yoga

30 Day Challenge: Day 27: Yoga Flow and Stretch

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Hi Everyone!

Welcome to Day 27 of the 30 Day Workout Challenge! It’s a yoga flow and stretch. It’s quick (20 Minutes), but it will feel great to do some yoga. Stretching has been scientifically proven to improve muscle gains. Making yoga and stretching a normal part of your routine can help prevent injury and promote faster healing. I filmed this routine a few months ago, but I will be going through it again today. 

With yoga (and any exercise) it’s very important to listen to your body. You want to challenge yourself, but you never want to bounce in any poses (for example trying to touch your toes: reach as far as you can, but don’t bounce up and down to stretch further). 

Also, your balance can vary from one side of your body to the other. I have better balance standing on my right foot than my left. Everyone is different. Challenge yourself. 

I included an inversion in this routine. In the video I talk about supporting the pose through your arms. You do not want to put pressure through your head. If you don’t have the strength to do this yet keep building up to it. 

If you have uncontrolled or poorly controlled high blood pressure, neck problems (herniated disks, etc), or glaucoma skip the headstand. 

Health is more important than attempting to do a yoga pose or exercise. 🙂 

Enjoy the workout!
Melissa

PS Don’t forget to check in after your workout: Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 



30 Day Challenge: Day 16: Power Yoga Sun Salutations

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Hi Everyone!

I worked this morning, and then had a St. Patrick’s Day dinner with my family, so I haven’t had time to film today’s workout yet.  Here is an older workout that combines yoga with dumbbells. It is by no means a traditional yoga flow, but the combination of movements is very challenging and different. 

Studies have shown that stretching during your workout improves your bodies ability to build muscle. Flexibility also helps prevent injury. 

This yoga flow combines Sun Salutations with traditional fitness movements (lunges, rows, romanian deadlifts). I used two twenty pound dumbbells, but you can select any weight you would like, or complete the exercises with body weight only. For traditional sun salutations check out this link: https://www.benderfitness.com/2011/10/warm-upcool-down-sun-salutations/ 

Enjoy the workout!
Melissa


PS Don’t forget to check in for the challenge on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!


Repeat 1-4X

30 Day Challenge: Day 5: Yoga Stretch and Recover

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Hi Everyone!

Welcome to Day 5 of the 30 Day Challenge! It’s a yoga day! Time to stretch out all of those muscles and get rid of any soreness and lactic acid build up in your body. 

In addition to this workout I taught a longer variation of my Day 2 Cardio HIIT workout. We added 30 seconds of jump roping or high knees in place of the 10 seconds of rest, and we repeated the workout twice (for a total of 40 minutes) plus warm-up and cool-down. I definitely needed the yoga after that! 

Don’t forget to check-in on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter once you have completed your workout! 

I hope you enjoy the workout today!
Melissa

Belly Fat Burn Workout and 30 Minute Yoga Flow

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Hi Everyone! 

Happy Valentine’s Day! I didn’t get my workout in (yet!) today. I just got home from work and Jesse and I have dinner reservations and a fun evening planned. If I have time to film tonight I will get it posted early tomorrow. If I don’t I will be completing one of my favorite fat burning workouts: The Belly Fat Burn Workout. 

The video is posted below. I also included a 30 minute yoga flow video if you scroll to the bottom of this post. Thursday nights I teach an hour long yoga class. This isn’t the same flow that I taught this week, but it’s a good one. Don’t let the main image scare you. If you’re not ready to get upside down you don’t have to. 🙂 I demonstrate some movements you can use to build the strength necessary for Crow/Crane pose. The main difference between Crow and Crane (for any yogis out there that are wondering) is the arm position. In crow pose your elbows are bent allowing for some of the weight of your lower body to rest on the back of your arms. In crane pose the arms are straightened and support less weight, requiring you to lift through your core to raise the hips toward the ceiling. 

Crane Pose
Crow Pose



I hope you all have a great evening and enjoy the workout(s). There will definitely be a new workout posted tomorrow. 🙂

Melissa

Beginner: 10 reps, 30 second cardio intervals
Intermediate: 15 reps, 45 seconds cardio
Advanced: 20 reps, 60 seconds cardio

*Timed Cardio Burst between each exercise

1. Situp Crunch
2. Sumo Pushup
3. Heel Tap Leg Lift
4. Side Plank Hip Lift (right)
5. Side Plank Hip Lift (left)
6. Prone Heel Lift
7. Leg/Hip Lift
8. Knee Drop Plank
9. Bicycle
10. Clockwork Plank

 30 Minute Yoga Flow:

30 Day Challenge: Day 17: Yoga Stretch and Recovery

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Hi Everyone!
This is Day 17 of the 30 Day Workout Challenge. 🙂

This is an active recovery workout to stretch out the entire body, get the blood flowing to any tight muscles, and help remove any lactic acid build up from your body. This yoga flow takes 20 minutes. 

Yoga is amazing, because when you finish a yoga flow your body has a different kind of energy than it does when you finish a high intensity workout. If you are trying both today compare how you feel after each one. Additionally, research has shown that yoga increases your body awareness and decreases over eating. The theory is that as you raise awareness of your body you are able to more accurately interpret hunger signals vs boredom. 

I also got in a 3 mile run, so I am attaching a HIIT Cardio Workout video as well.  

I hope you all enjoy the Day 17 workout! I am late getting this posted, so Day 18 will be posted this afternoon. 🙂

Melissa

PS Keep Checking In! Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. 

15 Minute High Intensity Home Cardio Workout

30 Day Challenge: Day 5: Yoga Flow

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Hi Everyone!

Today is Day 5 of the 30 Day Challenge. On Thursday night’s I teach a yoga class, so I got in a great yoga flow today, and exceeded the 15 minutes of exercise for the challenge. 

I was planning on filming tonight, but we had a friend stop over so I attached a yoga video that I filmed about a month ago. It’s a 30 minute yoga flow, or you can pick on of the 30 workouts listed here that range between 15-25 minutes. 

Why do yoga? Yoga promotes flexibility, increased blood flow, decreased chance of injury, and lubricates your joints. Also, depending on the type of flow it can be a great active recovery day from your harder workouts. 

Enjoy and get ready for some good workouts this weekend! The challenge continues!

Melissa

PS The check-ins are motivating a lot of people (including me) to participate and stick with the workouts so be sure to keep checking in! You can comment, like, or tag pictures on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I want to know how you’re feeling and if you’re sticking with the challenge. 🙂

Other Yoga Flows can be found Here. 

20 Minute Yoga Flow and Stretch

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Hi Everyone!

This was my workout last night. It’s a yoga flow and stretch. It’s quick (20 Minutes), but it felt great to do some yoga. 

With yoga (and any exercise) it’s very important to listen to your body. You want to challenge yourself, but you never want to bounce in any poses (for example trying to touch your toes: reach as far as you can, but don’t bounce up and down to stretch further). 

Also, your balance can vary from one side of your body to the other. I have better balance standing on my right foot than my left. Everyone is different. Challenge yourself. 

I included an inversion in this routine. In the video I talk about supporting the pose through your arms. You do not want to put pressure through your head. If you don’t have the strength to do this yet keep building up to it. 

If you have uncontrolled or poorly controlled high blood pressure, neck problems (herniated disks, etc), or glaucoma skip the headstand. 

Health is more important than attempting to do a yoga pose or exercise. 🙂

Enjoy the workout!
Melissa



Strength and Stretch Yoga: 20 Minutes

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Hi Everyone!

Last night was a yoga night (the video of the flow is below). I have just over a week until my first half marathon, so I also got in some easy (comfortable pace) running miles. It is super hilly where I live so it can be challenging to get in an easy effort workout. Sometimes it’s just as important to slow down as it is to push hard. 

I really enjoyed this workout. It’s a great combination of stretching and strengthening. As with all workouts it’s important to push at your own pace/level of flexibility. It doesn’t matter if you can’t touch your toes (yet), what matters is that every time you do these exercises you recognize what your body is capable of and you respect that. If you respect your body it will return the favor and grow stronger and more capable. 🙂 

Stretches and yoga poses should not hurt. They should challenge you, and you should feel your muscles working, but never bounce in a pose or push a stretch further than you are able to. Flexibility comes with time and practice. It’s something that I really need to work on because I am not as flexible as I used to be, and it helps keep you safe and injury free. 

Enjoy the yoga flow!
Melissa





Stretching for Runners: IT Band, Shin Splints, Hip Flexors & Back

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1. Side Plank Hip Stretch (right)
2. Side Plank Hip Stretch (left)
3. Pigeon (right)
4. Pigeon (left)
5. 1 Leg Forward Fold (right)
6. 1 Leg Forward Fold (left)
7. Down Dog
8. King Arthur Pose (right)
9. King Arthur Pose (left)
10. Hip Opener
11. Runners Lunge (flexed to extended knee) (right)
12. Runners Lunge (left)
13. Back Stretch
14. Back Twist (right)
15. Back Twist (left)

Hi Everyone,

This is a yoga based stretching video for the lower body and low back. I created this stretch series to target areas that become tight with running and repetitive movements. It’s important to keep your muscles limber to prevent injury and speed recovery. 

With running, or any repetitive exercise movements, imbalances can occur in the body. When this happen your alignment is impacted (often in the form of an anterior or posterior pelvic tilt). This change in alignment can cause increased pressure on the knees and joints. 

There is a rumor out there that running will damage your knees and joints. This is not true. Running strengthens your bones and joints. However, if you are running with improper bio-mechanics and alignment you are repetitively using your joints and muscles incorrectly, and over time this can cause damage. 
Stretching, along with strengthening the antagonist muscle pairs can help prevent injury and keep you strong and safe. 

I had a tough workout planned for tonight, but the arch of my foot is feeling tender. I am taking tonight off to let it rest, and keep it from becoming an injury. I shared the Love HIIT: 10 Minute Dumbbell Workout on my facebook page today. It’s a good one! If you are looking for a challenging workout to try, check it out. 

See you tomorrow with a new workout!
Melissa

30 Minute Yoga Flow

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Hi Everyone,

Last night I wanted to get back to basics, and do a yoga flow. My body loved it! I worked up a great sweat, and challenged the muscles throughout my body. 

I incorporated movements with a lot of positive health benefits. The twisting movements enhance intestinal/digestive healthy and spinal suppleness/flexibility. Increased flexibility of the spine, and alignment means that your brain is able to transmit signals to your body more accurately. 

I also incorporated Plow pose which is linked to thyroid health and reduction of cellulite. It also improves drainage of the lymphatic system. 

Those are just a few of the benefits of this particular yoga flow. 🙂 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Gambit makes a guest appearance in the end of the video. 

Melissa


30 Minute Yoga Flow

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Hi Everyone,

Last night I needed to get in a nice soothing stretch/workout, so I did this yoga flow. It felt great to stretch out and do some yoga. 🙂 

I love the glow I feel after a yoga workout. It’s a combination of calm and energy. Studies have shown that people who practice yoga tend to be more in tune with their body. They recognize their bodies signals such as hunger and sickness more accurately than those who don’t practice yoga. 

When performing a yoga flow it’s important to focus on all aspects of the movement. Try to be present in the moment, and in tune with what you are experiencing. The practice of yoga can be very similar to meditation in that you learn to focus on what you are experiencing. 

Enjoy,
Melissa

Power Yoga Sun Salutation: Yoga Fitness Fusion

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Hi Everyone!

This workout was short, but I definitely maxed out my endurance during it! One round of my Power Yoga Sun Salutations and my arms were quivering so much I didn’t think I was going to be able to make it through the chatarunga push ups! 

This yoga flow combines Sun Salutations with traditional fitness movements (lunges, rows, romanian deadlifts). I used two twenty pound dumbbells, but you can select any weight you would like, or complete the exercises with body weight only. For traditional sun salutations check out this link: https://www.benderfitness.com/2011/10/warm-upcool-down-sun-salutations/
After completing this workout Jesse did his ab challenge and we headed out for a run. We ran 5.28 miles at a comfortable talking pace. 

Enjoy the workout!
Melissa

PS You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 

25 Minute Home Yoga Flow

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Hi Everyone!

This was my workout last night. It’s a 25 minute home yoga flow. It felt great to stretch and work my muscles at the same time. 

As with any workout, be sure to listen to your body. Move purposefully through each movement. Do not overstretch. Go to your limit. No bouncing during stretches. Stretch and hold the position, after a few seconds if you can move more deeply into the stretch go for it. 

Enjoy the workout, there will be a new one later!
Melissa

15 Minute Interval: Iso-Plyo Workout

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Hi Everyone!

Tonight’s workout is a combination of isometric and plyometric exercises. It is quick (15 minutes), but was a very challenging combination. 

Isometric exercises occur when the muscle is contracted, with no change in the length of the muscle during the exercise. Plyometrics are fast movements that cause quick contractions and lengthening of the muscles involved in the exercise (usually with some type of jumping). 


Both forms of exercise are beneficial, and they provide different benefits to your body. This workout helps to build muscular endurance, strength and speed. I found the static poses very challenging, especially Dancer Pose. It is quite different to go into this pose during a yoga flow, than immediately after a plyometric exercise. I had to modify the pistol squats, because my legs were completely out of energy by the end of the workout! I knew it would be challenging saving them for last, but I was surprised at the difficulty. Remember, form is number one! Better a modification than completing an exercise with poor form. 

I hope you all enjoy the workout! It can be repeated up to 3X. I followed this workout with a 3.5 mile run outside. I have been tired lately, but it felt great to get my workouts back on track. 🙂

See you tomorrow with a new workout!
Melissa


Advanced: Max Reps during each 50 second interval, 10 seconds of rest in between each exercise. 
Intermediate: 40 second interval, 15 seconds rest
Beginner: 30 second interval, 15 seconds rest

1. Frogger
2. Extended Hold
3. Mountain Climber Cross
4. Warrior 3
5. Jumping Lunge Kick
6. Warrior 3
7. Jump Squat
8. Dancer Pose (right)
9. Dive Bomber
10. Dancer Pose (left)
11. Side Lunge Tap
12. Boat Pose
13. Pistol (right)
14. Down Dog
15. Pistol (left)

Yoga Flow Workout: Lean Stretch Fat Burn

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Hi Everyone!

I asked on my facebook page what everyone wanted to see more of, and many people requested more yoga videos. Jesse and I teach fitness classes, yoga and boot camp, at a college near us, but we are off for the summer. I have missed teaching yoga flows, and it felt great to do a nice flow. 

This flow is short, about 20 minutes, but it can be repeated. Yoga is all about balance, so this workout helps tone and strengthen your entire body. Maintaining flexibility in your muscles and joints helps relieve pain and prevent injury. 

I am a firm believer in the benefits of yoga. I have presented (with three other talented researchers) at the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association conference on the use of yoga to improve self regulation skills in children. Our presentation was also accepted to be presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association conference. I have also presented on the use of yoga to prevent falls, and improve balance in the elderly. Yoga has benefits across the lifespan. 


In addition to this yoga flow Jesse and I had a very active day. We went to a trampoline birthday party. We spent an hour jumping on trampolines and playing dodge ball. We finished up our day with a 6.22 mile trail run. 

I am planning a new workout for tomorrow, so enjoy the yoga flow and I will see you soon!

Melissa

Yoga Arm Balance: Bakasana (Crane, Crow, Side Crow) How To

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Hi Everyone!

Yesterday I realized that it has been a while since I practiced any yoga arm balances. A lot of people want to achieve crow/crane pose, or side crane. I made this video to show you some ways to get into these poses. 

If you are first starting out it is a really good idea to place a pillow or rolled up mat on the floor in front of you. I don’t want anyone falling on their head! You can even start building to this pose by starting in headstand position, and balancing on your elbows. As you gain strength in your arms and core, and confidence in your ability to support yourself you can move onto the harder variations. 

Bakasana, the Sanskrit word for Crane/Crow (this pose is called both depending on where you take yoga), is the most important arm balance, because it provides a foundation for all other yogic arm balances. It will help strengthen your wrists, arms, core, and back. As you grow stronger and more balanced you will find that you are able to lift yourself higher, and straighten your arms. 
Once you are comfortable with Crane pose you can start experimenting with variations of the pose. To warm up your body you can start with a yoga flow or Sun Salutations. 

I hope that you all find this video useful! There is a new workout that will be posted soon, so be sure to check back!

Melissa

Extended Side Crane Pose


Side Crane/Crow Pose

Dynamic Yoga Flow

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Hi Everyone!

This was my workout last night. It’s different than my typical workout. It’s a combination of yoga poses, and strength training movements. I followed it up by running one mile on the treadmill. 

My sinus infection/cold hasn’t quite left me yet, so I have been exhausted for the past week. I was planning a new workout tonight, but I think my body needs some extra sleep to recover. I will definitely be doing a new workout tomorrow. 

I hope you all enjoy the workout, and are having a great holiday season. 🙂
Melissa

Stretch and Lean Yoga Flow

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Hi Everyone,

My calves were very sore from my workout yesterday and Sunday. I also ran with the girls from the cross country team today, so I desperately needed some stretching and yoga. At some point I really want to film a good yoga flow workout and share it on here. It is very difficult because of the upload time associated with longer videos. I’m not saying this is a bad video, it is just short for a yoga flow (this 18 minute video took 2 1/2 hours to upload). 

This flow did feel great, and it really helped stretch some of the areas that have been tight from my runs lately. If you have time I would definitely recommend going through it two to three times. 

It is so important to maintain your flexibility, and to maximize your strength gains through proper stretching. 

I hope you guys enjoyed the stretch, and I will see you tomorrow with a new workout. 
Melissa

Full Body Yoga Stretch

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Good Morning Everyone,

Last night I filmed this full body stretching routine. The moves in this video are all part of my normal stretching. As I mention in the video, I have been feeling that my hip flexors are getting a bit tight so I have been doing more stretching. 

Stretching has a plethora of benefits. It helps keep your muscles strong, and allows blood and oxygen to flow more easily to your muscles. Flexibility helps prevent injuries, and maintain alignment and balance throughout your body. 

Think of your muscles like leather. When leather is left out in the sun it shortens, and becomes dry and brittle. The same thing can happen to your muscles if you don’t stretch. The good news is that even if your muscles have already shortened, with dedicated stretching you can re-lubricate them and increase your range of motion. 

Also, tight muscles cause many problems. Back and knee pain are two of the leading problems that can be directly related the shortened muscles. Tight hamstrings, and tightness of the IT band can be very painful. 

So have I convinced you of the importance of stretching yet? If you don’t stretch already try adding it into your routine. If none of the reasons above have motivated you, maybe knowing that stretching can increase muscle gains when you workout will do it. 🙂 Whatever your reason, be sure to stretch!

Melissa

Challenge Yourself: Overcoming Fear

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Extended Side Crane Pose
Hi Everyone,

When was the last time you tried something challenging? If it was today, congratulations! Challenge leads to change, and increased strength. Challenges can show you just what you are capable of, and help show you what you need to do to grow stronger. 

Challenge can be physical, mental or a combination of both. Often the greatest challenge is overcoming the belief that you can’t do something. This belief creates a fear of trying that can be incredibly limiting. Without trial and error you never discover what you are capable of. It is through challenge that your body, and mind adapt and discover new abilities. 

My challenge to you today is to go outside of your comfort zone, and try something new. 

As you guys know I am a certified yoga instructor. In honor of Yoga Month I decided to challenge myself to start doing more arm balances. Arm balances require strength, balance, and overcoming fear. I have often found that when teaching students to do an arm balance, fear prevents them from successfully performing a pose that they are physically capable of. 

Stop letting fear limit you. The more you practice overcoming fear, the easier it becomes. Each time you do something that makes you nervous you become a little bit stronger, and before you know it you are doing something you didn’t know you were capable of. 

I am not just talking about physical fear. Fear of failure can be a huge hurdle in life. To me the only true failure is not trying at all. Remember, the biggest limitations in life are the ones you impose on yourself. They are formed by the things it never occurs to you to try. 

Good luck! Let me know if you accept my challenge, and what you are trying today.
Melissa

Side Crane Pose-Parsva Bakasana