• 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.
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Fish
• Lay on the floor on your back.
• Place your hands, palms down, under your bottom.
• Press your elbows into the floor to help lift your chest up toward the ceiling so your back is arched.
• Walk your elbows in toward each other a bit to enable you to lift your chest even further.
• Drop your head back and rest it gently on the floor.
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.
