Saturday, March 20, 2010

Kathy Week 12: Spring Break Road Trip!

No numbers today...we're on the road! We're driving to the Bay Area (800 miles) to visit our newest, darling grandson in California. In the car...no internet access...no scale...

Here's a photo of the little charmer we're on our way to meet:
He has two lively older siblings, 4-year-old twins, and we are anxious to see all of them, along with our daughter and son-in-law.

But that doesn't mean I won't be working on my goals! I have a guest pass from Curves to visit gyms in California, and I've already looked up the locations of a couple of them along our route. My husband has promised to remind me to focus on healthy eating choices, and we'll be going for lots of walks. We're packing water bottles in the car, so I'll be keeping my fluid intake up.

What else? I'll be doing some wonderful stretches we've been learning in our yoga class. I can do these anywhere, and they make my body feel soooooo good! Here's a really nice progression:

Start with Child's Pose.
Knees about hip-width apart, toes together.
Bum on ankles, and arms stretched out straight--no bend in the elbows.
Hands reaching forward.
Great stretch in: upper back, lower back, quads, hamstrings. Wow!
Hold for 1 minute or so.



Then go on to Downward Facing Dog.
Hands remain where they were for Child's Pose, but the feet are now hip-width apart, and the bum goes in the air.
Keep the heels as low as you can, and you will feel a wonderful stretch in the back of your legs.
Lift from the hamstrings.
Your body should be an inverted V.
Hold for a minute.

Then go into a Plank.
Keep your feet where they were for Downward Facing Dog, but you may need to walk your hands a little forward to keep them directly under your shoulders.
Your body should be in a plane. Don't let the bum sag.
Lift from the back of your hamstrings.
Builds strength in the abdominals and core muscles.
Hold for a minute or so.
Now back into Downward Facing Dog, and it will feel so good and restful after the Plank!
Remember to keep those heels down!
Hold for a minute.
Then go into another minute of Child's Pose.
You will feel yourself go more deeply into the pose each time you cycle through it, as your muscles get more and more relaxed.

You can finish here, or go back up into Downward Facing Dog, then Plank, then Downward Facing Dog, then Child's Pose...as many times as you like!




I'm writing this post while we're still in Oregon - time for me to go finish packing!

I hope you all have a wonderful week.
What are you doing for Spring Break?

3 comments:

Dorothy said...

What are we doing for Spring Break? Probably the same stuff as usual...we're not students, not teachers, and we don't have kids in school anymore.

But hey, the same stuff as usual is good with me anyway!

Have a wonderful Road Trip...they are fun times and I know you and Mark will find plenty to laugh about on the way.

Oh, and I expect to see more grandbaby pictures, too. :)

Katie Lewis said...

Sadly, we don't get spring break either. Even though we are students (well, Bryan is anyway). But next week his little sister will be coming to visit for HER spring break, so that will be fun. Good luck staying healthy while you're away! And have fun counting hogs!

emmalou said...

Kathy, thank you for the pictures and descriptions of the poses. I'm familiar with them, but it always helps to see it. Have a great trip!

We'd love to hear from you!

Want to write a guest post for The Skinny? E-mail Katie at kathleenann08 (at) gmail (dot) com.