Week 9: Balanced Strength: Front and Back

Theme: Balanced Strength: Front and Back Strength: Sargent's Back Extension Hold Lie face down on a mat. Place hands at your sides, palms up. Gently lift your head, chest, and legs a few inches off t...

Theme: Balanced Strength: Front and Back Strength: Sargent's Back Extension Hold Lie face down on a mat. Place hands at your sides, palms up. Gently lift your head, chest, and legs a few inches off the floor, using your back muscles. Hold 3 seconds. Lower slowly. Do not strain. 3 sets of 8 reps Source: Dudley Allen Sargent — Universal Physical Education (early 1900s) Walking: The Nature Walk Walk somewhere with trees, water, or open sky. Research consistently shows time in natural settings lowers cortisol. The walk is the prescription — the nature is the dose. 30–35 minutes, 2–3 times this week Source: William Blaikie — How to Get Strong and How to Stay So (1879) Stretching: The Thread-the-Needle Shoulder Release On all fours, slide your right arm under your body toward the left, lowering your right shoulder to the floor. Hold 30 seconds. Feel the upper back open. Repeat on the left. 6 minutes Source: Yoga Lessons for Developing Spiritual Consciousness (1911) Mindset: The Gift of Consistency "The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex tasks into small, manageable tasks." — William Blaikie Reflection: Look back at week 1. What could you do then that was hard? What is easy now? Source: William Blaikie — How to Get Strong and How to Stay So (1879) Challenge: Perform your strength exercises outside this week.