MaryKate Schmidt guides a slow full-body stretch for Day 21 of her 30-day Beginner Babe Challenge. She emphasizes that taking up to eight rest days won't erase your progress, then walks you through standing and floor stretches with cues to breathe through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
Hey hey squad, we are back in the Movement by MK studio and I am so excited to be here with you today. As always, we have day 21 of the Beginner Babe Challenge, which is dedicated to a slow stretch. So you've been doing this challenge with me for 21 days and you know I'm a huge advocate for just resting and recovering because of course if you're gonna make this transition to a healthier lifestyle and a long-term fitness routine, you gotta accept that some days you're gonna have to take rest days. And I promise you, you will not lose progress if you take 8 rest days. Okay, so that's what today is all about. Day 21, so close to the end. Remember to print out your challenge calendar, check off this stretch, and let me know that you did it. If you don't have the challenge calendar, be sure to subscribe. You can pick up this workout at any time. If you subscribe, I'll send you the workout right to your inbox. All right, you guys, let's get into your full body stretch. Our feet are going to be about shoulder width apart, and we're gonna drop it down into a forward fold, and we're going to have a slight bend in your knees and bring this arm up. Good. We're going to release it down, slight bend in the other knee, bring it on up. Give me a nice little flow stretch, releasing that arm, slight bend in the knee, bring it on up. Good. Drop it down, switch it outsides. Release that hand center, slight bend in the left knee, bring this arm up. This time you're gonna flex this foot and give me a nice little stretch here. Breathing in through your nose, sighing out through the mouth as you come over with that left arm up. Ah, good. Drop it on down, flex that foot, stretch it on out here. Good. Release your hands down center, slight bend in your knees, bring your arms up to the ceiling or sky. Drop it on down, bring your arms up to the ceiling or sky, releasing anything that's not serving you this week or today. We We hold at the top in 3, in 2, and 1. Hold it up here and reach. Good, bring it center, drop down, release your arms on up over to the side, drop down, circle it around, bring them up over to the side. Good, bring it center, drop down, circle it out, release to the side, bring it center, dropping on down, holding into this yogi squat. Taking a second here, roll out your neck. Good. Shifting your hips back into a forward fold, walking on out into a pretty plank, bringing your right leg forward, placing a little bit of pressure right here. Reach behind you with that gaze. Arm can come behind. Good. Release that hand down to your mat. Right leg is going to come back, left leg is going to come forward. Right hip drops down, left arm pushes a little bit, gaze comes behind. Option to release that arm behind. Good. When it feels right, straightening out, dropping down to your right knee, rolling it on up, extending left leg long, releasing everything down. Good. If that's too much, just release it up a little bit, but if you can, come into that deeper stretch. Good. Bringing this left knee with a slight bend in, dropping your hands on down, bringing your right leg forward, dropping that left knee down, extending right leg long, sliding hands on down. Good. Same thing, breathing in through your nose, sigh it out through the mouth as you lean in a little bit deeper. Good. Slight bend in your right knee. Those hands are going to drop on down. Right leg shifts back. This time you lower yourself down all the way to the mat. Bring yourself up into that baby cobra. Good. Drop it on down. Bring it on up. Doesn't it feel good to slow down a little bit today? Day 21. Drop down here. Good. This time bring it up. Allow your gaze to go up to the ceiling or sky. Big deep breath in. Sigh it on out as you come on down, shifting your hips back all the way into a child's pose, allowing that forehead to rest down on the mat. Allow your fingertips to extend a little bit longer, taking a moment to realize the more you put into the stretch, the more you're going to get out of it. Just like anything in this life we talk about all the time, where you put your energy is where things will grow and evolve and change. Today you're putting your energy into slowing your body down, giving back to your mind and body through a slow stretch. So in return, you can continue this journey on a positive note with a healthy body in mind. In order to progress, again, I say all the time, we have to take that step back, and that's what we're doing today. Remember that you won't lose progress. This is progressing you forward, not backward. Bring those hips forward, shift your hips back into a downward dog, feel free to allow those feet to come off the mat. Good. Dropping on down here, nice little calf stretch. Drop it on down, bring it up one more time. Walk your hands and feet to meet each other. Hold it here for just a sec. Good. Shimmy those feet a little bit closer together. Feel free to release your hands behind you here for just a sec. Lean into it, giving yourself a big hug here, stretching out that low back. If you can, straighten out the knees. If you need to have a slight bend, that totally works too. Releasing your hands on down, plant those fingertips underneath the front of your toes. Same thing, straighten out those legs if you can. If you need a slight bend, go for it. Feel free to reach for those opposite elbows, swing it out side to side, rolling it on up, bringing your arms up to the top. Big deep center stretch, bringing your hands to your heart, taking a second here again to remind yourself today is not about losing progress or being lazy or anything. Just because you skip a day or take a day to rest and recover does not mean that your results are going to go to the side. In order for you to continue on this journey, you really need to slow down and get back to your mind and body, like I said, through slow movements, through stretch and recovery. So as we continue this journey together on our 30-day challenge, think about how far you've come. Think about how much you've accomplished in such a short amount of time. Think about how you're able to continue to show up, not for me, but for you. That is what this time is for. So take a moment to set your intention for the day. Think about what you want to focus on, where you want to spend your time and your energy. And how you're going to continue to show up in this 30-day challenge. One big deep breath in, sigh it on out. Good work, you guys. Day 21 stretch complete. I know it's totally different than our normal workouts together. It is slower, but I'm telling you, it is so worth it. I'm so grateful for you each and every day that you continue to do this challenge with me. So don't forget, don't be a stranger. Send me that calendar checked off. Send this challenge to your friend to get her or him going on it, and I will see you for day 22. Have a good day. Bye.
