5-Minute Fitness: Full Body Balance

Bird Dog

1 Get on all fours on a mat. For extra cushioning, place a folded towel under knees. For sensitive wrists, close hands and place knuckles on the mat.

2 Tighten abdominal muscles and draw shoulder blades together.

3 Raise right arm and left leg, keeping shoulders and hips parallel to mat.

4 Tuck chin into chest and look down at mat.

5 Hold for a count of up to 5. Then return to start position.

Repeat Steps 2-5 on other side.

Repetitions: Gradually work up to 2 sets of 4 repetitions twice weekly.

This article appears in the January/February 2023 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.