body, and rest it on or near the floor. Extend your left arm along the floor, reach your left hand toward your head, and rest your hand on the floor. Hold for two to three minutes. Switch sides; repeat. To end the sequence, lie on your back, legs extended, with your eyes closed for two to three minutes.

Targets: Spine, hips, shoulders and chest

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