Day 315- #4 Stretch with Thigh Circles

This exercise is a dynamic external rotator stretch.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet planted in the ground.  Inhale into the back of your ribs as you cross one ankle over the opposite knee.  Exhale as you bring both thighs towards you and grab onto the bottom thigh.  Inhale again as you circle the bottom thigh towards you and exhale as you circle it away.  Repeat 6-8 times in one direction and then switch directions.  Then switch legs.

Things to think about

This is a dynamic stretch, which means that each part of the circle is stretching the external rotators at a different angle.  This can work to open the hips in movement for better weight shifts and knee supports

Be sure that your head, neck, and shoulders are relaxed as you do this exercise.  It should feel recuperative.

Day 300- Clam with Squishy Ball Under Hip

This exercise adds a proprioceptive challenge to the external rotation of the clam

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your side with your knees bent and your heels lined up with your sitz bones.  Your bottom hip will be on the soft ball.  Inhale into the back of your ribs and then exhale as you externally rotate at the hip to lift the knee while squeezing the legs together.  Inhale to release and then exhale angain.  Repeat 8-10 times. 

Things to think about

Keep the pelvis stacked in this exercise.  To isolate the rotation, it is important that the top hip does not fall backwards.  It is sometimes helpful to place a hand on the top hip to make sure that it is staying still.

As always with the soft ball try suspending the sine in the air on the elbow.  This will provide an environment that requires good connection between the ribs and the pelvis.

Day 273- Rond de Jamb

This exercise adds multiple planes of motion to the hip socket in the side kick series.

To this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your side with your heels, pelvis, ribs, and head lined up with the back of the mat.  Exhale as you find a gentle lift underneath the waist and then lift the leg to hip height.  Inhale as you kick the leg forward and then exhale as you lift the leg higher than the hip and begin moving it towards the back of the body and the lower it to hip height and inhale as you pass the leg through the center again.  Repeat 8-10 times in each direction.

Things to think about

Movement of the leg should not cause movement in the pelvis.  Be sure that as you gain height in the leg movement that you are not allowing the top of the pelvis to move forward, back, or towards the ribs.

Check in with your head, neck, and shoulders with this exercise.  As you increase the range of the circle, be sure that you are not pushing your hand in the ground to get a higher leg.

Day 272- Bicycle

This exercise is a variation of the classic pilates sidekick.  It creates movement through the knee joint and the hip.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your side with your heels, pelvis, ribs, and head lined up with the back of the mat.  Exhale as you find a gentle lift underneath the waist and the lift the leg to hip height.  Inhale into the back of the ribs as you kick the leg forward, and exhale as you bend the knee and straighten the leg behind you. Repeat ten times and then reverse it.

Things to think about

Be sure that you keep the knee at hip height when it bends.  The tendency will be to either lift the knee or drop the knee at the point of knee flexion.

As with all of the sidelying exercises it is important keep the connection between the ribs and the hips.  Be sure to use the exhale to narrow the rib cage so that the base of the ribcage does not flare forward