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From YogaJournal.com

Baddha Konasana

(BAH-dah cone-AHS-anna)
baddha = bound
kona = angle

Step by Step

Sit with your legs straight out in front of you, raising your pelvis on a blanket if your hips or groins are tight. Exhale, bend your knees, pull your heels toward your pelvis, then drop your knees out to the sides and press the soles of your feet together.

Bring your heels as close to your pelvis as you comfortably can. With the first and second finger and thumb, grasp the big toe of each foot. Always keep the outer edges of the feet firmly on the floor. If it isn’t possible to hold the toes, clasp each hand around the same-side ankle or shin.

Sit so that the pubis in front and the tailbone in back are equidistant from the floor. The perineum then will be approximately parallel to the floor and the pelvis in a neutral position. Firm the sacrum and shoulder blades against the back and lengthen the front torso through the top of the sternum.

Never force your knees down. Instead release the heads of the thigh bones toward the floor. When this action leads, the knees follow.

Stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes. Then inhale, lift your knees away from the floor, and extend the legs back to their original position.

WebMD Feature from “Natural Health” Magazine

By Marianne McGinnis

These four a.m. exercises (two of which are done in bed) will warm your joints and energize your body.

What’s your first impulse when the alarm goes off on a frosty winter morning? To push the snooze button and duck back under the covers? If so—and if you’re late to work every morning because of it—try some wake-up moves instead. Designed by personal trainer Kathy Kaehler, these exercises improve your circulation and boost your energy. “The moves warm your joints and get your blood flowing, so you’ll feel alert and grounded all day long,” says Kaehler, former fitness expert for Today and author of Fit and Sexy for Life (Random House, 2007). Do this 15-minute routine regularly and you’ll also notice increased flexibility and strength—and fewer aches and pains.

Cat/Dog Stretch
Warms your back and abdominal muscles by gently extending and rounding your spine.

1. Get on your hands and knees on top of your bed—your head should be in line with your neck, and your back should be in a neutral position (neither sagging nor arching). Make sure your wrists are directly under your shoulders, fingers pointing forward, and your knees are directly under your hips.
2. Inhale and slightly arch your back, letting your belly relax toward the mattress while pulling your shoulders back and lifting your tailbone toward the ceiling. Gaze forward, like a playful puppy.
3. Exhale and round your back toward the ceiling while tucking your chin and pointing the crown of your head toward the mattress, like a stretching cat.

Do each move 10 times.

Butterfly Circle
Warms and stretches the muscles of your back, abdominals, shoulders, and neck.

1. Lie on your left side in bed and bend your knees so your legs form 90-degree angles with your torso. Extend your arms in front of you until they’re perpendicular to your torso.
2. Take a deep breath, then exhale and contract your abdominal muscles. Inhale, then exhale and keep your arms straight and your legs bent as you roll onto your back and point your arms and knees toward the ceiling.
3. Without pausing, continue to roll over to your right side and bring your arms and legs down to the mattress. Repeat the move on the opposite side.

Do 10 repetitions.

Bed Dip
Strengthens your shoulders, triceps, and abdominal muscles.

1. Sit on the edge of your bed with your back straight and both feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. (If your bed is too high for your feet to reach the floor, do this move on a sturdy, heavy chair.) Rest your palms flat on the bed next to your thighs, fingertips facing forward.
2. Supporting yourself on your hands, walk your feet forward one to two feet. Then slide your hips off the mattress and support your body with your arms with your elbows slightly bent.
3. Bend your elbows and lower your body, knees slightly bent, until your arms form 90-degree angles. Keep your shoulders back and down, your chest lifted, and your hips near the bed. Hold for one second. Press into your palms and rise back to your starting position.

Do 10 repetitions, rest, then do 10 more repetitions.

Bedroom Wall Sit
Strengthens your thighs, butt, lower back, and abdominal muscles.

1. Stand with your back against a wall and walk your legs out so they’re about two feet from the wall, feet hip-width apart.
2. Keeping your back against the wall, bend your knees and slide down until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor. Make sure your knees don’t extend past your toes. Hold for 10 seconds, then press your feet into the floor and slide back up to the starting position.

Repeat 2 more times.

From Fit List at MSNBC.com

By Keli Roberts

One of nature’s great little secrets is that exercise — and consequently feeling better about your body — is an absolute aphrodisiac. When you feel sexy, you feel like having sex! So for Valentine’s Day, I’ve devised a workout that will get you and your partner ready for some real action. Each move is aimed at working muscles that you use when you work out between the sheets. Try the following 5 “sexercises” to feel fit and frisky. The first 2 moves require a partner to perform, while the last 3 can be done alone or concurrently with a partner.

1. Partner stretch. Promotes flexibility of the hips and thighs.

*Sit in a straddle stretch (legs straight out to the side as wide as comfortable) facing your partner with your feet touching.

*Hold hands (or the ends of a small towel) and sit tall.

*One person leans back and pulls the other person forward into a deep stretch.

*The other person then leans back and pulls the other person forward.

*Repeat back and forwards 10 times slowly.

2. Partner reverse curl. Targets the lower abdominals and enhances lower back flexibility and pelvic mobility.

*Person A stands with feet shoulder-width apart, while person B lies on his or her back holding person A’s ankles. Person A’s job is to provide an anchor for person B.

*Person B crosses the ankles and tucks the feet in close to the buttocks with the feet off the floor.

*Person B slowly curls the hips off the floor bringing the knees towards the elbows and hips to ribs.

*Person B pulses at the top for 2 counts then slowly lowers the hips back to the floor.

*Repeat for 15-20 repetitions, then swap positions.

3. Squat thrust push-up. Develops power in the legs and hips, core stability and upper-body strength.

*Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-distance apart.

*Squat down and place your hands on the floor in front of your feet. Focus on keeping your back long.

*Place your hands on the floor in front of you feet and jump your feet back in to a plank position (your body is parallel to the floor).

*Do a push-up and hold the plank for 30 seconds while strongly contracting your abdominals.

*Jump your feet forward towards you hands, and then from a squat position, jump to standing.

*Repeat 10 times.

4. Bridge with ball squeeze. Strengthens the back, hips, hamstrings and inner thighs.

*Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor close to your buttocks. Place a ball between your legs just above your knees, keeping the feet and knees the same distance apart.

*Drive your heels into the floor and lift your hips until you’re resting on your shoulder blades.

*Squeeze the ball with your inner thighs. Women can also perform a Kegel contraction to work the inner pelvic-floor muscles.

*Hold at the top and do 5 slow, strong contractions (inner thighs and pelvic floor).

*Lower to starting position.

*Repeat 8 times.

5. Opposite arm and leg raise. Strengthens the back and improves core stability, hip mobility and balance.

*Kneel with your hands on the floor, shoulder-width apart.

*Raise your right hand straight up until it is level with your shoulders. At the same time raise your left leg level with your body.

*Reach your arm and leg out to the side.

*Return your arms and legs to the straight out position, hold a moment and return to start.

*Repeat in an alternating fashion for 8 reps per side.

From Fit List at MSNBC.com

By Keli Roberts

Do your muscles feel stiff and inflexible? Can’t touch your toes? Not really certain when or how to stretch? Read on: You may find that you’ve been stretching incorrectly all along! Stretching for injury prevention and improved sports performance is misunderstood and steeped in tradition.

First off, you may be surprised to know that there are actually four different types of stretching:

1. Static – A sustained stretch that is held and leveraged with another limb or against gravity in order to deepen the stretch. Example: Lying on your back and using your arms to pull your legs to your chest.

2. Ballistic — Your body is placed in a stretched position and then followed with small bounces performed in an attempt to deepen the stretch. Example: Doing the last move and then gently bouncing your legs to your chest. This is NOT recommended, though, because it can cause micro tears in the muscle.

3. Active — A stretch in which the opposing muscle group contracts and pulls the body into a stretch. Example: Reaching your arms up overhead and pressing back to stretch the upper body.

4. Dynamic – A stretch in which the body or a limb is moved through a range of motion. Example: Extending your arms and then moving them in full circles.

Previously, it was believed that static stretching before exercising would prevent injury. However, many recent studies have demonstrated that this is not the case. Furthermore, it has been established that performing a static stretch prior to any type of muscle contraction slows down and weakens the muscles involved, and thus worsens performance.

For warming up, active and dynamic stretching are actually better techniques than traditionally performed static stretches, because they prepare the body for exercise. They move the body through large ranges of motion to mobilize the joints, warm up the body and “wake up” the nervous system. Some additional examples to try: squats, lunges, hip circles and ankle circles.

The best time to stretch for flexibility improvement is at the very end of your workout when you are finished with your cardio and strength exercise. Relaxing, comfortable static stretches are a perfect way to complete your workout. Think of holding each stretch for 30 to 60 seconds, and repeat each stretch two to four times for best results. Better yet, get on a foam roller, which is a physical therapy device that has recently become very popular in mainstream fitness. Foam rolling is simple to learn, and is a highly effective way to reduce muscle soreness and tightness.

Flexibility is an often overlooked component of fitness, but it’s important to take time for a good stretch. Stretching helps overcome postural problems – such as the hunched-over letter “C” look — found in people who spend a large amount of time sitting. Stretching is also critical for people with active lifestyles, and especially where the activity is very repetitive, like cycling, running or swimming.

So remember, for optimal flexibility, warm up with dynamic and active stretching, and finish your workout with some key, relaxing static stretches and foam rolling.