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The at-home yoga workout

Follow our at-home yoga plan to get the body you want for free

Posted: 13 August 2010

TOTAL BODY TONER

The sun warrior sequence

One of the best-known positions, it synchronises breathing and dynamic movement to boost your circulation and tone up your arms, thighs and bum.

Stand with your feet together. Breathe in and lift your arms up above your head. Breathe out and bend forwards, so your hands are at either side of your feet (bend you knees if you need to).

Step your right foot into a backwards lunge and lift your arms up overhead again, simultaneously taking a deep breath simultaneously: (SEE PICTURE).

Bring your palms back down to the floor, shoulder distance apart on either side of your right foot. Step your left foot back to your right and lift your hips up - bum in the air - as high as possible. Press your heels towards the floor to stretch your hamstrings and spine. This is the downward dog pose. Hold for five breaths, bending your knees if necessary.

Breathe in and step your right foot back up to your hands, followed by your left foot. Then, straightening your legs, move into a forward bend, head at your knees, as you breathe out.

Breathe in again and raise your body to a standing position, keeping your back straight and sweeping both arms up above your head in line with your body. Exhale and bring them back down to your sides.

Repeat this sequence up to ten times.

FIRM YOUR BUM AND THIGHS

The dancer

Works the fronts of your thighs and your bottom, while also stretching your shoulders.

Stand upright, bend your right knee and hold your right foot up behind you with your right hand. Push your right foot upwards.

Slowly tilt your upper body forwards while stretchiing your left arm straight out in front of you (SEE PICTURE). Hold for five to ten deep breaths before returning to the start position.

Repeat twice on each leg.

Pushed for time?

Try our 10-minute yoga workout

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Discuss this story

Gina fontanarosa

Hi everyone ,

i was a real gym bunny before I got pregnant. Pre pregnancy I lost 2 stone thorugh running ( I have done a marathon and numerous half marathons). I also became addicted to spin classes , going at least 4 times a week. Since found out I was pregnant about 4 months ago I have done absolutely n-o-t-h-i-n-g ! Getting out of bed in the morning seems to be the most I can manage at the moment , although I am starting to feel much more like myself again as I go into the Second Trimester. I don't want to put on huge amounts of weight and I would like to remain toned.

Any ideas on how to get motivated to get back to the gym ?

Thanks for your help ......

Posted: 09/09/2010 at 11:47

Sarah

I wouldn't like to say for certain, as you should check with your doctor first, but there was a pregnant lady in my BodyPump class - she seemed quite far along, too!

Posted: 12/09/2010 at 21:09

Gina fontanarosa

Its funny you should say that , I read a forum on Baby Expert and a lady mentioned that she still attended spin and body pump classes throughout her pregnancy , she even went to a standard aerobics class the day before she gave birth ! Spin and Body pump are the two classes I have avoided so far as I think they are way too strenuous especially on the lower back. I was thinking of trying something a little lower impact like Zumba , I walked home from work last night and tonight as I have a little more energy I think I will go swimming.

Posted: 14/09/2010 at 10:07

Gina fontanarosa

I went to Zumba last night and really enjoyed it . It was at my local community centre which was great as there was a mixture of abilities in the class, so I could make the moves as low or high impact as I wanted. I have been told that I should check with the midwife on some of the stomach moves.

Posted: 15/09/2010 at 11:58

Sarahd

The main thing is to listen to your own body - if you were fit before pregnancy there's no reason to avoid the activities you enjoy. You just need to reduce the intensity. The main thing is to stay cool and hydrated and if you feel faint, breathless, or uncomfortable, stop. I think Paula Radcliffe carried on running 14 miles a day when she was pregnant! That's too much for most people, but shows that it really does depend on what you're used to. There are a few things that should be avoided:

Lying down exercises like crunches or bench presses (2nd and 3rd trimester), as these can reduce blood flow to the baby.
Sports or classes that involve a lot of high-impact jumping, twisting or changing direction quickly, as these can put you off balance and at risk of falling.
Over-stretching - your ligaments become more mobile during pregnancy so you should be careful in classes like yoga - choose a specialist pregnancy yoga class.

It's always best to check with your doctor, as there are some conditions that mean you should avoid exercise, but in general an active pregnancy will help prepare your body for the birth and for a quick recovery afterwards. If you're a member of a gym, a qualified gym instructor should be able to design a pregnancy-specific programme for you.

Posted: 15/09/2010 at 16:00

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