Day 242- Scarecrow with Arms, Elbows, Upper Body and then Legs

This exercise is an advanced version of the scarecrow that can strengthen all of the myofascial connections of back of the body.

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 while also reaching the bottoms of your legs away from you.  Exhale as you maintain spine extension and allow the feet to float into the air.  And finally inhale as you release to the floor.

Things to think about

This exercise is about endurance and functional strength of the postural muscles of the spine.  As you extend the spine imagine making a long arc with your body.  Imagine lifting two ends of a jump rope rather than folding a piece of paper in half

After doing this exercise find your way to sitting and enjoy your long and beautiful posture.

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 235- Single Leg Pull with Head Up

This exercise is the classic Pilates Single Leg Pull Exercise.  It strengthens the hamstrings in both knee flexion and hip extension.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your belly with your legs lengthened beneath you.  Place your elbows underneath your shoulders with your hands clasped together in the center. Inhale to prepare and exhale as you lift your belly and slide your shoulder blades down your back.  Maintain this position as you inhale and then exhale as you bend one knee and bring your heel towards your pelvis.  Inhale as you lengthen it away from you and exhale as you bend the other side.  Repeat 6-8 times on each side.

Things to think about

This position will provide some support for the head neck and shoulders, but it is important also to lift the muscles and fascial tissue of the front of the spine to support each vertebra.

As you bend the knee be sure that the pubic bone is connecting evenly to the ground.  If you feel your pelvis rolling from side to side, take some time to lengthen the front of the hips.  And then be sure that you maintain that length as you bend the knee.

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.