Stretch and strengthen your muscles with Essentrics!
Essentrics is a fitness program that consists of a series of full body dynamic stretching and strengthening exercises. It was developed by a Canadian mother/ daughter team, Miranda and Sahra Esmonde-White, while Sahra was writing her Master’s Thesis. The exercises used in Essentrics stretch the muscles and then strengthen the muscles in the elongated position.
The exercises appear like a very fluid dance routine indicative of the founders’ dance background. In the following video, Essentric’s co-developer Sahra Esmonde-White describes a demonstration of three basic Essentrics stretches to get you started:
Essentrics Exercise 1 is a shoulder arm reaching stretch that is usually performed at the beginning of class to stretch out your shoulders and strengthen your abs and sides.
Essentrics Exercise 2 is a reaching side stretch with a lunge to strengthen your sides and abs.
Essentrics Exercise 3 is a controlled leg reach and lift to work on your outer thighs or saddlebag region.
With each of these exercises, full extension and proper posture is emphasized. Your own body weight is used as the resistance for the exercises. This workout is great for anyone wanting to increase their flexibility, range of motion and aid in injury recovery.
Is Essentrics a workout you’d like to try? Check out their website for more information on classes in your area, teacher certifications, additional video clips and information on how to order DVDs.
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