• Lie on the floor with your legs straight up toward the ceiling at a 90 degree angle.
• Place your arms alongside your body with palms down.
• Press into your hands and engage your abs to lift your legs up and over your head.
• If your legs don't touch the floor behind you, place your hands on your back to support your weight.
• If your toes do hit the floor, clasp your hands together and try to roll your shoulder blades together under your body.
• Hold for 45 seconds and gently roll through your spine to release the pose.
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Shoulder Stand
• Lie on the floor on your back with arms at your sides, palms down.
• Press your hands into the floor as you lift your legs up into the air toward the ceiling and then over your head into the plow pose you just read about.
• Place your hands on your lower back, spreading your fingers wide.
• Slowly lift your legs straight up toward the ceiling one leg at a time.
• Try to make your body as straight as possible by walking your hands down your back closer to your shoulder blades.
• Hold for one to three minutes. Gently release and roll through your spine to return to the mat.
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Downward-Facing Dog
• Start on your hands and knees. Hands should be shoulder-distance apart with palms flat on the floor.
• Bend your knees, engage your abs, and pull yourself back into what looks like an inverted V. Feet should be shoulder-distance apart.
• Try to reach your heels to the floor and your butt up toward the ceiling.
• Relax your neck.
Photo 5/7
Forward Bend
• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
• Hinge forward from your hips to bend down toward your toes.
• Relax your neck and cross your arms.
• Hold for 45 seconds to a minute.
Photo 6/7
Dolphin
• Kneel on the floor and rest your forearms on the ground (at shoulder-width) with fingers interlaced.
• Press your forearms into the floor and straighten your legs into a downward dog-like shape.
• Look up a bit and move your chest forward until your head is hovering right over your hands.
• Hold for a few seconds and then press back to where you started.
• Don't let your shoulders shrug up toward your ears and keep your abs tight.
• Repeat the small movement (forward and back) five to 10 times. If the movement is too tricky for you to do, simply hold the pose without moving for about 45 seconds.
Sure we all stock our medicine cabinets with the latest anti-aging lotions and concoctions, but what if the secret to youthful skin isn't contained in one of these bottles or tubes?
Scary thought, huh? What the heck would we do then? The answer: exercise and stretching.
OK, OK, we know this isn't what you wanted to hear, and we're not saying you need to go out and run a marathon to ditch your lines and wrinkles (actually, that might make your face sag even more), but what we are saying, rather what Kimberly Fowler, founder of YAS fitness centers and author of "The No Om Zone" is saying, is that there are "anti-aging yoga poses" you can easily incorporate into your current workout or add to your daily routine in order to help fight the unflattering signs of aging.
What sets these "anti-aging yoga poses" apart from the other hundred or so moves is that they all create an action where your "head goes below your waist," says Fowler. This action causes "blood to rush toward your head," which improves circulation -- especially in your face and head. With improved circulation comes "greater delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the skin," says dermatologist Dr. Jeannette Graf, M.D. Healthy skin cells will help boost collagen production, which will in turn keep your face looking plumper and less wrinkled.
Not to mention that this and other workouts for women also "stimulate lymphatic drainage, which rids the body of waste products," says Graf. Getting rid of waste keeps skin clear and glowing. You also breathe more when doing moves like this (or should be -- please don't hold your breath while holding these poses), which also helps blood flow more rapidly all over your body. This action alone will help your skin produce more collagen. Pretty nifty, eh? What's even more rewarding is that these workout moves, unlike your precious creams, won't cost you a penny. Check out the anti-aging moves you should add to your workout -- now.
