Challenge yourself with Fila and Cityline! Take Fila’s 30-Day Challenge using the Four Pillar workout provided by Dr. Stacy Irvine! Register at http://platform.cityline.ca/fila/ and tell us the Fila outfit that best suits your workout style! And take a look at Dr. Stacy Irvine’s most important exercises for your body to get fit for summer.

Pillar 1- Cardiovascular:

The best form of training for cardiovascular fitness is interval training. This means that you go at a high intensity for a period of time and then a lower intensity for a period of time. For this workout, let’s try 2 minute intervals with 30 seconds of rest.

Running or Speed Walking. Bring a watch with a second hand and you are all set.  Work at a high intensity by running or speed walking for 2 minutes and then slow it down for 30 seconds and repeat. Complete this series 6-8 times and you are done your cardiovascular workout!

If you are not able to go outside for your workout, you could try this running stairs indoors. Another alternative is skipping rope for 2 minutes and then a 30 second break.

Pillar 2- Strength:

To develop strength, you will want to make sure your effort is hard enough so that your muscles work at a high enough level to cause them to adapt and become stronger. If at the end of 10-12 repetitions you are feeling very tired, that is a good level of intensity. Here is your strength workout:

Push-Ups. 10-12 repetitions with either knees on the ground (beginner) or legs straight (advanced). Make sure your body is in a straight line and that your elbows bend to 90 degrees at the bottom of the movement.

Squats. Put a chair behind you and squat so that your glutes just touch the chair lightly. Repeat 10-12 times. If this move feels too easy switch to a one leg squat (advanced).

Tricep Dips. Start by sitting on a chair with your hands behind you, fingers facing forward. Shift your hips forward and then lower your body down until your elbows are at 90 degrees. For beginners, you will want your feet flat on the floor. For advanced, you can have your legs out straight.

Superman Lifts. Lying on the floor on your stomach, reach your arms out straight and your legs out straight with your toes pointed. Think about reaching as far as you can with your arms and your toes away from each other, then slowly lift your chest and legs off the floor and hold for 10 seconds. Lower down and repeat 10 times.

Legs Lowering. Lying flat on your back lift both legs in the air.  Slowly lower one leg down to the floor and then bring it back up. Repeat on the other side.  Complete 10 repetitions on each side. For beginners, you will be able to bend your knees and for advanced keep your legs as straight as possible.

Hip Lift. Lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, slowly lift your hips up as high as possible.  Make sure to contract your glutes to help you move your hips. For beginners, you will have two feet on the ground. For advanced, you will have one leg on the ground and the other in the air. Repeat 12 repetition

Pillar 3- Active Range of Motion:

90-90. Sitting with both of your knees flat on the floor and legs bent at 90 degrees, you will first lean toward your front leg with a straight posture and push your front leg into the floor for 20 seconds- as hard as you can. Then you will try to lift your front leg away from the floor for 20 seconds. Now you will lean toward your back leg and repeat the same sequence. Push it into the floor for 20 seconds and then try to lift away from the floor for 20 seconds. Repeat three times on each side. This is a great hip mobility exercise.

Hamstring-Lat Stretch. Start by standing up with very straight posture. Slowly bend at your hips and lower your body down as far as you can go- without changing the position of your lower back. Your lower back should feel slightly arched, or in neutral spine position. Once you have figured out how far down you are able to go, find a surface to reach your hands out and place them on. A counter top would work well. You will want to have your thumbs pointing straight up. From this position, push down with your hands as hard as you can for 20 seconds. Then one at a time, try to lift them up and hold each hand above the surface for 20 seconds. Stand up between each repetition to give your back and hamstrings a break. Repeat four times on each hand.

Downward Dog and Plank. Start in a straight plank and hold this position for 20 seconds. Move your hips up as high as possible and hold in a Downward Dog Yoga position for 20 seconds. Repeat four times in each position.

Pillar 4- Balance and Coordination:

Single Leg Reach. Place an object that is approximately one foot high three feet in front of you. Start by standing up as straight as possible, balancing on one foot.  With your foot in the air, reach forward to touch the object on the floor with your hand. Return to your standing position and try to repeat without touching your foot down between repetitions. Do 10 touches with one hand and then use the same leg and repeat the touches with the other hand. Switch feet and repeat on the other side.

Bird Dog Touch. Lower yourself down to the floor in a position of hands and knees. You will want your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Lift your right arm straight out in front of you while at the same time your left leg reaches straight out behind you. Then bend them both in and try to touch your elbow to your knee. Repeat this move on one side for 20 repetitions and then switch to the other side and repeat 20 repetitions.

Single Leg Balance. A very simple balance exercise is just to place your hands on your hips and lift one leg up to balance on the other leg. Time yourself and see if you can stay on one side without touching down for 30 seconds. Then try it with your eyes closed, and for more advanced training, try this on an unstable surface.

Courtesy Dr. Stacy Irvine

http://platform.cityline.ca/fila/

http://www.filacanada.com/