Day 255- Quadrupded: Spine as a Jump Rope

This exercise adds mobility and segmental movement to the spine.

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 to prepare and then exhale as you drop your head and tail to the ground while at the same time lifting your spine to the ceiling.  Inhale as you take your head and tail to the right, which will in turn send your spine to the left.  Continue inhaling as you take your head and tail to the ceiling which allows your spine to extend towards the floor and then exhale as you take your head and tail to the left (spine to the right).  Finish the exhale as you drop your head and tail to the ground.  Repeat 3-5 times and then reverse directions.

Things to think about

Mobility of the spine is integral to the health of the body.  Learning to move your spine is as important for long term health as eating your vegetables. Move your spine, Move your spine, and Move your spine some more!!! (Soap box anyone)

As you are doing this exercise notice what parts of your spine might be stiffer than others and see if you can find mobility in every segment of the spine.

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 241- Scarecrow with Arms, Elbows and Upper Body

This exercise adds the upper body to the arm and shoulder work of the previous exercise.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your belly with your legs lengthened long beneath you.  Place your elbows to the side of the body directly in line with your shoulders, and allow your forearms to be placed at a right angle to the elbows.  Inhale as you press your elbows into the ground to lift your forearms and then exhale as you maintain the angles of your forearms and lift your elbows.  Inhale again as you reach the head away from the tail and lift your head, neck, and shoulders.  Finally exhale as you allow your head, neck, and shoulders to descend to the floor followed by your elbows and your hands.  Repeat 5-8 times.

Things to think about

This exercise will improve your posture.  It’s a fabulous exercise to do once an hour if you spend time at a computer. 

You could also think about doing this exercise in your desk chair.  It is about finding the length of the body in spine extension, which can be done sitting too.

 

Day 238- Scarecrow- Extension all Together from E Position

The Arm Position

This exercise is a postural exercise that strengthens the muscles of the spine and the back of the shoulder.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your belly with your legs lengthened long beneath you.  Place your elbows to the side of the body directly in line with your shoulders and allow your forearms to be placed at a right angle to the elbows.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you reach your toes away from your pelvis and press your pubic bone into the ground. Inhale again as you lift your arms, head, neck, and shoulders away from the ground and then exhale as you release them back to the ground.  Repeat 6-8 times.

Things to think about

As with any spine extension exercise, maintaining axial length is imperative to preserving the low spine.  Before your lift your head, neck, and shoulders allow yourself to reach the crown of your head from the wall across the room.  Once you have found a balanced tension in your body then you are ready to find spine extension.

Be sure that the forearms stay above the elbows in a gentle arc.

Day 233- AH Arms with Upper Body, External Rotation at Shoulders and Port De Bra

This exercise is intended to build endurance in the postural muscles of the arms and upper back.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your belly with your arms by your side and your legs lengthened long beneath you.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you slide your shoulder blades down your back and lift your arms.  Inhale as you externally rotate your arms and lift your head, neck, and shoulders.  Finally exhale to lengthen the spine even more and move your hands to your side and then above your head.  Inhale to release and then repeat 8-10 times.

Things to think about

The pinky finger…Really I’m serious.  The pinky finger will allow your shoulder blades to find the most efficient movement in the port de bra.

You may have noticed that this version has two full breaths.  These should be slow and deliberate breaths, and it should take the entire breath to be complete each movement.

Day 232- AH Arms with Upper Body and External Rotation at Shoulders

This exercise prepares the arm for movement with spine extension by engaging the rotator cuff to keep the arm bone in the socket.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your belly with your hands by your sides and your legs lengthened beneath you.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you slide your shoulder blades down your back, widen your collarbones to lift your arms.  Then as you inhale begin externally rotating your upper arms and lifting your head, neck, and shoulders away from the floor.  Exhale as you melt to the floor and then repeat this exercise 8-10 times.

Things to think about

This exercise is very shoulder girdle focused.  You want to feel it in the back of your shoulder sockets and underneath your shoulder blades.  If you are feeling your upper shoulders closer to your neck try to do some chest stretches before doing it again. 

This exercise is intended to build strength in your upper back.  If you are feeling too much work in your low back, then be sure to lengthen the front of the pelvis and lift your belly button away from the floor.

Day 231- AH Arms with Upper Body

This exercise adds spine extension to shoulder extension for postural support.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your belly with your arms by your sides and your legs lengthened long beneath you.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you reach through your fingertips and open your collarbones to lift your arms.  At the same time feel your pubic bone connect to the floor as you lift your belly away from the floor.  On the next inhale, maintain the engagement of your abdominal wall as you begin to extend your spine by lifting your head, neck, and shoulders away from the floor.  Exhale as you release and then repeat 8-10 times.

Things to think about

It is important to make sure that the collarbones are wide across the chest and that the shoulder blades are sliding down the back.  This puts the shoulder girdle in the best place for the spine to extend segmentally.

Try your best to find balanced movement of your spine.  Be sure that your neck isn’t doing all of the movement.  Maintain the length in your axis as you lift your head, neck, and shoulders.

Day 230- AH Arms

This exercise isolates the movement of shoulder extension while lying prone

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your belly with your legs lengthened long beneath you.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you slide your shoulder blades down your back and lift your arms into the air.  Inhale as you lower your arms to the ground and then exhale again as you lift your arms. Repeat 8-10 times

Things to think about

When you slide your shoulder blades down your back be sure that you also widen your collarbones.

As you are doing this exercise imagine movement your shoulder blades and collarbones moving around your ribcage.  Imagine fluid movement that is free from the tension of the upper trapezius muscles.