Day 338- Kneeling Side Kick Circles

This exercise is a variation of the kneeling side kick.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start kneeling and then lean over to one hand so that you are supported by your knee and your hand.  Inhale as the leg floats into the air, and then exhale as you circle the leg back and down. Inhale as you circle the leg forward and exhale as you repeat 8-10 times.

Things to think about
It will be difficult to keep the hip still as you are circling the leg.  Be sure to line the pelvis up above the thigh this alignment will help free up the hip.

If the bottom wrist is having trouble with this position, you can make a fist to support the arm.

Day 306- Sidelying Develop with Squishy Ball Under Hip

This exercise adds a proprioceptive challenge to the sidelying exercise.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your side with the soft ball underneath your hip.  Lengthen both legs long beneath you.  Inhale into the back of your ribcage as you rotate your top leg outward at the hip socket and then exhale as you bend the knee and begin sliding the foot up the leg.  Inhale again as you straighten the leg into the air and then exhale as you flex your foot and reach your top heel to your bottom heel.  Repeat 8-10 times.

Things to think about

As you straighten the leg into the air most likely it will not line directly with the pelvis.  To keep the pelvis stacked most people have external rotation that is slightly less than 180 degrees.  Be sure that you are being true to your rotation.

You can always progress this exercise by suspending yourself on your elbow, and work hard to maintain an elongated spine with ease and flow in the leg movement. 

Day 304- Clam with Internal Rotation with Squishy Ball Under Hip

This exercise adds proprioceptive challenge to the internal rotation of the hip.

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.  Your knees will be bent and your heels should be lined up with the pelvis.  Inhale into the back of the ribcage as you internally rotate the hip and lift the top foot.  Exhale as you return to neutral.  Repeat 8-10 times. 

Things to think about

This exercise can provide a great tension free stretch to the Piriformis.  It is a great way to allow your body to find release without pain in the pelvis.

As always with any rotation exercise it is important to allow the hips to remain stacked and the ribs to be connected to the pelvis.  Often the ribcage will try to fall forward when you lift the top foot.

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 299- Lift Both Legs with Squishy Ball Under Hip

This exercise gives the body a chance to find the support for the spine from both the side of the body and then deep in the body.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your side with your legs long beneath you.  Your bottom hip will be on the soft ball.  Inhale into the back of your ribs as you flex your feet and then exhale as you reach through both legs and allow them to float into the air.  Inhale as you release and exhale as you lift them again.  Repeat 8-10 times.

Things to think about

The most important part of this exercise is reaching through your heels.  This allows you to find balanced strength on both sides of the body so that you can be long on both sides of the waist during the lift.

You can always progress this exercise further by suspending your body in the air on your elbow.  Imagine how long your spine can be if you keep the ribs and the pelvis in line!

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 296- Bicycle with Squishy Ball Under Hip

This exercise continues to challenge the proprioception of th spine in a sidelying position.

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.  Lengthen your legs long beneath you and allow the top leg to float into the air.  Inhale as you kick the leg forward and then bend the knee and exhale as you push the heel behind you.  Inhale to straighten the knee behind you, and then kick the leg forward.  Repeat 8-10 times before reversing direction.

Things to think about

This is a very dynamic exercise.  The range of motion at the hip and the varied movement at the joints make controlling this exercise a challenge.  As always you can fall back on the axial length and connection between your pelvis and ribcage to maintain fluidity.

You can challenge yourself further by propping yourself up on your ribcage. 

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 293- Sidekicks with Squishy Ball Under Hip

This exercise adds a proprioceptive challenge to the classic Pilates Side kick

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your side with the soft ball under the bottom hip and both legs lengthened long beneath you.  Inhale into the back of the ribs and then exhale as you lift the top leg.  Next, Inhale as you kick the top leg forward and then exhale as you lengthen the top leg behind you.  Repeat 8-10 times and then release the top legs.

Things to think about

It is important to keep the ribcage integrated with the pelvis during this exercise.  The ribcage will want to move in the opposite direction of the leg, but if you concentrate on the length of your spine and lifting the bottom rib you can truly challenge the body.

To make it easier feel free to use your bottom hand to support the body,  or to challenge yourself allow the top arm to reach towards the ceiling.

Day 290- Side Lying Inner Thigh Push with Flex/Point and Magic Circle

This exercise has a really long name, but is beautiful in its simplicity.  It builds strength in the inner thigh while encouraging mobility in the ankle

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a magic circle.  Start by lying on your side with your legs long beneath you.  Your bottom leg will hold the magic circle in place perpendicular to the floor and your top leg will be placed on the top of the magic circle.  Inhale into the back of your ribcage and then exhale as you press down on the magic circle.  Continue breathing as you spread your toes apart and flex and point your ankle ten times.  Rest by releasing the circle slightly and repeat this 8-10 times. 

Things to think about

This exercise works the entire ankle and all of the tendons of your foot.  Spreading your toes allows for space in the arch of the feet. 

Lack of ankle mobility is often directly related to knee pain.  So if your knee hurts get those ankles moving.

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.