Move
RISE + SHINE: A 5-MINUTE WORKOUT TO KICKSTART YOUR DAY
You rub your eyes, stretch your body, roll out of bed, and you feel…stiff and sluggish. A barre3 class would do the trick, but what about on days when you don’t have the time?
We asked barre3 Producer and Instructor Trainer Andrew Ash to put together a barre3 sequence that would work out the morning kinks, boost our energy, and get our muscles firing before we head out for the day—all in fewer than five minutes.
A tall order, but Andrew was up to the task. His Rise + Shine sequence is both gentle enough for a stiff, sleepy body and dynamic enough to release endorphins, which studies have shown reduce stress hormones and boost energy.
STEP 1: TAP INTO YOUR BREATH
HOW: Take big, deep breaths, making sure your stomach—not your chest—is expanding with each inhale.
HOW LONG: 30 seconds
THE BENEFITS: By focusing on your breathing, you’ll both kickstart your energy and awaken your mind. Establishing this mind-body connection first thing in the morning will serve you all day long.
STEP 2: SUMO SQUATS, ADDING A SPINAL TWIST
HOW: Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder distance apart, toes pointed to 11 and 1 o’clock. With your hands on your hips, lower your body by dropping your seat, making sure your knees stay directly over the ankles. Take these squats slowly at first, speeding up as your body starts to get warmer. When you start to feel more limber, add spinal twists. With your hands on your knees, drop one shoulder and twist your torso on the downward motion, lifting back to neutral as you return to standing.
HOW LONG: 1 minute
THE BENEFITS: The Sumo Squats will get your blood flowing, lifting you out of your sleepy state. Your glutes will also fire in this one. This is a major benefit for anyone with a desk job—strong, activated glutes help protect your low back when you’re sitting.
You’ll also start to feel your heart rate rev after several reps. Adding the twist will help open up your spine, which can often feel stiff after sleeping all night. The combined Sumo Squats and twist is step one to opening up your hips—an area that’s tight in so many of us.
STEP 3: HORSE POSE WITH A SIDE-BODY REACH
HOW: Stand in Horse Pose, feet a little wider than Sumo position and toes pointed to 10 and 2 o’clock. With your hands on your hips, squat down, dropping your seat and making sure your knees stay directly over your ankles and are aligned with your outer two toes (if your knees start to buckle inward, take a position closer to Sumo). As you rise back to standing, channel your glutes to help you lean your upper body to one side and lift the opposite arm over your head.
You want to be gentle with your spine here, so be sure you’re leaning from your upper torso, not from your low-back. As you go back to your Horse Pose squat, bring your upper body back to neutral, with your hands on your hips.
HOW LONG: 2 minutes
THE BENEFITS: The last move opened up your spine vertically; this one opens it laterally. All this spine opening helps promote proper breath—a benefit that will help you all day long. Your obliques and glutes will fire in this one, helping you build a strong, stable core. This move is step two to opening up your hips, while giving you a great inner-thigh stretch at the same time.
STEP 4: ALTERNATING CAROUSEL HORSE
HOW: Start in Primary Position, feet hip-distance apart, hips neutral (not tucked or rotated back). With hands on hips, step one foot back and drop your body down, keeping your torso relaxed and upright as you bend both knees. There can be a tendency to drop a hip as you go down, so take care to make sure you keep them in neutral position. Your back knee should stay directly under your hips, your front knee stacked over your ankle. Your back knee can go as far down as the floor, or you can work higher—let your body tell you how deep you want to go here.
Alignment is key in this position. Take it slowly to give yourself time to focus on form. Use your glutes to power you back to standing, and then repeat the same move on the opposite side. If you’d like, you can add arms to this to get your entire body moving. As you bend down, drop your arms by your sides, fully extended. As you rise up, lift them to the sky. If you have knee or back pain in this position, hinge forward at the hips.
HOW LONG: 1 minute
THE BENEFITS: The base move targets every part of your lower body, especially your glutes. Your core works the entire time to keep you stable, making this one fantastic for improving balance. You’ll also open up your hip flexors, heat up your thighs, and get your heart pumping. If you add the arms, you’ll help open up your shoulders, which promotes good posture.
STEP 5: CHEST OPENER
HOW: Standing in Primary Posture, clasp your hands behind your back and lift them slightly. You don’t want your ribs to pop in this position. Instead, think about the collar bone opening and the shoulders rotating back so it’s your chest that opens, not your ribs. Inhale deeply, then exhale. Repeat three times.
HOW LONG: 30 seconds
THE BENEFITS: This move helps opens up the entire front of your core, stimulating your respiratory system and your circulation. It also does wonders for your posture, countering all that rounded-shoulder slouching that happens after too many hours at a desk. The deep breaths will help you feel centered and energized.
You rub your eyes, stretch your body, roll out of bed, and you feel…stiff and sluggish. A barre3 class would do the trick, but what about on days when you don’t have the time?
We asked barre3 Producer and Instructor Trainer Andrew Ash to put together a barre3 sequence that would work out the morning kinks, boost our energy, and get our muscles firing before we head out for the day—all in fewer than five minutes.
A tall order, but Andrew was up to the task. His Rise + Shine sequence is both gentle enough for a stiff, sleepy body and dynamic enough to release endorphins, which studies have shown reduce stress hormones and boost energy.
STEP 1: TAP INTO YOUR BREATH
HOW: Take big, deep breaths, making sure your stomach—not your chest—is expanding with each inhale.
HOW LONG: 30 seconds
THE BENEFITS: By focusing on your breathing, you’ll both kickstart your energy and awaken your mind. Establishing this mind-body connection first thing in the morning will serve you all day long.
STEP 2: SUMO SQUATS, ADDING A SPINAL TWIST
HOW: Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder distance apart, toes pointed to 11 and 1 o’clock. With your hands on your hips, lower your body by dropping your seat, making sure your knees stay directly over the ankles. Take these squats slowly at first, speeding up as your body starts to get warmer. When you start to feel more limber, add spinal twists. With your hands on your knees, drop one shoulder and twist your torso on the downward motion, lifting back to neutral as you return to standing.
HOW LONG: 1 minute
THE BENEFITS: The Sumo Squats will get your blood flowing, lifting you out of your sleepy state. Your glutes will also fire in this one. This is a major benefit for anyone with a desk job—strong, activated glutes help protect your low back when you’re sitting.
You’ll also start to feel your heart rate rev after several reps. Adding the twist will help open up your spine, which can often feel stiff after sleeping all night. The combined Sumo Squats and twist is step one to opening up your hips—an area that’s tight in so many of us.
STEP 3: HORSE POSE WITH A SIDE-BODY REACH
HOW: Stand in Horse Pose, feet a little wider than Sumo position and toes pointed to 10 and 2 o’clock. With your hands on your hips, squat down, dropping your seat and making sure your knees stay directly over your ankles and are aligned with your outer two toes (if your knees start to buckle inward, take a position closer to Sumo). As you rise back to standing, channel your glutes to help you lean your upper body to one side and lift the opposite arm over your head.
You want to be gentle with your spine here, so be sure you’re leaning from your upper torso, not from your low-back. As you go back to your Horse Pose squat, bring your upper body back to neutral, with your hands on your hips.
HOW LONG: 2 minutes
THE BENEFITS: The last move opened up your spine vertically; this one opens it laterally. All this spine opening helps promote proper breath—a benefit that will help you all day long. Your obliques and glutes will fire in this one, helping you build a strong, stable core. This move is step two to opening up your hips, while giving you a great inner-thigh stretch at the same time.
STEP 4: ALTERNATING CAROUSEL HORSE
HOW: Start in Primary Position, feet hip-distance apart, hips neutral (not tucked or rotated back). With hands on hips, step one foot back and drop your body down, keeping your torso relaxed and upright as you bend both knees. There can be a tendency to drop a hip as you go down, so take care to make sure you keep them in neutral position. Your back knee should stay directly under your hips, your front knee stacked over your ankle. Your back knee can go as far down as the floor, or you can work higher—let your body tell you how deep you want to go here.
Alignment is key in this position. Take it slowly to give yourself time to focus on form. Use your glutes to power you back to standing, and then repeat the same move on the opposite side. If you’d like, you can add arms to this to get your entire body moving. As you bend down, drop your arms by your sides, fully extended. As you rise up, lift them to the sky. If you have knee or back pain in this position, hinge forward at the hips.
HOW LONG: 1 minute
THE BENEFITS: The base move targets every part of your lower body, especially your glutes. Your core works the entire time to keep you stable, making this one fantastic for improving balance. You’ll also open up your hip flexors, heat up your thighs, and get your heart pumping. If you add the arms, you’ll help open up your shoulders, which promotes good posture.
STEP 5: CHEST OPENER
HOW: Standing in Primary Posture, clasp your hands behind your back and lift them slightly. You don’t want your ribs to pop in this position. Instead, think about the collar bone opening and the shoulders rotating back so it’s your chest that opens, not your ribs. Inhale deeply, then exhale. Repeat three times.
HOW LONG: 30 seconds
THE BENEFITS: This move helps opens up the entire front of your core, stimulating your respiratory system and your circulation. It also does wonders for your posture, countering all that rounded-shoulder slouching that happens after too many hours at a desk. The deep breaths will help you feel centered and energized.
