Simple Fitness How-Tos

Want to try out yoga but don’t know the first thing about tree pose? Ready to start lifting weights, or turn that walk around the park into a jog? Use these easy how-to's.

Bicep Curl

Grab weights with palms facing forward, feet under hips. Bending arms, lift weights toward shoulders. Straighten elbows and lower weights back down.

Perfect Plank

Lie on your belly. Rest upper body on forearms flat against the floor. Contract abs and butt. Slowly lift torso off the ground. Hold 5 seconds, then lower.

Tree Pose

Stand straight, shifting body weight to right foot with left knee to chest. Turn knee to side, press sole of foot to calf. Put palms together over your head. Hold 5-10 breaths.

Squats

Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, back straight. Bend knees and lower your rear as if sitting down in a chair, keeping knees over ankles.

The Pilates Hundred

Sit on the floor, feet flat, holding the backs of your thighs. Keep the belly in and curl down to the floor. Now curl the head and shoulders up slightly. Pump the arms up and down at your sides. Breathe in for 5 seconds and out for 5 seconds until you hit 50 pumps. Sit up and repeat for a total of 100.

Pilates Roll-Up

Lie on your back with legs straight, feet flexed, arms reaching overhead on the floor. Press your low back into the floor. Exhale and, keeping your navel in, slowly roll up one vertebra at a time until you're sitting up. Slowly roll back down. Repeat 3 to 5 times.

Side Plank

Lie on your side with a bent elbow directly under your shoulder and use your torso muscles to lift your hips up into a side plank.

Sculpt a Better Butt

Like a speed skater, with your feet under your hips, hop sideways to the left on left foot and touch right hand to the floor. Alternate sides. Do 3 sets of 20.

Tone Your Hamstrings

Do deadlifts: Holding free weights, stand with feet hip-width apart. Fold at your hips, keeping your back straight. Move the hips backward as you lower your upper body until it's parallel to the floor and the weights are just below your knees. Slowly return to the starting position. Do 10 reps.

How to Check In With Your Body

Take the Pledge Test

If you can say the Pledge of Allegiance easily while working out, you're in your target aerobic zone. Gasping? Ease up a bit.

Know if You've Worked a Muscle Hard Enough

You've probably worked a muscle "to failure" if you feel burn in the muscle during the last few reps and you can't keep form.

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