The equipment you will need for level 1 this week is a large towel or mat. Be sure to warm up before performing the exercises below.
Hip thrust
Lie down on the ground with your knees bent and feet firmly planted on the floor. Brace your core, press your heels into the floor and drive your hips up. Pause at the top, making sure to squeeze your glutes. Then return back to starting position in a controlled motion. Make sure your back stays straight and chin tucked into the chest. Do not overextend the hips up to the ceiling, overarching the lower back. Continue for 30 seconds.
Step backs
Stand with your hands on your hips or by your side, to help you balance. Step one leg back, although instead of lunging, step back a short distance behind you and stay on your toes on the back foot. Then step back to centre and alternate over to the other leg. Continue alternating between legs for 30 seconds.
Curtsey lunge
Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip distance apart. Keep your back straight and your abdominal muscles engaged. Start by crossing the right leg back behind the left leg and at the same time bending the left knee and keeping it facing forward. Tap the right toe lightly behind you and come back to the starting position and repeat on the left side. Continue alternating between left and right for 30 seconds.
Bird dogs
Begin on all fours in a table-top position. Hands are directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips. Keeping your back straight, lengthen your right leg behind you, pressing your right heel into an imaginary wall behind you. At the same time lengthen out the left (opposite) arm in front of you. Then bring the leg and arm back to your table-top position and continue alternating for 30 seconds.
Side lunge
Begin standing with your feet wider than shoulder distance apart (roughly 1-1.5 meters). Start the move by sitting back with your glutes toward the floor and at the same time leaning into the right leg, the right knee will bend as you sit down towards the floor. Then come back up to a wide leg standing position and swap over to the left. Continue alternating between right and left sides for 30 seconds.
Knee plank
Start face down on a mat with body weight evenly distributed between your hands and knees, in a knee push up position. Keep your abdominals held tight to support the lower back, and keep your head aligned with the spine by looking directly down at your hands without dropping head forward. Continue holding for 30 seconds.