Day 217- Prone Thigh Lifts

This exercise is meant to prepare the pelvis for safe spine extension.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your belly with your hands making a pillow for your forehead.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you reach one leg long beneath you, and then imagine reaching your big toe so far away from you the your thigh floats two inches into the air.  Inhale as you release that leg to the ground and then exhale as you repeat on the other side.  Repeat 6-10 times on each side.

Things to think about

If you have osteoporosis then this exercise is for you!  In fact the rest of this month is dedicated to spine extension exercises that are perfect for osteoporosis

This exercises is meant to open the front of the hips to prepare the pelvis for spine extension.  Length in the front of the hips prevents pain in the low back.  As you do this exercise imagine making your legs longer.  So long in fact that the thigh floats up into the air.  

Day 206- Roll Up with Neutral Lean Back

This exercise is great for axial length and perfect for someone with osteoporosis that may not be able to do a classic Pilates Roll Up

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start sitting with your legs long in front of you.  Inhale as you make your body longer and then exhale as you reach your head behind you by hinging from your hips.  Inhale at this point and then exhale as you lengthen your spine again and return to a seated position.  Repeat 6-8 times

Things to think about

It is really easy in this exercise to extend the spine as opposed to maintain neutral.  Make sure that your ribs and pelvis are moving as one unit.

Feel the abdominals right between the pelvis bones engage for both the descent and the return to sitting.  Imagine that there is a seatbelt around your pelvis.