Many of us here at Designer Whey are big fans of Dr. Oz. We admire his passion and commitment for helping people live their best lives everyday. Dr. Oz is a huge advocate of daily stretching first thing in the morning. Specifically, he does a 7-10 minute yoga routine every morning that although simple to do, has great benefits that last all day long.

When recently asked about his morning routine, Dr. Oz replied:

“I get up about a quarter to six. I always do a morning yoga stretch that’s about seven minutes long. There’s a reason why it’s seven minutes long: because it’s hard to admit to yourself that your life is so out of control that you can’t carve out even seven minutes in the morning.”

Dr. Oz was then asked if he had to offer only three health tips, what would they be? He replied:

“If I had to cut it down to three, the first thing I’d say is to have some stretching routine that you do every day. Yoga happens to be my favorite because there’s some muscle-building elements to it as well, and it can be cardiovascular, but the stretch is the important part.”

We salute you Dr. Oz, and thank you for keeping us inspired! We are dedicating the Sun Salutation - our move of the week - to you!

Surya Namaskar, the Sun Salutation, is a series of 12 postures performed in a single, graceful flow. Each movement is coordinated with the breath. Inhale as you extend or stretch, and exhale as you fold or contract. The Sun Salutation builds strength and increases flexibility.

There are so many benefits of the Sun Salutation. Here are just a few:

• Strengthens abdominal muscles
• Promotes healthy digestion
• Detoxifies the body
• Gets oxygen flowing through the blood
• Improves memory
• Promotes better sleep and helps relieve anxiety
• Regulates the thyroid gland
• Improves overall flexibility
• Tones and strengthens muscles

For those of you who don’t know how to do the Sun Salutation, we recommend taking a yoga class or getting a yoga DVD. For anyone skeptical about yoga or even intimidated, you’ll be happy to know that yoga is a highly-touted component to a successful exercise regimen. It complements cardio and weight training by helping muscles stay flexible. It’s very common these days to see all types of people in yoga classes. From world-class athletes to stay-at-home moms, everyone is reaping the benefits of yoga.

Once you have several classes under your belt, you’ll have what it takes to do the Sun Salutation. Dr. Oz recommends doing it first thing in the morning every day. Even on days when you think you have no time for yoga, try and do at least one or two rounds of the Sun Salutation. Remember, seven minutes is all it takes. You’ll feel the difference and will enjoy better vitality and energy all day long.

Difficulty Rating (On a 1-5 Scale, 1 being a piece-a-cake), we give the Sun Salutation a 4 because this move requires upper body strength and flexibility. If you don’t have either, don’t worry…you’ll get strong and flexible in no time!

Stay tuned next week for another amazing workout move!

Yours in great health,
Designer Whey