- So nice to have you here with me for today's Quick Fit class.

If you're new, I'm Cassy Vieth.

As you can see, we'll be working on the floor today, but don't let that discourage you.

The floor is a natural stretching tool, and there is so much life happening below your knees that you don't wanna give it up.

Have a pillow for your knees if they're tender and join me.

[gentle music] I think it's so important to work on the floor because I don't want you to be vulnerable.

And your joints need to be able to have their full range of motion.

Also, by going through your full range of motion, you push out stiffness and inflammation.

We'll begin on our hands and knees, once again, just have a pillow under your knees if they're tender.

We'll be working nice and slow today.

We'll be starting with the cat and then moving into the cow.

They're both just typical yoga moves, but you don't even need to know the names.

Let's just be on your hands and knees and then I'd like you to just push your hands into the floor and bow your back up to the ceiling.

This is just a wonderful beginning stretch [inhales] to get you warmed up.

And I'd like you to shift your hips one direction and the other, widening your hands so you can move your hips a little further one way and then the other.

Don't forget about your breathing.

Nice big inhales, [inhales] exhales [exhales] during the stretches.

You should be able to feel the hip sockets as your muscles and joints work and as you move, sitting deeper and deeper over to one side and the other.

So now sit your hips to the right.

Then go to the left.

And I'd like you to take that left hand, reach it past the right, [exhales] and then let's go the other way.

So shift your hips to the right, cross your right hand over the left.

You're making it nice and long down from your shoulder to your hip.

[inhales and exhales] I know if you're super tight and you're not getting your hips as close to your feet as mine, that's not a problem.

You're still going to benefit from shifting around.

Shift the hips to the left, lift that left shoulder up by your ear.

And reach that arm across.

Other side.

You can open the knees a little bit if it helps you feel more stable.

Shift your hips to the right.

Lift the right shoulder up by your ear.

Let that head relax.

Right hand reaches across your body, in front of your head.

Feels really good.

And if it seems really awkward today, don't worry; with practice, all of this will come naturally.

You'll be making up your own moves before long.

[inhales] Inhale, exhale.

[exhales] All right, so that's lots of variations on the cat.

Let's do the cow.

So the cow looks like you're arching your back as if somebody is using you for a step and stepping down into your spine.

Once again, push the hands into the floor.

Lift the head and neck.

You don't have to overarch the neck, but just get it out of your shoulders, okay?

Let your tailbone point up towards the ceiling, and then we're going to draw this right leg back as far as you can.

[exhales] Now, I know I'm flexible and not everybody is this flexible.

So maybe you're only a little bit back, maybe you can get your leg all the way down by your heel, but you can use your hands to take some of the pressure off if it's just too much, okay, and shift again, left and right, getting those hips as far as you can to the right and left over that foot, using your hands, take some of the weight off.

[inhales and exhales] You know, your foot's getting the benefit too.

Your shoes are off, right?

And I'm stretching my toes and then let's get onto the top of the foot and sit it back as far as you can.

I'm shifting the hips left and right.

Those just feel so good.

I hope, I know for some of you, you're like, "Yeah, not really."

But that's why we've gotta work on the floor until it does start to feel good.

And with consistency, you will get better.

So be patient with yourself, okay?

Don't just give up and say, "This is too hard."

Okay.

[inhales and exhales] Inhale, exhale; be a fighter.

Okay, you can age well, and even if you have some work to do, that's okay.

Inhale, exhale.

[exhales] All this stuff can be done right in the convenience of your home.

No special equipment.

[inhales and exhales] All right, and let's get the top of the foot on the floor.

That's really, really good.

All right, let's draw those knees side by side and we're going to put our hands on the floor, just a little bit before your knees and get those toes under you.

All right, push so your knees come up.

Lots of breathing, okay.

[exhales] We are stretching the Achilles, the back of your calves.

I know some of you are up like this, and that's okay.

If you need to stand up and come back down, take a little break, that's all right, but don't give up.

All right, start widening those knees.

We're shifting around, [inhales] getting one heel down and then the other.

[exhales] One heel down and then the other.

You could even have the chair near and take some of the pressure off of your legs by putting your arms on the chair.

Any modifications are okay, anything that helps you to keep doing the work.

All right, so let's sit as low as you can and drive those elbows into your knees.

I call this a potty squat, and it's one of my favorite exercises for stretching the ankles, the knees, the hips, the low back, the upper back.

You get a little leverage by putting your elbows into your knees and you try to get the upper back stretched up.

All right, so let's get up off the floor a little bit.

I can hear some of you saying, "About time!"

Shift your heels, your hips, and then easing the hips back down through your legs, shift around, lots of breathing.

Don't hold your breath.

[exhales] Shifting the hips up one way and the other and back down.

All right, now we're the roll all the way up.

But please keep your head down as you do it, and keep shifting, relieving some of that burning in your thighs.

[inhales] Shift and reach across, shift and reach across.

Inhale, exhale, [exhales] inhale, exhale.

Who thought something so simple as getting down and up could be used for exercising and stretching?

All right, I'm going to roll up.

[exhales] Very nice.

All right, so let's pull the stomach in and squeeze your hind end.

So you have like this nice letter C with your spine and we're just going to push around, stretching the ribs.

All right, reaching around, add the legs.

[exhales and inhales] All right, push, push, push.

One arm, push, get that elbow up, other side.

All right, come up and we're just gonna open the arms like a W and swing them across, open.

Swing across, open, swing.

[inhales] Nice and loose, stretching the chest.

Relieving the upper back, loosening the shoulders.

Open and close.

[inhales] All right, let's just do a few easy steps forward.

So across, open, across, open.

Adding the legs, adding a little movement, [inhales] waking up your brain.

Open, all right, open.

Open, maybe have your hands a little higher and a little lower, good.

Some big halos, all right.

Draw a circle right around your head.

And let's involve more than the arm.

Involve your torso.

Have those soft knees.

[inhales and exhales] This is one of those moves that you just get better at by joining me every day.

It makes more sense.

Really helps for body awareness.

You know, you can be moving your arms and your legs are doing other things.

And that really, really goes a long way to helping with your balance.

[exhales] All right, we'll continue to do these halos, but we're going to be reaching around a little further, twisting.

Working the spine too.

[inhales and exhales] Now your back foot, lift that heel so you can turn a little more and reach around.

[exhales] I just really love that one.

Swirl around, looking behind you.

Circling around the head, and if you can't get around your head today with that hand, then you'll do it in front of your body.

But that will be one of those markers when you do get all the way around the head.

You'll know you've had measurable improvement.

All right, two big arms, finishing up here.

[inhales and exhales] I just wanna thank you for spending this time with me today.

I know you'll find yourself looser and improving with every workout.

So don't give up on yourself; be patient.

I'll see you here again at pbswisconsin.org/quickfit and tell your friends about Quick Fit too, so they can feel better and keep doing all the things they love because life is movement.