Quick Fit with Cassy

- Hello, I'm Cassy.

Thank you for joining me for today's Quick Fit class.

By being here, you've taken the most important step to aging well.

So be proud of yourself for pushing all the other things aside that vie for your time.

We'll be using a chair today to loosen up all those tight muscles that contribute to a rounded posture.

So get ready to feel looser and more upright.

[bright music] If you want to gain strength, you must loosen tight muscles.

We'll be working our way down to the floor, so have a pillow handy if you have tender knees.

We'll start with a modified downward dog.

We'll have our hands on the seat of a chair, and just step back, and allow those knees to bend and lengthen through your spine, walking your fingers across the top of the chair.

Don't forget about that big inhale, [inhales] exhale.

[exhales] Bending those knees, and in fact, opening them a little wider, so you have room for your torso.

[inhales] We're stretching your ankles, knees, and hips, as well as your back and shoulders, which when they're tight, it's very hard to have good posture.

So let's stretch them out.

Big inhale.

[inhales] And then we'll get a knee down and do another modified yoga pose, the child's pose.

Hands are still on the seat and you're walking them across, lengthening.

And now you can shift your hips to the right.

And let's put that right hand over the top and shift, sitting into it.

Let's do the other side.

Cross the left hand over the top, shift into that left hip.

Breathe it in big, [inhales] and exhale.

Good.

That feels so nice.

And now let's get a little closer to the chair and dig those elbows into the top of the seat and do another modified yoga position called cow.

So you're letting the hip bones shift forward, tailbone pulls back.

Pull your elbows toward you into the top of the seat, lift that chest, [exhales] and exhale.

Now we're going to stretch the muscles in the front of your chest, and we'll use the chair to keep your elbow in position.

Use your other hand to support your weight.

And I'd like you to twist through the shoulders and look away from that arm.

Take a big breath in, exhale, letting your weight sink towards the floor and twist.

Looking the other way.

One more time, big inhale, [inhales] exhale, twist through the shoulders.

You can kinda shift your weight a little forward and back, finding those tight spots in the chest.

And let's do the other arm.

Okay, so one hand's on the floor.

Your elbow is right out from your shoulder.

And supporting your weight with the hand on the floor, rotate through the shoulders and the neck.

Big inhale.

[inhales] Exhale.

[exhales] And you can shift your weight a little forward and back, finding those tight spots, which are there, and they do contribute to your bad posture, because they stay tight and it's hard to stand up straight when your shoulders are being pulled forward.

All right, now, two hands on the floor and we'll strengthen those muscles that hold you nice and tall.

So extend that arm, palm down, squeeze the back to lift.

And at the same time, pull in your stomach muscles to support your low back.

Good.

And squeeze.

Now, try not to get your hand too far away from you.

Have that hand right under your shoulder and lift.

[inhales] Lift.

Stomach's in.

Neck is neutral.

You're not overarching the neck.

And squeeze.

Five, four, three, two.

Let's put that hand on the floor and do the other arm.

All right, hand is under your shoulder, stomach's pulled in, neck is neutral.

Extend the other arm straight from your shoulder.

Palm down.

[inhales] Squeeze the back to lift.

They're small lifts.

And you're not actually dropping the hand to lift.

You're holding it up high and squeezing it higher.

Lift.

[inhales and exhales] So you get a bit of a chest stretch at the same time.

Strengthening the back.

Good.

Those back muscles get overstretched and then they get weak.

Squeeze.

Five, four, three, two.

Last one.

Hands are side by side.

Get your toes underneath you, and let's walk the hands a little closer to the knees.

I want you to aggressively pull up through the belly, press the hands, push the knees off the floor, walk it back.

Good.

Tuck that chin, and we'll roll up slowly.

Nice.

All right, we'll be using the seat again.

So we'll place your hands on the seat one more time, and with your feet still fairly narrow, I'd like you to shift your hips to the right and the left.

So you'll straighten one knee, bend the other, and sit into that hip.

Breathe it in as you switch, exhale.

[exhales] Sit into that other hip.

Let's go each way one more time.

Shift to the right [inhales] and the left.

Good, now let's go down to the elbows, okay?

And widen the feet.

And one more time, shift to the right.

Take your right arm, reach across.

Inhale, exhale.

Enjoy that deeper stretch.

And we'll sink our hips to the left.

Reach the left arm across.

That feels really good, so breathe it in and then exhale and enjoy that stretch.

And come up to neutral.

And I'd like you to take your right arm to the ceiling.

Shift your hips to the right, and feel that inner thigh stretch in the left leg.

And we'll switch sides.

You'll extend your arm, left arm to the ceiling.

Shift your hips to the left.

And your inner thigh on your right leg is getting stretched very nice.

[inhales and exhales] And your spine, and once again, your chest.

All right, two hands on the seat.

All right, reach back with that right leg.

Left arm.

And now, once you feel stable, let's get that leg up.

Reach further with that arm.

Reach further with that leg.

[inhales and exhales] Stomach's in to support that low back.

Neck's neutral.

Hold it here for five, four, three, two.

Now, slowly bring the elbow to the knee.

[inhales] One, [exhales] exhale.

Extend.

Again.

Two.

[inhales] Extend, last one.

We'll switch sides after our extension.

Then two hands on the seat.

Reach that left leg back.

Right arm.

Make sure you feel good and stable, then get that leg off the floor.

Reach further through the shoulder.

Reach further back with the leg.

[inhales] Hold it here.

Stomach in to support that low back.

Neck neutral.

[exhales] Now let's bring the elbow to the knee for three.

[inhales] Big extension.

Two.

[inhales] Last one.

[exhales] Hold it here for just a few seconds.

And that's it.

All right, let's tuck your chin and we'll roll up slowly.

Good job, now, big, big, arms out, and arch that spine.

Swan dive down.

Tuck the chin and roll up.

Make sure your hips, hip bones move forward.

Exhale.

You wanna get those hamstrings to stretch.

[inhales] Last one.

[exhales] Exhale.

Roll it up slowly as we finish.

[inhales and exhales] Very good.

The body really is a miracle, and your active contribution to its daily care expresses appreciation and rewards you with good hormone release and less stiffness.

Plan to join me here tomorrow at pbswisconsin.org/quickfit, making it the priority that the rest of your day revolves around.

And please, share Quick Fit with a friend, so they too can live better, longer.

– Announcer: Funding for Quick Fit with Cassy is provided by Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programs and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.