BLACK : THE HEALTH MAGAZINE volume 1 | Page 5

Crunches 3sets Bicycles 3 by 20 Mountain climbers Lie down with your back flat to the floor. 2. Elevate your feet so your knees are at a 90-degree angle to your body. It may be easier to rest your feet on a chair, or keep them on the floor and just bend your knees. 3. Cross your hands in front of your chest. For more advanced crunches, put your hands behind your head, but with the fingertips lightly touching the head, not clasping the head or neck. 4. Make sure there is a fist's worth of space between your chin and chest. 5. Draw your belly button in to the base of your spine. 6. Sit up until your elbows or chest reach your knees. Be careful to use abdominal rather than back, leg or neck muscles. 7. Exhale as you sit up. Inhale as you lie down. Oblique Reach 3 by 20 Lay down on your back on the exercising floor with your knees bent. Starting position: Extend your arms towards the side of the body with your palms facing inwards. While exhaling your breath, crunch your abs in the forward right direction. Try to catch your right ankle with the right extended  Now while you're inhaling your breath, very slowly move back to the starting position.  Repeat the same for the left side. Dead Bug 3by20 Begin lying on your back with your hands extended above you toward the ceiling. Bring your feet, knees, and hips up to 90 degrees. Initiate the exercise by extending one leg, straightening the knee and hip to bring the leg just above the ground. Maintain the position of your lumbar and pelvis as you perform the movement, as your back is going to want to arch. Stay tight and return the working leg to the starting position. Switch to complete one set Start at the top of the pushup position, with your body forming a straight line from head to heels. Keeping your abs braced, pick up your right foot and slowly bring your right knee toward your left shoulder. Then return to start. Alternative Reach kickbacks 3 by 15 Position yourself on all fours with knees underneath the hips and wrists under the shoulders. Engage your abs and keep your spine neutral, pulling the shoulder blades towards the hips. Lengthen the left leg until it is straight out and in line with your hips while simultaneously raising and straightening your right arm until it is parallel to the floor. Keep your head and shoulders aligned at all times.