HealthWatch-Getting 2024 off to a good start

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - The new year is a benchmark for a lot of reasons. So that makes it important to get 2024 off to a good start.

YMCA group exercise coordinator Nicole Craig has some easy ideas on how to make that happen in this week’s edition of HealthWatch.

“Hi and welcome to December’s HealthWatch. This month, we’re all about winding down and getting ready for the new year,” Craig said. “So we’re going to keep it nice and simple and do each move for about 30 seconds to a minute, run it through three or four times and you’ll be ready to go for January 1st.

“First one is a heel-toe walk. We’re going to purposefully step from the heel to the toe as we walk forward and then toe to heel to come back. This is going to work on our ankle mobility and our foot flexibility.

“Second move is a nice high knee march and that’s exactly all it is, just bringing the knees up as high as we can, standing up nice and tall, working on that single-leg balance. Because after the single-leg balance with the high knee march, we’re going to go right into our Christmas trees. Toes can be down. Feet can be up. Or you can bring the foot all the way up and we’re going to balance here.

“So about 10, 20 seconds on each side, whatever you feel comfortable with. And don’t forget to switch and do the other side so we’re nice and even. And after that, we’re going to turn into the stars that we are as we plant one leg on the ground and the other leg can be here with the arms out. Or we can take it up even further and just hold our star pose. And then switch to the other side, working on that balance as we head into 2024 nice and balanced. I’m Nicole Craig with HealthWatch.”

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