Plank

You may already be doing the plank in your pilates or yoga classes or with your personal trainer. If you aren't doing plank, now is definitely the time to start, as it is one of the very best exercises for the oblique abdominal muscles.

If you are new to plank, I suggest you start on your elbows (as pictured above) rather than on your hands. Start by lying face down on your exercise mat. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest. Prop yourself up to form a bridge, using your toes and forearms (as if you were in line like a plank of wood or preparing for a push up. Maintain a flat back and do not allow your hips to sag towards the ground.

Hold this position, focusing on tightening your abs and remember, BREATHE! Maintain the position until you can no longer achieve a flat bridge. Novices may want to start with 10 seconds and work up to 1 or 2 minutes.

When you feel more comfortable, position your plank with your shoulders directly over your wrists with arms extended.

As you become advanced, you can hold your plank for 1 minute, then do 25 push ups, and then hold plank again for a minute. If you have a baby or a toddler (or you could do this with your partner), position them under you so that when you go down to your push up, you give them a kiss! They'll be delighted and you won't mind quite as much doing some extra push ups.

To work your triceps, hold your plank and then bend your elbows back towards your feet keeping them close to your chest, hold the pose still in a flat bridge and above the ground. This is called chaturanga dandasana in yoga and is very challenging and EFFECTIVE.

For the superstars, try side plank. Lie on your side with your right hand on the ground or mat. Lift yourself up to form a plank with your right arm straight and your left arm on your side. Hold the position until failure and then repeat on the other side.

Now is the time to start working on those obliques for swimsuit season!

Massage

Christine Mire Rose, LMT, notes that just like pilates and personal training, the benefits of a full body massage accumulate with every session. It's important to consider your schedule and budget, and then make a massage part of your wellness routine. Whether it's once a week or once a month, you'll feel healthier and more relaxed with every session. People with health issues should consider a shorter 30-minute session once or twice a week.

Massage is also a great way to help manage almost any condition. A few common conditions that respond well to massage include: arthritis, back pain, neck pain, pregnancy, fibromyalgia, sciatic pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, insomnia, tension headaches, and stress.

Chris offers the following quick tips when you can't fit a massage into your schedule:

For back pain: Find the point on the sole of your foot where your heel ends at the base of your arch and press for 60 seconds. The point marks the end of the sciatic nerve and can help ease related back and leg pain.

Stress headache: When you feel a stress headache coming on , squeeze the groove between the thumb and index finger of your left hand with the thumb and index finger of your right hand for 60 seconds, then switch hands and repeat.

Fatigue/eye strain: Walk it off. Take a 5-minute break with a brisk walk, preferably outside. It will clear your head and give you a lift to ge through the rest of the day.

So,do some

spring cleaning of your body. Let someone's finger rid you of the Winter stress!