Day 245- Child's Pose with Wide Knees

This exercise allows you to open the hips and the low back along with the added length of the child’s pose.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start kneeling with your feet together and your knees apart and then allow your body to rest forward between your thighs.  Take five to ten breaths in this position. 

Things to think about

Often people enjoy the child’s pose with the knees apart because it allows more space in the hips and low back. 

You can also take this opportunity to walk your hands farther forward in space to lengthen your spine.  See how far you can reach.

Day 104- Bent Knee Fallout Double leg Table Top

This exercise asks the body to disassociate the leg bones from the hip sockets in a symmetrical fashion

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your legs in a tabletop position.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you open your legs to the side.  Inhale to return the legs back to the center and then repeat.  Complete this movement 8-10 times.

Things to think about:

Because this is a symmetrical movement the tendency to rotate the pelvis from side to side will be less.  However, it is still important to think about pelvic stability because while the pelvis may not rotate from side to side it could till forward or back.  When doing this exercise the pelvic floor and lower abdominals will keep the pelvis totally still.  It is important to think about the pubic bone and two Anterior Superior Illiac Spines (ASIS or headlights) on the same plane.  As your legs open you want to be sure that your pubic bone doesn’t rise higher than you ASIS or vice versa.

Day 103- Bent Knee Fallout Single Leg Table Top

This exercise continues our journey toward pelvic stability.  This time the tabletop position increases the difficulty of the exercise because it gives it a smaller base of support.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back.  Your legs will be in a tabletop position with a ninety-degree angle at the hips and at the knees.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you engage your pelvic floor and lower abdominals and lower one leg out to the side.  Inhale to bring the leg back to the center and exhale as you lower the other leg out to the side.  Repeat this exercise alternating sides 6-8 times

Things to think about:

Pelvic stability and hip disassociation are key when doing this exercise.  As you are lowering your leg out to the side the tendency will be to allow the opposite leg to follow the hip.  It is important to think of the opposite hip like an anchor.  Only lower the leg as far as you can without moving the pelvis

Day 101- Bent Knee Fallout Single Leg

This exercise is intended to increase pelvic stability while rotating the thighbone in the hip socket.

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.  Inhale as you drop one knee to the side rolling onto the side of the foot, and then exhale as you return that knee to its original position.  Then repeat the same motion on the other side. 

Things to think about

The goal of this exercise is to move the leg without moving the pelvis, so as you drop the leg to the side it is important to use the pelvic floor and lower abdominals.  You want to imagine the thighbone rotating in the socket without moving the pelvis.  Keep the range of motion as small as necessary.  If your inner thighs are tight then you won’t be able to lower the leg very far before the inner thighs overpower the pelvic floor and low abs.

Day 78- Psoas Stretch with Pelvis on Log with Hamstring Stretch 3

This Exercise is also intended to open the hip, but it also adds an additional inner thigh stretch to the exercise

To do this exercise you will need a mat, a magic circle, and a foam roller.  Start by lying on your back with your pelvis on the log.  The log is perpendicular to your spine and one foot is planted in the ground with the knee bent and the other leg is in the air with the magic circle hooked around the ball of the foot.  Your hand holds the other end of the magic circle.  As you exhale lengthen both legs away from the midline.  The bottom leg will remain on the floor and the top leg will remain in the air and each leg will move away from the midline of the body.  Inhale as you bend both legs and then exhale as you lengthen both legs away from the midline.  Repeat several times and then switch sides.

Things to think about

As with all exercises that are intended to open the hips it is important to keep the pelvis neutral or in a slight posterior tilt to protect the back.  This will also insure that you are getting as much length in the front of the hip as possible.

Day 73- Straight Leg Circles with Lumbar Rotation

This exercise is intended to increase lumbar flexibility, and it also distinguishes hip mobility and its relationship to lumbar spine rotation.  And quite frankly it’s really fun!

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with one leg extended long beneath you and the other leg reaching long towards the ceiling. Inhale as you cross the top leg over the midline of the body.  Continue reaching that leg across your body until it has gone as far as it can go.  Then continue the movement by letting the hip follow the leg as it lifts off of the ground slightly.  From this position lower the leg down towards your feet to continue the circle, then exhale as you allow the leg to come back for the second half of the circle.  This time be sure that the pelvis has centered itself again and is stabilized as the leg circles to the outside of the body.  Inhale at the top and repeat 3-5 times in each direction. 

Things to think about

This exercise increases the range of motion of the hip, but it also adds the rotation of the lumbar spine.  It is important to go slowly at first so that the lumbar spine is protected.  Be sure to use muscles to both lift the hip and to send the hip back to the ground.  Gravity can do this for you, but then the chance of injury is increased.  If you use your muscles you are protecting your spine and increasing your flexibility

If you are suffering from any Lumbar pathologies, or recovering from any hip surgery, be sure to be careful with this exercise. 

Day 66- Psoas Stretch with Pelvis on Foam Roller

This exercise is intended to open up the front of the pelvis.  The foam roller adds additional height to the pelvis to increase the stretch and provides a secure surface on which to place the pelvis.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a foam roller.  Start by lying on your back with the foam roller underneath your pelvis.  The foam roller should be perpendicular to your spine.  Hug one knee towards your chest and reach the other knee out long.  Keep your heel connected to the ground.  Continue breathing as you reach your leg long away for you.  Continue breathing as you do a few ankle circles in each direction. Then switch legs to stretch the other side.

Things to think about

It is important to keep hollowing out the abdominals as you stretch so that your spine remains neutral as opposed to extending.  Every time you exhale imagine rocking your pelvis away from your leg to add opposing forces.

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.