Emma Barry Murphy: Week four of my 10-minute workout series has 'glorious stretches'

The final week of Emma Barry Murphy’s exercise challenge is all about increasing your flexibility. These ‘glorious’ stretches are designed to lengthen and strengthen your muscles

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

As the month comes to a close, so does our four-week challenge for September Reset, though that doesn’t mean you need to say goodbye to your new exercise habit.

Barre instructor Emma Barry Murphy has covered a lot of territory over the last three weeks. In week one, it was all about dynamic stretching and mobility, core and glute activation, and the demi-plié in first position.

In week two, the focus was on pushing through, both when we don’t want to exercise and when we feel what is known as the ‘barre shake’. Last week, we reviewed pacing exercise routines, while ensuring the basics were covered.

By now, followers of the programme will have nailed down these elements, so it’s time to reward our bodies with, as Barry Murphy puts it, “some glorious stretches”.

“Stretching is something we definitely don’t do enough. We need to make sure we understand how and when to perform them.

“In the simplest explanation, when we’re warming up (about to begin exercises), we want to keep our stretches dynamic with some small movement, and then, when we’re cooling down or working on our flexibility or range of motion, we want to hold static stretches and use our breath to help us maintain these stretches.”

Barry Murphy recommends warming up with a short three-minute walk or dynamic stretching exercises, such as those we covered in week one.

It’s important not to push yourself too hard with this week’s routine, which will help you stretch muscles you may not have reached.

Take some time to praise yourself: You’ve made it through our four-week challenge

“Well done. You’ve learned the principles of barre. You’ve learned how to pulse. You’ve learned how to hold. Hopefully, you’ve brought a greater sense of core awareness to your workouts,” says Barry Murphy.

Why not continue our four-week challenge or incorporate these elements into your fitness routine? You’ve carved out 10 minutes of your day for this challenge and deserve to keep them for yourself.

Week four

If you’re a little stiff or struggle with your range of motion, an item — a rolled-up towel, long looped resistance band, or even a hoodie — that extends your arms can be helpful. 

You may also need a mat or something smooth to lie on.

With all these stretches, try to hold for six to seven seconds.

Exercise routine 

Part one: Warm up so that we’re not stretching from ‘cold’. You can skip this part if you’re doing this after a run or other exercise.

• Cat/Cow: Kneel on the floor in an all-fours position, keeping your knees below your hips. Put your hands on the floor in front, keeping them shoulder-width apart. Taking a deep inhale, lift your chest, tailbone, and eyeline while dropping your belly and relaxing your abs (cow). As you exhale, round your lower back, and tuck your chin to your chest. Draw your belly button to the spine, tilting your pelvis up (cat). Repeat three times.
• Thread the needle: Start on all fours, with your hands below your shoulders and your knees below your hips. Take your left hand and move it under your right, stretching your back as you push your hand forward. Pull out and reach your left hand upwards before repeating and swapping hands.
• Low runners’ lunge with rotation: On all fours again, step your left foot outside your hands into a low lunge stance. Your left leg should be at a 90-degree angle, keeping your knee above the ankle. Your back knee can be on or off the mat, but make sure you feel a stretch in your hip. Rotate your hip in a full circle and repeat before swapping legs.

Glute stretch.

Part 2: Glute stretch 

Figure four stretch: Lay down on your back and bend your knees. Put your left foot across your right leg, scoop the back of your right leg, and pull to your chest. Repeat and swap legs.

Seated cross-legged stretch: Ensure you’re sitting up nice and tall and cross your left leg over your right. Twist toward the left leg and apply as much pressure against the thigh as possible, drawing close to the body to feel the glute stretch.

Breathing is key in these two poses — inhale and exhale deeply.

Hip stretch.

Part 3: Hip stretch

Starting in a low runner’s lunge, stay still and breathe into the pose. Keep your back knee on the floor to make it easier.

Add a lunge stretch. Make sure your pelvis is in neutral and you’re squeezing your back glutes.

Hamstring stretch.

Part 4: Hamstring stretch 

From this position, hinge at the hips. Keeping your spine nice and long, you’ll want a diagonal line from the crown of the head to your tailbone. Test out the length of your leg that works for you. You may need a slight bend of the knee or keep it straight.

You can also do your hamstring stretch lying on your back with one leg bent and the other in the air. If you can’t grab your bent leg, this is where your item — a towel or looped resistance band, etc — comes in. Wrap it around your thigh, calf, or ankle and gently draw it towards you. Be sure to breathe, and if you increase the stretch, pull the leg toward you as you exhale and hold, keeping your breathing consistent.

Part 5: Inner thigh stretch

Start in the table-top position with your hands underneath your shoulders and knees underneath your hips.

Lengthen one leg to the side in line with your hip and point your foot and toes forward in the same direction as your fingertips.

Maintain a tall spine and shift your body weight to increase the stretch. Relax and breathe as you hold the stretch.