Day 311- Sidelying Rotator Cuff with Elbow Extension with Theraband

This exercise adds the resistance of the theraband to this shoulder stability exercise.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a theraband.  Start by lying on your side with your knees bent.  Place the theraband on the ground in front of you and secure one end of it with a weighted object.  Grab the other end with your top arm.  Inhale into the back of your ribs and then exhale as you rotate your arm outward and lengthen your elbow.  Inhale as you release and then exhale to repeat.  Complete 8-10 repetitions.

Things to think about

As with any sidelying shoulder exercise you want to be sure that your shoulder girdle is organized and that your head and neck are safe.  Be sure that your arm bone is congruent with the shoulder socket. 

Imagine the tissues of your shoulder sucking your arm bone into the shoulder socket.

Day 215- Teaser with Resistance Band Arm Work

This exercise adds resistance training to the upper body in the modified teaser position.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a theraband.  Start by lying on your back in a tabletop position with your hands holding the theraband in the air above your chest.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you pull out on the theraband and lift your head, neck, and shoulders into the air.  Continue the exhale as you keep rolling through the spine and pulling horizontally on the theraband.  At the top inhale to prepare and then exhale as you pull on the theraband and lift your arms overhead.  Inhale as you return your arms to the front and repeat 6-8 times.  Then inhale to prepare and exhale to roll back to the earth.

Things to think about

If you have osteoporosis, you can still do the arm work in the modified vee position without rolling through the spine.

This exercise helps organize the head, neck, and shoulders.  Be sure to allow the shoulder blades to slide down the back as you lift the arms overhead.

Day 205- Roll up with Resistance Band in Hands- Arms by Ears.

This exercise is intended to increase the challenge of the roll up.  The theraband helps organize the shoulder, and keeping the arms by the ears challenges the spinal articulation

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a theraband.  Start by lying on your back with your legs long beneath you and your arms on the ground behind your head with the theraband stretched between your hands.  Inhale into the back of your ribcage, and exhale as you lift your head, neck, shoulders, and arms towards the ceiling, and then continue the exhale as you roll through the spine vertebra by vertebra reaching the head, neck, shoulders, and arms towards the ceiling.

Things to think about

If you have osteoporosis try this exercise by starting in a sitting position, and then hinge with a neutral spine towards the ground behind you. 

Pulling outward on the theraband helps organize the shoulders so that you can find the articulation in the spine. 

No matter how much you try your arms are going to get ahead of you.  Try as much as you can to keep them reaching towards the ceiling.

Day 204- Roll Up with TheraBand in Hands

This exercise adds theraband resistance to the Classic Pilates Roll Up.  This aids in shoulder organization during the movement.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a TheraBand.  Start by lying on your back with your legs lengthened beneath and your arms reaching towards the ceiling holding the TheraBand.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you lift your head, neck, and shoulders while pulling outward on the theraband.  Continue exhaling as you roll up to a seated position.  Inhale here and then exhale as you roll through each vertebra until you are lying flat again.

Things to think about

If you have osteoporosis, try this exercise from a seated position and hinge the pelvis and spine back while pulling outward on the TheraBand.

As you are pulling outward on the theraband be sure to also be sliding the shoulder blades down the back.  This will stabilize the shoulder socket so that you can concentrate on finding the movement at each individual vertebra.

Day 196- Roll Up with Theraband

This exercise is a variation of the Classic Pilates Exercise that adds assistance to aid in greater spine articulation and deep abdominal connection.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a medium resistance theraband.  Start by lying on your back with your legs lengthened beneath you.  You will be holding a theraband in your hands that is wrapped around the bottom of your feet.  Inhale into the back of your ribs, and then exhale as you narrow your ribs and hollow your abdominals to lift your head, neck, and shoulders.  Continue rolling through your spine to a seated position.  Use the tension of the theraband to find your deep abdominal muscles.  Inhale into the back of the ribs and then exhale as you curl your pelvis to begin to articulate through the spine and lower yourself to the ground.

Things to think about

If you have osteoporosis you can do this exercise with a neutral spine.  As you lower your spine to the ground be sure to feel the length through the top of the head so that your spine is as long as it can possibly be.

When using the theraband for assistance in this exercise you may feel a tendency to bend the elbows and recruit the biceps to help you complete the motion.  In actuality this will make it harder to use the deeper abdominals to articulate through the spine.  Leaving the elbows long will leave you the room for spine articulation.

Day 188- Rolling Like a Ball with Theraband

This exercise is a variation on the classic Pilates Rolling Like a Ball.  The Theraband helps the body find the most efficient muscles to use.

 

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a theraband.  Start in a sitting position with your knees bent and place the theraband underneath your knees.  Your bent knees will keep the theraband in place.  Exhale as you curl your spine and allow your feet to float into the air.  Inhale into the back of your ribs, and then exhale as you roll back towards your shoulder blades before returning to this balanced position.  Repeat 6-8 times.

 

Things to think about

If you have osteoporosis you should not do this exercise.  But please visit The Pilates Studio’s weekly blog and check out the posts for the month of Oct 2012.  In these posts there are many osteoporosis friendly workouts.

 

If you are a person that feels you ribs hit the ground as you roll back, this exercise is for you.  You might have also noticed in previous Rolling Like a Ball exercises that your feet tend to kick without your control as you roll back.  The theraband in this exercise helps you to find the deeper abdominals.  If you can hold the theraband without dropping it, you will be forced to find the deeper abdominals to complete the movement.