Emma Barry Murphy: Mindset is critical to reach fitness goals on week two of my 10-minute workout

Week two of our workout is all about pushing through - physically and mentally, says barre instructor Emma Barry Murphy  

Emma Barry Murphy of 'Barre by Emma'. Pic Larry Cummins

Take a moment to pat yourself on the back: You’ve made it halfway through September.

Whether the first two weeks of the month were spent helping your children settle back into school or getting back into a routine after the summer, it’s rarely easy.

Mid-September also marks the midpoint of our four-week challenge with barre instructor Emma Barry Murphy.

At this stage, it’s about pushing through the times when we don’t want to exercise. With the evenings getting darker and the rush at the beginning of the month behind us, it’s important not to lose focus.

There are two sides to the coin of pushing through, Barry Murphy says.

It can mean mentally disciplining yourself to exercise for just 10 minutes daily and physically pushing through what is known as the ‘barre shake’.

“Often, when you’re holding a position for a long time, and you’re pulsing, which is where you hold a move — lifting a tiny bit and lowering a tiny bit — it creates a shake in your legs, arms, whatever muscle you’re using.

“When people feel that shake, they stop. And it’s that shake and that burning sensation that you need to learn to push through.”

Your mindset is critical to staying the course. “We’re not motivated every day. You need to think: ‘Okay, it’s habit, and it’s consistency.’ This way, you’ll begin to build the habit into your daily routine and be conscious of when you don’t do it,” says Barry Murphy.

“It’s the minute you don’t do it that voice in your head will say, ‘Oh, you didn’t do it today. You know, maybe you could skip it tomorrow too.’”

And remember, it is just 10 minutes of your day. 

Week two 

Equipment: Chair (and for the bonus sequence, two light weights or two tins of tomatoes)

Part 1: Quick warm-up for the calves, shoulders and neck

Relevé or calf raise.

Part 2: Lower body 

• Calf raises
• Squats with heels raised (keep on the ground to make it easier)

Aim for 8 reps of each to start. You can increase the reps when feeling more confident with your form and positioning.

Second position plié with heels raised (leave them on ground to make it easier) 

Part 3: Second position pliés with heel lifts 

Follow the same directions as you set up for your first position, plié, and once you’ve found your rotation, step out wider than your hip distance. 

You need to keep a neutral pelvis so it doesn’t turn into a sumo squat. Imagine you’re trying to keep your upper body and pelvis between two panes of glass.

As you bend your knees, inhale and keep them wrapped back and tracking over your middle toes. As you stand tall, exhale and push your heels through the floor, squeezing your thighs and glutes. 

Also, try to think of your inner thighs squeezing together. This is a great exercise for the whole leg. You can also add heel raises to make it harder.

To start, aim for 8 reps of each. Increase the reps when you feel more confident about your form and positioning.

Straight leg lift or arabesque. 

Part 4: Leg extensions (also known as an arabesque)

• The ‘hinge’ over your chair is important for this move. For example, if you’re keeping your leg quite low, then you don’t need to lean forward so much. 
• Conversely, if you’re keeping your leg higher, then you’ll need to lean over your chair a little to compensate so you don’t feel it in your lower back. Think like a see-saw.
• Once you find the height of your leg, bend your bottom knee to anchor you to the floor. Lift and lower your straight leg. You need to keep your glute tight and squeeze the front of your thigh, lengthening your hamstring.
• Maintain a neutral pelvis.
• This position is held by your core muscles. Think of closing the distance between your ribs and hips and drawing the belly button to your spine. Inhale as you lower and exhale as you lift.
• Pulse and draw the leg in and out.
• Repeat on both sides.

To start, aim for 8 reps of each. Increase the reps when you feel more confident about your form and positioning.

Bonus arm sequence:

When following this arm sequence, keep your core braced and shoulders down to protect your lower back. You can do this weightless, or pick up your weights or cans of tinned tomatoes.

• Arm circles forward and back - arms to the side (8 reps of each)
• Stretch to straighten (8 reps) n Long arm pulses (8 reps)
• Front raise to lateral raise (8 reps)
• Palm flips in front (8 reps)
• Draw your elbows into your waist in a ‘W’ shape. Then press straight out with your arms, palms facing down.
• Soft elbow circles front and back - arms to the side (8 reps each way)
• Stretch Repeat twice for extra burn