Which might mean more Netflix and chill, but is also a good time to recharge your mind and body. There’s always a spike in juice cleanses in the New Year with people ready to hit the post-holiday reset button and take a breather after the holidays.
But how do you exercise on a cleanse? Keighty Gallagher from Tight Club suggests taking it easy and working in some low-impact movements to relax your mind and muscles while helping to release unwanted toxins. It’s a chance to focus on yourself, maybe add in a little meditation, and really listen to how your body is feeling. Let’s dive right in to Keighty’s cleanse and flow workout.
Cleanse & Flow from Tight Club Athletics on Vimeo.
Approach this flow similarly to a flow you would experience in a yoga class with each movement seamlessly blending into the other. Imagine you are the icing and your mat is the cake; your challenge is to ice the smoothest cake ever.
This is not a race, take time to allow your body to engage each muscle with intention and make sure that you breathe. Dig deep into your movements and allow your body to strengthen, stabilize and stretch more and more after each round. Get ready to sweat, breathe, and stretch. Welcome to your home practice and enjoy the ride.
1. The Bend and Snap (1 rep)
a hamstring stretch that increases circulation to your brain and activates digestion
- Take your time with this guy; reach your arms back and close your eyes
- Imagine you’re just waking up and getting that last stretch in before you take on the day
- Inhale and briefly remind yourself of your intention, whatever that may be
- “This is my time to shine” / “I will do 5 rounds of this flow” / “Coffee will come soon”
- Exhale and slowly bend forward keeping your knees soft and hamstrings taut; take a moment to feel the stretch in the backs of your legs
- Plant your hands on the ground and hop your feet back into your plank position
2. The Prowler (3 reps)
engages upper body strength: shoulders, back and core
- From plank, shoot your hips back to downward dog
- Inhale and bend your knees so your hips drop low
- Exhale and pull your body forwards back into plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists
- Keep your elbows close to your sides and proceed into a pushup; knees can come down if needed
- Flow back to your squatting downward dog position and repeat two more times
3. The Twisted Lunge (4 rep)
increases spine mobility while aiding in digestion and circulation; releases stress and anxiety
- After your third pushup, stay in plank position
- Engage your core and plant your right foot up to the outside of your right hand
- Rotate your left wrist counter clockwise and reach your right arm up, exhaling to deepen your twist and glute stretch
- Repeat on the other side reaching your left arm up
4. The Back Squat (5 reps)
back strengthening, lower body, grounding focus
- Hop or step your feet forward into a perfect squatting position with knees over your shoe laces and butt at the same height as your knees
- With your spine as straight as you can, imagine you’re reaching up towards a set of oars and row your elbows back
- Keep your elbows high and away from your body, as if you’re using your scapula to squeeze the juice out of a grapefruit
- Hold your squat the entire time as you complete a total of 5 rows
5. The Rocket Squat (6 reps)
cardiovascular kickstart, a functional movement that gets your entire body turned on!
- Spring out of your static squat as high as you can
- Now is your chance to wake up your heart and feel a light burn in your quads
- If you arent awake yet, you will be after 6 of these
After your 6th rocket squat, take a moment to re-centre yourself, raise your arms up to trigger the start of your next round of the flow, and let her rip!
Images and video by Valerie Legere.