Day 254- Quadruped: Ipsilateral Opening to the Side

This exercise provides a proprioceptive challenge to the quadruped exercise by narrowing the body’s base of support.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start standing on your hands and knees.  Be sure that your hands are directly beneath your shoulders and that your knees are directly beneath your hips.  Inhale as you shift your weight sideways to the right and exhale as you lengthen the left arm in front of you and the left leg behind you.  Inhale to return to center and then shift to the other side to lengthen your right arm and leg away from the center.  Repeat five times on each side.

Things to think about

This exercise should bring on a case of the wobbles.  Narrowing the width of your base of support will require much more elongation of the spine to maintain balance.

If this exercise is hard on your wrists then you can make fists to protect them.

Thinking about fascial connections will also help this.  Find the connection between the hips and the opposing shoulders.

Day 253- Quadruped: Ipsilateral

This exercise strengthens connections on the lateral side of the body.  And it also provides a proprioceptive challenge to the body.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by standing on your hands and knees, with your head lengthening away from your tail.  Inhale into the back of your ribs as you shift the weight of your body to the right.  Then, exhale as you lengthen the left arm and leg away from the floor.  Inhale replace the arm and leg to the floor and then exhale as you shift the weight to the left and lengthen the right arm and right leg away from the center.  Repeat 3-5 times on each side.

Things to think about

This exercise might feel a bit wobblier than previous quadruped exercise.  When accomplishing this exercise you are narrowing the base of support for the body, which would make any exercise challenging.

You are going to feel the side of the hips and the side of the shoulder on the standing leg and arm.  The stabilization in this exercise will transfer to walking both on your hands and feet.

Day 252- Quadruped: Contralateral with Shoulder and Hip Extension and Flexion

This exercise adds a dynamic element to the contra lateral quadruped exercise

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by standing on your hands and knees with your head reaching away from your tail.  Inhale into the back of the ribs and then exhale as you reach the right hand in front of you and the left leg behind you.  Inhale again as you bring the right elbow towards the left knee and then exhale as you reach the arm and leg away from the center.  Repeat 6-8 times on this side before changing sides.

Things to think about

Even though the arm and leg are moving the spine shouldn’t be.  Imagine that your arm and legs are pendulums swinging while the spine is long and suspended above.  Maintain the length of the neck without dropping the head forward.

Keep the standing leg and arm organized as your body gets tired these joints might start trying to rely on ligaments instead of the entire myofascial system.

Day 251- Quadruped: Contralateral

This exercise is intended to increase the contralateral (diagonal) connections in the body.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by standing on your hands and knees with your head reaching away from your tail.  Inhale into the back of your ribs and then exhale as you reaching your right arm out in front of your body and your left leg behind your body.  Inhale as you place your hand and knee on the ground and then exhale as you switch sides.  Repeat 6-8 times on each side.

Things to think about

Certain imbalances in the myofascial system my cause rotations in the spine as you try to do this exercise.  Imagine there is a teacup sitting on top of your sacrum.  As you reach your arm and leg away from your body, make sure that you don’t spill the teacup.

Imagine that the arm and leg are merely extensions of your spine.  This will help maintain the long line of your spine as you reach your appendages away from the body.

Day 250- Quadruped: Flexion/Extension

This exercise allows the body to bend the spine while standing on the hands and knees.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by standing on your hands and knees.  Be sure that your hands are directly under your shoulders, and that your knees are directly under your feet.  Inhale into the back of the ribcage and then exhale as hollow your abdominals and drop your head and tail to the ground.  Inhale as you return your spine to neutral and then lift your head and tail towards the ceiling.  Repeat 6-8 times.

Things to think about

Get all of the air out of the lungs!  The breath in this exercise allows the spine to move efficiently.  As you exhale the spine is in the best place to physically lengthen, and as you inhale the spine is in the best place for spine extension.

Often when we move our arms and legs are moving and our torso is stabile.  In this exercise we experience the opposite.  Our arms and legs are stabile and supporting the spine in movement.

Day 249- Quadruped: Hip Extension with Leg Circles

This exercise is intended to allow the body to practice hip disassociation while at the same time creating an environment to strengthen the back of the leg.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by standing on your hands and knees.  Be sure that your knees are directly beneath your hips and that your hands are directly beneath you shoulders.  Inhale into the back of the ribcage, and then exhale as you lengthen the leg behind you.  Once the leg is lengthen behind you then begin making small circles with the thighs bones.  Make 8-10 circles on one side before you switch to the other side.

Things to think about

This exercise will require some endurance in the upper body.  As you do this exercise be aware of your shoulders, head and neck.  Are your shoulders organized?  Is your head in line with your spine?  Ask your self these questions as you are doing the circles.

Day 248- Quadruped: Single Appendage Hip Extension

This exercise allows the body to begin disassociating the movement of legs from that of the pelvis and low back

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by standing on your hands and knees with a lengthened and supported spine.  Inhale into the back of the ribcage and then exhale as you lengthen one leg behind you.  Inhale as you place the knee on the floor and then exhale as you reach the opposite leg behind you.  Continue alternating legs for 6-8 reps.

Things to think about

As the body lifts the leg in back it is important to lengthen the front of the hips.  If there is gripping in the quadriceps and hip flexors, then the movement will begin in the low back.  Imagine reaching your leg as far away from you as you can.

As the body tires check in with your shoulders.  Be sure that you are not starting to lost the support of the myofascial system.