1: Stella Starters

How She Does It
Repeat A, B, and C, 8-12 times.

Why She Does It
This stability exercise challenges the core and mind.

Position
Start on all fours. Align shoulders with your wrists and place knees just ahead of your hips, in line with the navel. Feet a few inches wider than hip width, toes tucked under. Hold knees an inch off the floor. Back straight and abdominals engaged.

Action
A. Root both hands and one foot into the ground. Slowly lift the other foot no more than an inch from the floor. The challenge is to keep your hips level as you move. The abdominals remain engaged throughout.

B. Now do the same with the hands. Focus on rooting both feet and the non-moving hand into the ground. The moving hand hovers no more than an inch from the ground.

Alternate the lifting hand. Repeat 8-12 times.

C. Finally, slowly lift opposite hand and foot again no more than an inch off the floor and return . Alternate sides focusing on lifting and lowering the hand and foot at the same time

Hot Tip
This exercise is about focus and perseverance. Before you move, concentrate on the stillness in your hips, the engagement of your abdominals, and the feeling of being grounded to the floor.

2: Diamond Press

How She Does It
Repeat one set of A , B and C

Why She Does It
This exercise draws from Pilates, challenging the abdominals isometrically.

Position
Lie on your back in neutral spine. Your arms are by your side with palms faced up. Legs are in the air bent at 90 degrees. Toes together and knees hip width apart. Your thighs should remain perpendicular to the floor and your lower legs should be parallel to the floor. Maintain these joint positions throughout the movement.

Action
A. Draw the lower abdominals upwards and inwards, keeping the spine neutral. Slowly lower both legs until your toes touch the ground and then return to the starting position. Keep your spine and pelvis completely still and breathe normally. If you press deeply about 2cm in from the bony prominence at the front of your pelvis, you should be able to feel the muscle contracting.

B. Repeat the move with arms in the air, finger tips pointing to the sky.

Hot Tip
If you find that you’re over-arching the spine then I would prefer you try lowering just one foot toward the ground and back to the start position, before alternating to the other foot. You can do this with arms down and then with arms in the air.

3: Gazelles

How She Does It
Repeat 8-12 times on one side before switching legs.

Superset this exercise with Side-Kicks so you repeat both exercises twice through.

Why She Does It
Designed to work the butt whilst challenging co-ordination, flexibility and balance.

Position
Stand on your left leg with your right knee bent towards the chest, arms by your side.

Action
Lunge the right leg back whilst simultaneously placing both hands on the floor in line with your shoulders and extend the left leg behind you. Focus on squeezing the left butt. Be mindful to engage the abdominals, keeping the back neutral.

Reverse the move by stepping the left leg forward and bring yourself back to standing, raising the right knee back towards your chest.

Hot Tip
If you’re struggling with balance then you can perform this exercise by starting on both legs rather than one.

4: Kick Throughs

How She Does It
Repeat 16-20 times, alternating sides.
Superset with Gazelles so you repeat both exercises twice through.

Why She Does It
This one comes from animal flow practices and challenges stability, co-ordination and endurance

Position
Start on all fours. Align shoulders with your wrists and place knees just ahead of your hips, in line with the navel. Feet a few inches wider than hip width, toes tucked under. Hold knees an inch off the floor. Back straight and abdominals engaged.

Action
Rotate your body to the right, extending your left leg into a kick. Keep your foot pointed about an inch above the ground. Your right heel should be pressed flat into the floor as the right hand lifts and draws back as if to “open the sling”.
From here, forcefully pull the kicking leg back under your body and return to the start position. Repeat to the other side. The movement should be deliberate and slow enough to maintain form.

Hot Tip
It’s important to make sure you return back to the all fours position, rather than jumping the leg through from side to side with no form. Slow the move down as much as you need to achieve this.

5: Bridge Kick Ups

How She Does It
Repeat 8-12 times each side

Superset with Lunge Step-Ups and repeat both exercises twice through.

Why She Does It
Isolates and strengthens the butt muscles, hamstrings, and lower back.

Position
Place your head and shoulders on stable chair or bench. You may wish to place a towel down first. Feet are under your knees, hip width apart with toes pointing forwards. Raise your hips to create one straight line from shoulders to knees.

Raise one leg in the air hip level

Action
Lower the hips under control towards the floor. From here squeeze your butt as you raise the hips back to the start position. Be mindful to keep the pelvis level throughout.

Hot Tip
This is a challenging exercise and if you find it hard to keep the hips level then keep both feet on the floor , weight through heels and repeat 12-15 times.

6: Lunge Step-Ups

How She Does It
Repeat 8-12 times each side

Superset with Single Leg Bridge Ups and repeat both exercises twice through.

Why She Does It
Works and sculpts the legs and butt.

Position
Stand 6 inches away from a stable chair or bench. Spine is long, shoulders back, gaze forward.

Action
Place your left leg on the chair and push your weight into your heel as you step up, raising your right knee to hip height.

Return to the start position and step the left leg backwards until your knee almost touches the floor and the right knee is bent at 90 degrees. From here move straight back into the step up.

Hot Tip
You can work off a lower step or the ground to start and build up to the chair when you feel comfortable. To advance the move you can hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides or a kettle bell at chest height. Choose a weight where you can maintain a straight spine and good form.

7: Circling Scorpions

How She Does It
Repeat 6-8 times each side
Superset with Sweeping Curtseys and repeat both exercises twice through.

Why She Does It
Opens up the front side of the body’s anterior chain whilst simultaneously activating the posterior chain. Works the abdominals.

Position
Come into full plank on your hands and feet, shoulders in line with the wrists. Back is straight and the neck long as you gaze down towards the floor.

Action
Engaging the abdominals, travel your right knee across the body to gently kiss the back of your left and then right wrist.

From here draw the right heel in a circular motion out and up as you shift your hips back towards the sky. The head gently falls between your straight arms.

Hot Tip
Alternatively, you can perform the exercise working from plank and travel the knee to both wrists and return to plank, excluding the scorpion.
Whichever variation you choose move with grace and mindfulness.

8: Sweeping Curtseys

How She Does It
Repeat 8-12 times each leg
Superset with Circling Scorpions and repeat both exercises twice through.

Why She Does It
Works the entire leg musculature whilst incorporating balance, co-ordination, and flexibility.

Position
Stand with feet together, arms by your side.

Action
Step the left leg out to the side in a lunge position so the knee bends at 90 degrees. The right leg remains straight with your heel firmly on the floor.

The Left arm reaches up and gently back to open the chest whilst the right hand reaches towards the floor.

From here place your weight into the right foot. Think of rooting down to the ground as you sweep the left leg diagonally across and in front of you, dropping the right knee into a curtsey position. Arms at your side, palms facing forward, chest lifted, and spine straight.

Hot Tip
If you’re struggling with balance then try stepping the legs back together, between the side lunge and the curtsey, so that you don’t sacrifice form.

9: Stell-Activators

How She Does It
Repeat 8-12 times.

Superset with Triceps Press and repeat both exercises twice through.

Why She Does It
Works the abdominals and challenges shoulder stability.

Position
Come into plank position on your forearms. Your shoulders are in line with your elbows. Neck long and gaze to the floor.

Action
Focus on scooping the belly in towards the spine so that your hips lift a few inches vertically. From here keep the scoop and drop the hips over to one side. Come back to centre and once again focus on scooping up before lowering the hips to the opposite the side.

Hot Tip
Think of lifting your hips up and over as you scoop the belly in and up (in yoga this is the connection to mulabunda).

10: Tricep Press

How She Does It
Repeat 8-15 times

Superset with Stell-Activator and repeat both exercises twice through.

Why She Does It
This press-up position focuses on the back of the arms.

Position
Come onto all fours and place your hands together, directly under your sternum, with the tips of your index fingers and thumbs touching. Your fingers and thumbs should form a diamond shape. Shift your body weight forward so the shoulders come past the wrists.

Action
Bending at your elbows, inhale and lower your chest toward the floor as the elbows move out to the sides. Exhale to straighten your arms.

Hot Tip
If you find this exercise too easy either increase the reps up to 30 or try the exercise in full press up position with feet separated so they’re about shoulder-width apart.

11: Stretching Star Bursts

How She Does It
15- 20 times .
Repeat one set each side.

Why She Does It
Works the obliques (waist) and outer thighs whilst stretching through the groin area.

Position
Kneeling upright, step your right leg out to the side at 90 degrees so the knee is in line with the foot. Toes turned outwards, arms by your side.

Action
Stretch your body over to the right so your left hip travels inward.

Return to the start position and place your left hand on the floor as you extend the right leg out and up for two pulses. The right arm simultaneously reaches up to the sky.

Hot Tip
Watch your alignment during this one. Keep the hip open as you move into the stretch.

12: Balancing Attitudes

How She Does It
15-20 times.
Repeat one set each side.

Why She Does It
Works the butt, challenges balance, and opens up the front line of the body

Position
Come on to all fours. Lift your right bent leg so your knee forms a right angle with the hip. Lift your right arm to the sky with the palm facing forward so you come to balance on your left hand, knee, and toes. Draw your left hip into the body.

Action
From the right angle position raise your knee 2 inches up and down. Focus on lifting from the butt.

Hot Tip
You can do this exercise on all fours as well.