Day 336- Around the World Planks

This exercise requires a lot of arm strength and increases stability in the spine.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start in the side plank.  Inhale as you pivot the hand and point the fingertips towards the front of the body and then exhale as you open the chest so that you are in a reverse plank.  Inhale again and then exhale as you move to a side plank on the other side.  Repeat five times to each side.

Things to think about
This exercise is quite precarious for the shoulder.  It is imperative that the shoulders are stable and congruent.  Remember to have the collarbones wide and open.  The shoulder blades should be connected to the ribcage.  Use the breath to keep your spine as long as possible.

Keep the ribs and the hips aligned so that the abdominal muscles are available to you
  

Day 302- Side Lying Bottom Leg Circles with Squishy Ball Under Hip

This exercise will add proprioceptive challenge and inner thigh connection to the body.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your side with the bottom hip on the soft ball and your bottom leg lengthened long beneath you.  Cross your top leg in front of you.  Inhale into the back of the ribs and then exhale as you lift the bottom leg and begin to make circles with your thighs.  Repeat  8-10 circles in each direction.

Things to think about

The bottom leg must be in line with the pelvis as you do this exercise.  Often the leg is sneaky and inches its way forward.  Try pressing the leg back slightly so that you can get the back of the inner thighs as well as the front of the inner thighs.

As always you can increase the challenge of this exercise by suspending your body on top of your elbow.    

Day 301-Side Kicks with Bottom Leg Lifted with Squishy Ball Under Hip

This exercise adds additional challenge to the side kick exercise by decreasing the base of support and adding a proprioceptive challenge

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your side with your bottom hip on the ball and your legs lengthened long beneath you.  Reach through both heels and allow both legs to float into the air.  Then inhale into the back of the ribs as you kick the top leg forward, maintaining the lift in the bottom leg.  Exhale as you kick the top leg back and then repeat 8-10 times. 

Things to think about

This exercise is hard.  It challenges the length of the spine and anyone no matter how strong should expect a few wobbles.  The best part is that the wobbles will increase the proprioceptive sense and improve balance all around.

Be sure that you are maintaining the length in the spine and keeping the ribs lined up with the hips.

Day 298- Inner Thigh Lift with Squishy Ball Under Hip

This exercise requires increased proprioception for the inner thigh lift.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your side with your bottom hip on the soft ball.  Reach your bottom leg long beneath you and allow your top leg to cross in front of the body.  Inhale in to the back of the ribs to maintain the rib to hip connection and then exhale as you reach through the bottom leg and lift it into the air.  Inhale as you release and then exhale as you repeat 8-10 times.

Things to think about

This exercise allows the body to find extra length in the bottom of the waist.  Lifting the lower leg puts a balanced tension on the bottom side of the body for added spine support.

To progress this exercise further you can suspend the upper body above the floor on your elbow.  Imagine that you’re spine is a suspension bridge swaying in the wind, never losing its support.

Day 297- Rond de Jamb with Squishy Ball Under Hip

This exercise combines many elements of the side kick series for a dynamic and controlled movement experience. 

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your side with the soft ball under your bottom hip.  Inhale into the back of your ribcage as you kick the top leg forward and then exhale as you lift the top leg higher into the air and move it back behind you.  Inhale again as you kick the leg forward and repeat the circle 8-10 times in both directions.

Things to think about

This is an incredibly dynamic activity because you are moving the thigh in multiple planes of motion and also maintaining the connection of the ribcage to the pelvis while wobbling on a ball.  Yowser!  Be sure to maintain the length in your spine.  As you feel the wobbles allow the same cues for axial length to come to your aid.

To progress this exercise even further feel free to suspend your spine in the air by propping yourself up an your elbow.

Day 295- Sidekick Circles in Front with Squishy Ball Under Hip

This exercise continues adding proprioceptive challenges to the side lying leg series.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your side with the soft ball under your bottom leg.  Lengthen your legs beneath you and allow your top leg to float into the air.  Inhale as you gently kick your leg forward, and then exhale as you begin to make small circles with the leg.  Complete ten circles in each direction and then bring the top leg back to meet the bottom leg.

Things to think about

To keep the spine stable you can counter balance the leg by concentrating the inhale into the back of your ribcage.  This will allow the spine to stay long and strong.

Be sure to allow the length in the hamstring keep the pelvis neutral.  Think of reaching the tailbone away from the sitz bone to stabilize the pelvis during the circles.

Day 294- Sidekick with Circles Behind with Squishy Ball Under Hip

This exercise uses the soft ball to provide proprioceptive challenges to the body in a sidelying series

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your side with the soft ball under the bottom hip.  Exhale as you lift the top leg to hip height and press it behind you.  Continue breathing as you begin to draw small circles with your thigh.  Do ten circles in each direction, and then release the thigh to the bottom leg.

Things to think about

The circular motion in the hip socket will be difficult to accomplish without movement at the ribcage.  Keep the longest possible spine so that the motion can be isolated in the hip sockets.

You can challenge yourself further by propping your body on your elbow and the soft ball.

Day 292- Side Lying Leg Lifts with Squishy Ball Under Hip

This exercise adds a proprioceptive challenge to the side lying leg lifts.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your side with your bottom hip on top of the soft ball and your legs lengthened long beneath you.  Inhale into the back of your ribs and then exhale as you reach through the top leg and allow it to lift into the air.  Inhale to release the top leg and then repeat the leg lift 8-10 times.

Things to think about

The wobbles will be here.  The soft ball requires extra stabilization throughout the entire spine as you lift the leg.  It is helpful to place a hand on the floor for support, and as always it is important to maintain the longest possible spine.

It might also help to prop yourself up on your elbow for this exercise.

Day 289- Side Lying Inner Thigh Push with the Magic Circle

This exercise is intended to increase the functional strength of the medial line of the leg.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a magic circle.  Start by lying on your side with your legs lengthened long beneath you.  Your bottom leg will be holding the magic circle perpendicular to the mat and the top leg will be resting on the top of the magic circle.  Inhale as you reach your top heel away from you making your leg as long as possible, and then exhale as you keep this length and press down on the circle.  Inhale to release and then exhale to repeat.  Repeat this pattern 8-10 times. 

Things to think about

This exercise requires reach and length through the bottom of the feet so that when the magic circle is squeezed the position of the pelvis is not compromised. 

You may be tired of me writing this sentence, but it is always important in side lying exercises to keep the waist lifted so that the spine is in the longest possible position. 

Day 288- Side Lying Leg Circles Up and Over the Magic Circle

This exercise increases the Range of Motion and strength at the hip socket

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a magic circle.  Start by lying on your side with your bottom leg long beneath you.  You will hook the magic circle underneath the bottom leg so that it is standing vertically to the ceiling.  Your top leg will be touching the floor in front of the magic circle.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you lift your top leg up and over the magic circle to tap the ground behind the circle.  Inhale again and then exhale as you lift the top leg up and over the magic circle to tap it on the ground in front of the circle.  Repeat 8-10 times. 

Things to think about

The increased range of motion in this exercise will require extra stabilization at the pelvis.  Make sure that the pelvis does not rock back and forth as you move the leg.

As always with every sidelying exercise you want to be sure that you are finding the longest possible spine by lifting your waist away from the center.

Day 287- Side Lying Circles within the Magic Circle

This exercise uses the boundary of the magic circle to create a space for small circles in the hips socket.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a magic circle.  Start by lying on your side with your feet threaded through the magic circle and us the bottom foot to hold the magic circle in a perpendicular position to the floor.  Inhale into the back of your ribs and then exhale as you as you lift the top leg and begin drawing circles just inside of the magic circle.  Continue the breath as you complete 10 circles in each direction.

Things to think about

You may find that your bottom hip gets as tired as the top.  In all of the side lying exercises the bottom leg can become a support leg for the top, if it feels painful it might help to put a pillow under the thigh.

Always feel free to rest in between sets to give the entire system a break from the challenging exercise.

Day 285- Side Lying Flex and Point with Magic Circle

This exercise adds some endurance training to yesterday’s exercise.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a magic circle.  Start by lying on your side with your ankles threaded through the center of the magic circle.  The ankle on the bottom will hold the magic circle still and the ankle that is on the top will lift and press into the top of the circle.  Inhale into the back of your ribs and then exhale as you flex your ankle, pulling your toes towards you.  Inhale as you point your toes and then repeat 8-10 times as you continue to breath.

Things to think about

The sustained engagement of the side of your legs will simulate some of the work that is needed for balance.  As your hips begin to burn just allow your body to exhale as completely as possible.

Make sure that you are maintaining the alignment of the spine as you work.  As the foot flexes you are lengthening the myofascial tissues in the back of your body and as you inhale you are lengthening the myofascial tissues in the front of your body.

Day 283- Side Lying Develop Hay

This exercise combines external rotation with hip flexion and knee extension.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your side with your head, ribs, hips, and heels lined up with each other.  Inhale into the back of the ribcage as you externally rotate your leg, and then exhale as you maintain the external rotation at the hip and bend your knee to slide your foot to the knee.  Inhale as you straighten your leg and then lower back to the bottom leg.  Repeat 8-10 times.  And then reverse.

Things to think about

This exercise is a great and gentle way to move all of the joints in the lower leg.  It will allow you to increase the mobility at the ankles and the hips while maintaining the stability of the knee. For these joints to move most efficiently, it is important to maintain the length of the spine and the lift in the waist.

Because of the angle of most people’s legs in relationship to the hip socket, you may notice that your leg straightens slightly in front of the hip.

Day 282- Hot Potato

This exercise combines internal and external rotation at the hip socket with hip adduction and abduction.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your side with your head, ribs, hips and heels line up.  Inhale into the back of the ribs as you lift your top leg.  Exhale as you rotate your leg outward and tap your heel to the ground behind you twice.  Inhale as you lift the leg and exhale as you internally rotate your leg and tap your toe to the ground in front of you twice.  Repeat 8-10 times

Things to think

The base of support in this exercise is smaller than in some other exercises.  This will make it challenging to keep the hips and shoulders stacked.  Try as much as you can to find the longest possible spine by lifting the waist and lengthening the legs away from you.  Imagine that your spine is a suspension bridge pulled evenly from all angles.

Think of the name of this exercise when you are thinking about the quality of movement.  When you move as if the floor is a hot potato, you can change the ways that you feel the muscles engage.