Day 62- Figure 8 Knee Stirs

This exercise is intended to increase the range of motion of the hip sockets.

 

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your knees hugging to your chest.  With one hand on each knee you will make a figure eight with the circular motion of your hip sockets. Breathe continuously as you circle one leg outward (out and then down) and one leg inward (down and then out) Continue this motion allowing the release in the muscles of the hip to increase the range of motion at the hip sockets. 

 

Things to think about:

This exercise is a great way to increase flexibility in the hip joint and at the inner thighs. However, as an asymmetrical exercise it is a little tricky for those of us with unstable sacroiliac joints.

Day 61- Butterfly Knee Stirs

This exercise is recuperative it is intended to provide release in the hip socket.  It may also increase stability at the sacroiliac joint.

 

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your knees hugging to your chest.  With one hand on each knee allow your hands to circle your knees outward and then down.  Let your breath be continuous as you do these exercises. After five our six circles change directions and repeat.

 

Things to think about:

In this exercise the legs are moving symmetrically which aids in pelvic stability, so if you have low back pain that is due to sacroiliac dysfunction this is a great recuperative exercise for you.

Day 60-Knee Stirs

This exercise is recuperative and intended to create fluidity in the hip socket and release in the low spine.

 

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back and hug your knees to your chest.  Place one hand on each knee and gently begin circling the knees to the right.  Let your breathing continue through the movement, and feel the ease in your low back.  After about five repetitions begin circling the leg in the other direction.

 

Things to think about:

This exercise should feel easy, as you are circling your thighs you want to be sure that your arms are doing most of the work.

 

Long deep breaths will increase release in the low back.

Day 59- Bridge with Neutral Spine with Foam Roller

This exercise is intended to add additional hamstring strength and proprioceptive challenges to the neutral bridge. 

 

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a foam roller.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the foam roller.  Be sure that the foam roller is perpendicular to your spine.  Inhale into the back of your ribs, and then exhale as you press your feet into the foam roller allowing your pelvis to float into the air.  Inhale as you hinge at your hips to release your spine to the floor.  Your tailbone and ribcage should reach the floor at the same time.

 

Things to think about:

The fulcrum for the movement in this exercise is the hip joint.  Imagine your knee reaching towards your toes as the femur moves down to suspend the pelvis in the air. 

 

This exercise can also be accomplished with one leg on the foam roller while the other is in a table top position.

 

Day 58- Single Leg Bridge on Foam Roller

This exercise adds proprioceptive challenge to the single leg bridge for added hamstring stretch.

 

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a Foam Roller.  Start by lying on your back with one knee bent with the arch of the foot on the foam roller.   The other leg will be in a tabletop position.  The foam roller will be perpendicular to the body.  As you inhale rock your pelvis towards your tailbone, then exhale as you rock your pelvis towards your belly button and begin peeling your spine off the floor one vertebra at a time. Using your standing leg to stabilize your pelvis.  Inhale at the top and exhale as you release your spine to the floor one vertebra at a time.  Switch legs and repeat. 

 

Things to think about:

Be sure to keep the pelvis and have equal weight on each side of your spine as it articulates.  This is a difficult exercise to do.  Before trying it be sure that you have mastered the single leg bridge with your standing leg on the ground. 

 

This exercise can also be done in a neutral spine as well.  Inhale to prepare and exhale as you press the foot into the foam roller and lift the spine.

 

If the hamstrings happen to cramp simply place the pelvis back on the ground and reach the heel up to the ceiling to stretch the back of the leg.

 

 

Day 57- Bridge Figure 8 on the Foam Roller

This exercise is intended to increase mobility of the spine with the added proprioceptive challenge of the foam roller.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a foam roller.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent.  Place your foam roller underneath the arches of your feet.  Inhale as you rock your pelvis towards your belly button, and then exhale as you begin lifting your pelvis into the air articulating through your spine.  At the top inhale into your chest, and then exhale completely as you rotate your pelvis to the right and lower down one segment on the right side of your spine.  Inhale into your chest and then exhale as you rotate your pelvis to the left lowering your spine one segment on left side of your spine.  Continue this process until your pelvis has returned to the floor.  At the bottom exhale as you begin lifting your pelvis vertebra by vertebra and then repeat being sure to rotate to the left side first. Repeat 2-4 times

Things to think about

This is an exercise with active spine rotation.  When you rotate the pelvis to the left or right it is not an act of simply letting the pelvis fall on one side, it is an active rotation with muscle engagement.

Be sure to maintain the space and length in the front of the hips.

Enjoy the added mobility to your spine after doing this exercise and for an added challenge try this exercise with your feet on a large exercise ball.

Day 56- Bridge Sidestepping on the Foam Roller

 

This exercise is intended to add proprioceptive challenge to the bridge and to increase spine articulation at each vertebral segment.

 

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a Foam Roller.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent.  Place your foam roller underneath the arches of your feet.  Be sure that the foam roller is perpendicular to your spine.  Inhale as your rock your pelvis towards your tailbone.  Exhale as you rock your pelvis to your belly button and then continue articulating through your spine to lift your pelvis into the air until the weight of your body is resting on your head, neck and shoulders.  At the top inhale into the chest and shift your pelvis to the right.  Then exhale as you lower your spine one segment.  Then inhale and shift your pelvis to the left, and exhale as you lower your spine down one segment.  Inhale as you shift and exhale as you lower.  Continue until your pelvis reaches the floor and then exhale as you articulate through your spine to lift your pelvis again.

 

Things to think about

As your articulate your spine to lift your pelvis notice the increased mobility after one repetition of the lateral shifts.

 

Remember your imagery.  This is a great exercise for the typewriter image.  As you are shifting your pelvis imagine that it is the carriage on a typewriter shifting back and forth.

 

Be sure that you are laterally shifting your pelvis and not allowing it to dip from side to side.

 

To increase the challenge you can also do this exercise with the feet on a larger exercise ball.

 

Day 55- Bridge with Feet on the Foam Roller

This exercise is intended to add a proprioceptive challenge to the basic bridge.  It also increases the challenge to the hamstring.

 

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a foam roller.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent. Place the foam roller under the arches of your feet.  The foam roller should be perpendicular to your spine. Inhale as your rock your pelvis towards your tailbone, and then exhale as you rock your pelvis towards your belly button and begin lifting your pelvis into the air articulating through your spine one vertebra at a time. Inhale at the top into the breastbone and exhale as you let all of the air out of your chest gently lower the spine to the ground articulating one vertebra at a time.  Repeat 6-8 times

 

Things to think about:

This exercise allows the spine to increase the range of motion.  It is a great exercise to increase mobility at the illusive segments at the base of the ribcage.  As always be aware of exhaling completely and as you lower your ribcage to the ground imagine the ribs folding towards the center.

 

For additional challenge this exercise could also be accomplished on a large exercise ball.

Day 54- Bridge with Neutral Spine

This exercise is intended to allow efficient movement in hip extension.  In all of the Bridge posts, we have been playing with spine articulation.  This bridge is intended to work with the relationship of the hip extensors to the pelvis floor for pelvic stability.

 

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your spine with your knees bent and your feet planted in the ground.  Inhale into the back of your ribs, and then exhale as you lift your pelvis into the air. Inhale fold at the hip sockets to lower the ribcage and tailbone to the floor.  Exhale as you lift your pelvis.  Imagine you are sending your knees over your toes.  Exhale as you lift your pelvis and inhale as you lower your tailbone and ribcage to the ground.

 

Things to think about:

This exercise is a great functional exercise that can strengthen the body to make it easier to go up stairs, stand up from a seated position and walk efficiently without over using the hip flexors.

 

You can also use add marching and single leg bridge to the bridge in neutral spine.

 

This exercise is intended to improve the relationship of the pelvis and the thighbones.  As you are doing this exercise imagine the hip joints as fluid and mobile.  You are pushing the pelvis into the air from underneath while stabilizing the pelvis with your pelvic floor and lower abdominals.

Day 53- Single Leg Bridge

This exercise adds additional challenge to the articulation of the spine and the strength in the hamstring. 

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.  Exhale as you let one leg float up into the air to a tabletop position.  Then inhale as you rock your pelvis towards your tailbone and exhale as you roll your pelvis towards your belly button and lift your spine into the air one vertebra at a time.  Be sure to maintain the tabletop position in the leg throughout the entire movement.  At the top inhale into the chest and then exhale as you let all of the air out of your lungs lower the spine slowly to the ground one vertebra at a time

Things to think about:

As with any bridge, it is important to be aware of the role of the ribcage in segmental movement of the spine.  Make sure to exhale completely.  This will allow the ribcage to narrow so that you can find segmental movement through the vertebrae at the base of the ribs.

With this single leg bridge, as you are articulating through the joints of the spine be sure that you are maintaining equal weight on each side of the of the vertebrae.

Remember all of the fabulous images for the bridge.  Articulate your spine as if you are picking up a string of pearls one vertebra at a time.

Day 52- Bridge with Marching

This exercise is intended to increase the pelvis stability challenge of the bridge as well as increase the requirements for hamstring strength.

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.  Then inhale as you rock your pelvis towards your tailbone and exhale as you rock your pelvis towards your belly button and begin lifting the pelvis into the air one vertebra at a time.  At the top, inhale into your chest and then exhale as you let all of the air out of your lungs let one leg float up into the air to a tabletop position.  Inhale place the leg back on the ground and then exhale as you lift the other foot.  Repeat these leg lifts three to five times on each side and then exhale as you lower your spine to the ground one vertebra at a time. 

Things to think about

This exercise is a hamstring strengthener.  If your hamstring cramps simply lower your spine to the ground straighten your leg to the ceiling with a flexed foot to stretch the hamstring.

As always maintain open hips at the top of the bridge.  Be sure that as you exhale you are getting all of the air out of your lungs and that the front of the pelvis makes an even plane with the thighs.

Day 51- Bridge with Figure 8's

This exercise adds rotation in the lumbar spine to the basic bridge.  It is intended to increase mobility at all segments of the spine.

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.  Then inhale as you rock your pelvis towards your tailbone and exhale as you rock your pelvis towards your belly button and begin lifting into the air one vertebra at a time.  At the top, inhale into the chest, and then as you exhale gently rotate your pelvis to the left and lower down one spinal segment with the weight on the left side of your spine. Then inhale as you rotate your pelvis to the right and exhale as you lower your spine to the floor by one segment with the weight on the right side of your pelvis.  Continue until you’ve lowered your pelvis to the floor, then repeat this time rotating your pelvis to the right.  Repeat 2-4 times

Things to think about:

This exercise requires the use of the oblique abdominals to support the spine in rotation.  When you are rotating the spine to one side be sure to avoid collapsing into an anterior tilt of the pelvis.  You want to maintain open spaces at the front of the hips and as you are lowering one side of your pelvis towards the floor.

Remember that finding mobility at each segment of the spine allows you to decrease the wear and tear on each individual and joint.

Day 50-Bridge with Side Stepping

This exercise is intended to help facilitate spine mobility especially targeting vertebral joints that might be stuck or immobile

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.  Then inhale as you rock your pelvis towards your tailbone and exhale as rock your pelvis towards your belly button and then begin lifting into the air one vertebra at a time.  At the top, inhale into the chest and then exhale as you lower the spine down just one segment.  Next inhale as you shift the pelvis towards one side and exhale roll down one more segment.  Inhale as you shift the pelvis towards the other side and exhale as you lower the spine down one segment.  Continue this pattern until your pelvis has returned back to the ground.  Then lift the pelvis segmentally through your spine again.  Notice the increased mobility of the spine. Repeat 3-5 times.

Things to think about

This exercise increases strength in the hamstring and as you are gaining this strength there may be some cramping in the hamstrings.  If this happens simply place the pelvis on the ground and reach the heel to the ceiling to stretch the hamstring.  You may also want to check in with the movement initiation.  If during your pelvic rock, you are skipping the step of engaging your pelvic floor and lower abdominals and jumping straight to the hamstrings then the hamstrings may cramp even more.

It is important as you are sidestepping to remember to keep the front of the hips long.  If the pubic bone drops towards the floor as you are side stepping then this will increase extension in the lumbar spine and reduce mobility in the spine.

Day 49- Bridge

This exercise is intended to increase the articulation of the spine, which will increase flexibility and ease of movement.

 

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet planted on the ground.  Then begin moving the low spine with a few pelvic rocks.  Inhale rock the pelvis towards the tailbone, and exhale rock the pelvis towards the belly button.  After you feel like the low spine is finding a little more mobility and you are able to move the pelvis without the legs, then take an inhale to prepare and exhale as you rock your pelvis to your belly button (as before.)  From there continue exhaling as you lift the pelvis into the air peeling each vertebra off the mat individually until you are resting the weight of the body on your head neck and shoulders.  At the top, inhale into your breastbone and then exhale as you begin returning your spine to the floor in reverse.  First your breastbone will soften towards the floor, and then your ribs will narrow as you send the base of your ribcage to the floor.  Next you will send each vertebra of your lumbar spine to the floor, and finally let the sacrum roll towards your tailbone.  Inhale at the bottom and then repeat 3-5 times.

 

Things to think about:

Everyone has vertebral joints that are more mobile than others.  The goal of this exercise is to distribute the force of movement over all vertebral joints and not just a few. 

 

To find movement in these less mobile joints some people enjoy imagining that the spine is a string of pearls or the links of a chain that are gradually being lifted one section at a time.

 

The breath is also really important in this exercise.  Using different breath patterns can help move the less mobile parts of the spine.  For instance, the chest breath will help mobilize the thoracic spine, the rib breath will help mobilize the base of the thoracic spine and the belly breath will help mobilize the lumbar spine.  The pitcher breath can help with the sequential nature of this spine mobilizing exercise.

Day 48- Pelvic Clocks on Slomo

This exercise is very similar to the previous post, but it adds the soft ball as a prop to increase the mobility in the lower spine.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and the bottom of your feet planted in the ground.  Lift your pelvis in the air so that you can fit the soft ball underneath it.  Then let your pelvis release into the ball.  Begin some small micro movements in the pelvis to feel the feedback from the ball.  Then begin rocking the pelvis between the belly button and the tailbone. Next practice rocking the pelvis from side to side, and finally allow a circular motion to happen as you rock your pelvis from your belly button to your hip to your tailbone to the other hip and finally back to the belly button.  Reverse directions and repeat several times. 

Things to think about

This variation of the pelvic clock will increase the mobility of the lumbar spine, but it is important to remember that while the movement may appear to be larger, the effort is similar to the previous exercise.

Remember you are rotating your pelvis around the heads of your femurs (thigh bones.) The pelvis is moving and the thigh bones are staying still.  To find this separation it is important to continue moving the pelvis with the myofascial connections of the pelvis and to find ease in the larger muscles of the legs.

Day 47- Pelvic Clocks

This exercise takes the subtle movements of the pelvis in different planes of motion.  It introduces rotation to the spine, and can add relief to imbalances in the piriformis.

 

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and the bottom of your feet planted in the ground.  For the purposes of this exercise imagine that there is a clock on the front of your pelvis.  Your belly button is twelve o’clock and your pubic bone is six o’clock.  Each hip is three and nine o’clock respectively.  The first part of this exercise is the pelvic rock, inhale as you rock the pelvis towards the pubic bone (six o’clock) and exhale as you rock the pelvis towards the belly button (twelve o’clock) Next you will introduce slight rotation in the spine by rocking the pelvis from side to side (three and nine o’clock.)  Now we want to move the pelvis around the imaginary clock.  You will start this movement by exhaling and rocking the pelvis towards the belly button (twelve o’clock) then begin rolling the pelvis to the side, and then towards the tailbone, to the other side and back to the belly button.  Inhale as your pelvis finds rest in the middle and then begin again, this time moving the pelvis counter clockwise.

 

Things to think about

This exercise is unusual because it provides an environment in which the pelvis is the mobile entity moving around the heads of the femur (thigh bones) so as you are moving your pelvis be sure that your knees continue to point towards the ceiling.  Your thighbones are stabile as your pelvis moves around them.

 

This is also a small movement.  Be sure that the feet are light on the ground so that the muscles and fascial connections of the pelvic floor can move the pelvis rather than the muscles of the legs.

 

Sometimes people like to imagine that their pelvis is a bowl of soup and the movement of the pelvis sloshes the soup around the edges of the bowl.

Day 46-Pelvic Rocks on Slomo Ball

This exercise adds a prop to the pelvic rock of the previous post.  The soft ball allows the pelvis to be raised from the floor, which can add to the release in the muscles of the low back.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your back with the soft ball under the back of your pelvis.  Your knees are bent and your feet are flat on the ground.  As you inhale rock your pelvis towards your tailbone, and as you exhale engage your pelvic floor to rock your pelvis towards the belly button.  Allow the soft ball to move with the pelvis for increased spine mobility.

Things to think about

The soft ball aids in this variation on the pelvic rock so it may feel like a larger movement than the last post.  You still want to have your feet touch the floor lightly to avoid pushing, and it is also a great idea to revisit the image of the string lifting the tailbone away from the ground.

Day 45- Pelvic Rocks

This exercise is intended to introduce mobility to the lumbar spine. It also allows the body to find the relationship between engagement in the pelvic floor and release in the muscles of the low spine.

 

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.  As you inhale rock your pelvis towards your tailbone, and then as you exhale engage the pelvic floor and gently rock your pelvis to your belly button.  Inhale as you rock your pelvis towards your tailbone and exhale as you rock your pelvis towards your belly button.  Keep repeating this movement with the breath and notice how your low spine releases.

 

Things to think about:

This is a small movement that is the initiation of many Pilates’ exercises and so learning to execute it correctly will be important to the progress of any Pilates practice. 

 

A common mistake is to “push” the pelvis towards the ground by pressing the feet into the ground and engaging the hamstrings and the gluteus maximus (glutes).  Initiating the pelvic rock in this way can interrupt the sequencing of the spine.  As you are doing this exercise imagine that your feet are light on the ground and the pelvis moves from the center not from the legs.

 

Imagery is a good way to create this movement.  As you are inhaling become very aware of the weight of your tailbone in the ground like an anchor, then as you exhale imagine that a string attached to the tailbone is gently lifting it out of the ground.  Inhale the tailbone is gently lowered onto the ground and exhale the string lifts it gently to the ceiling.

Day 44- Outer Thigh Press with Theraband

This exercise helps find the hip abductors and rotators that aid in pelvic stability.

 

To do this exercise you will need a theraband and a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet planted on the ground.  Wrap the theraband around your thighs just above your knees and tie a knot.  Begin inhaling as you imagine the back of your ribcage expanding, and then exhale as you engage your abdominals and pelvic floor.  Once this has happened then gently press out on the theraband equally with both legs.  Then as you inhale allow your legs to release to a neutral position.  Repeat 8-10 times

 

Things to think about:

It is important to keep the bottom of your feet on the ground without rolling to the sides of the feet. 

 

Keep your pelvis as still as possible, this exercise is about isolating the movement of your legs from the movement of your pelvis.

As always remember to exhale all of the air out as you engage your abdominals

Day 43- Inner Thigh Squeeze on Slomo Ball

This exercise adds inner thigh strength to pelvic floor and low abdominal engagement with the breath.

To do this exercise you will need a soft ball and a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet planted on the ground.  Put the soft ball between your knees.  As you inhale expand the belly and the ribs. Then, as you exhale allow the ribs to narrow, your belly to hollow and then squeeze the ball as you engage your abdominals and pelvic floor.  Release the ball as you inhale and then exhale and begin the process again.  Repeat 8-10 times

Things to think about:

I like to call the inner thighs the gateway to the pelvic floor.  As you are exhaling and squeezing the ball use the inner thigh work to help you find the lift in the pelvic floor.

Day 42- Breath with Abdominal and Pelvic Floor Engagement

This exercise is intended to take your awareness to the deep abdominals and the pelvic floor.  It is taking all the breath exercises to the next step.  In Pilates the breath is the place to start and then the place to go is the pelvic floor and abdominal engagement.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.  Begin inhaling using the diaphragmatic breath from earlier in the blog.  Then as you exhale notice the hollowing in the abdomen.  Inhale again and on the next exhale use your muscles to continue this hollowing into abdominal engagement.  Use your muscles to help the breath.  Continue this breath and with every exhale help your abdominals engage as your diaphragm releases.

Things to think about:

This is an exercise that begs for imagery.  As you are practicing this breath try these on for size.

As you exhale imaging drawing your tailbone to your pubic bone

As you exhale feel your bellybutton smile

As you exhale reach your head away from your tail.

Remember that releasing all of the air will make this abdominal engagement much easier.

Day 41- Breath for Energy

This exercise is a rib breath with the added awareness of the sympathetic nervous system.  This is the branch of the nervous system that is often dubbed the fight or flight nervous system.  It gives us our “get up and go.”

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.  As you inhale start counting and let the breath expand your ribs.  Count to six and then begin to exhale. Continue counting and then inhale when you have reached a count of seven.  Continue breathing in this way as long as you want. 

Things to think about

This exercise is intended to give you energy.  It helps to have energetic images in your head as you practice this enlivening breath. 

This is a great exercise for that time in the afternoon when it seems like five o’clock will never ever come.

Day 40- Breath for Rest

This exercise is intended to help you practice using your breath to relax your body.  It is a way to be mindful and to relieve stress

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.  Place your hands on your belly and begin to inhale.  As you inhale count to six, and then begin your exhale, as you exhale count to seven.  Continue this breath pattern as long as you choose.  As you are breathing take your minds eye to parts of your body that might be holding tension.  Gently ask with your breath for these parts of your body to release that tension into the floor.  This is a diaphragmatic breath that goes a little deeper.  

Things to think about

Allowing images to pass through your mind can be helpful in this resting position.  It is also helpful to prop your feet and lower legs on a large exercise ball too.

This breath stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system to allow for rest and relaxation.  It is a great breath exercise to do right before sleeping.

Day 39- Chest Breath with Pelvis on Soft Ball

This exercise places the pelvis in an elevated position and allows for increase length in the entire spine.

To do this exercise you will need a soft ball and a mat.  Start by lying supine with the soft ball under your sacrum, which elevates your pelvis away from the ground.  Your head and shoulders will be on the ground and your knees will be bent with your feet flat on the floor.  Begin the chest breath.  As you inhale allow the breastbone to rise towards your chest and as you exhale let the breastbone release towards your spine.  With each inhale imagine a string lifting your breastbone to the ceiling and with each exhale imagine the breastbone melting into a pool on the ground

Things to think about

As before this exercise is one of the easiest ways to release tension in the neck and shoulders.  Using imagery to increase this release is also helpful.  Imagine your breastbone, melting or softening to increase the mobility in your chest as well as in your thoracic and cervical spine.

Day 38- Rib Breath with Pelvis on Soft Ball

This exercise allows you to do the rib breath with your pelvis lifted away from the ground.  This places the body in a position that can facilitate increased breath capacity around the entire circumference of the ribcage.

To do this exercise you will need a soft ball and a mat.  Start by lying on your back with the soft ball under your sacrum, which elevates your pelvis away from the ground.  Your head and shoulders will be on the ground and your knees will be bent with your feet flat on the floor.  Begin the rib breath.  As you inhale ask the base of your ribcage to expand in all directions, and as you exhale ask your ribs to narrow towards your spine.

Things to think about

Expanding the ribcage in the back on the inhale can lengthen the tissues that are shortened in some standing postures.

Day 37- Belly Breath with Pelvis on Soft Ball

This exercise allows you to continue practicing the belly breath with the pelvis elevated.  This will allow you to concentrate on finding length in the lower back during this breath.

To do this exercise you will need a soft ball and a mat.  Start by lying on your back with the soft ball under your sacrum, which elevates your pelvis away from the ground.  Your head and shoulders will be on the ground and your knees will be bent with your feet flat on the floor.  Begin the diaphragmatic breath, allowing your belly to rise as you inhale and release as you exhale.  As you continue the breath see if you can expand the tissues of your low spine when you inhale, and as you exhale make sure you expel all of the air so that your ribcage can release towards the ground for a gentle stretch.

Things to think about

 The diaphragmatic breath is a great way to release tension in the top of the Psoas muscle, which runs along the front of the low spine.  As you exhale and the diaphragm releases into the ribcage this is a great time to think about reaching your ribcage to the ground to increase the length in your lower spine.

Day 36-Single Lung Breathing Side Lying

This exercise adds the resistance of the floor to the single lung breath exercise of before.  Breathing into resistance whether it is the hands or the floor can increase the depth of the breath once the resistance is released.  It can also assist you in your exhale.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your side with your knees bent.  Begin breathing into your ribs.  As you inhale try to expand your ribs into the floor.  Exhale as your ribs narrow and move away from the floor. Inhale your ribs expand into the floor and exhale as they release. Repeat on the other side.

Things to think about

In between the two different sides of this exercise it will be fun for you to lay on your back and try a few rib breaths to notice the difference from side to side.  Ask yourself if your ribs have more mobility.  Can you take deeper breaths?

Day 35- Single Lung Breathing- Supine

This Exercise is intended to correct imbalances in the breath and musculature of the ribcage and spine. 

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.  Then place one hand on one side of your ribcage.  As you inhale try to spread the ribs underneath your hand without moving the ribs on the other side.  As you exhale feel the ribs move away from your hand.  Repeat 6-8 times on each side.

Things to think about

This is not an exact science.  It is tremendously difficult if not impossible to isolate the breath in just one lung, but the act of trying to isolate the breath can increase the stretch in the musculature of the ribs that are moving.