PiYo™ Featured Exercise: Pilates Rollup:
Sit in a neutral position with the legs extended. Keep the pelvis and lower body stable by squeezing your thighs and buttocks together as you curve your spine down and up in a fluid, rhythmic sequence. Extend the arms in front at shoulder level. Inhale to roll back by posteriorly rotating the pelvis onto the mat. Emphasize articulating the spine one vertebra at a time onto the mat beginning with the lumbar spine. Exhale to continue rolling the thoracic and cervical
spine onto the mat as. The arms remain at shoulder level until the head rests on the mat. Next, extend the arms overhead. Inhale to lengthen the back of the neck and float the arms to the ceiling. Exhale to roll up by flexing the spine, creating a C curve. Use “scoop abs” to roll up and not your neck and shoulders. Keep your feet flexed as if you are pushing your feet into a wall with your heels secured on the floor throughout the movement.
Benefits
• Strengthens the core
• Stabilizes pelvis
• Spinal articulation
Variations
Leg and arm variations will challenge your control, muscular strength and endurance. Draw the shoulders down away from your ears to release tension out of the neck. Remember to inhale to prepare and exhale as you execute the move. Use Pilates Breaths as you inhale and expand the ribs posteriorly (to the back) and laterally (to the sides) and use forced expiration as you exhale through the mouth.
• Elevated Arms: This variation adds a challenge to the exercise by the arm levers being further away from your center resulting in added resistance. Raise arms to extend up overhead shoulder width apart as you perform the Roll Up. Be mindful of drawing the shoulders down away from the ears to alleviate tension out of the neck.
• Angel Arms: Roll down the same as you would in a traditional Roll Up. As you reach the bottom, avoid letting the head and shoulders rest on the mat. Keep the shoulder blades lifted off the mat with arms reaching toward legs. Then slowly circle the arms out and around (like angel arms) where you can see them in your peripheral vision. (Seeing the arms the entire time assists in keeping
your ribs “knitted” to the top of the abdominal wall.) Avoid using arms for momentum through the “sticky” point. Use the deep abdominal muscles or assist by bending your knees and aiding with your arms on the backs of your thighs.
• One Leg Lifted: For an added challenge and progression, offer a version of the traditional Roll Up with one leg lifted just one inch off of the floor. This should only be performed if control and integrity of movement is maintained. Alternate legs.
• Half Roll: Sit in a neutral position with knees bent and feet flat on floor. Seal thighs together. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you roll back slowly stopping at the “sticky” point where your abdominals shake. Hold. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you roll slowly back up as you think of drawing your navel in an upward. Lengthen spine at the top to neutral position. Arms: Extended out in front at shoulder level, elbows crossed at chest or holding behind thighs.
• Half Roll with Rotation: Sit in a neutral position with knees bent and feet flat on floor. Seal thighs together. Arms extended out in front at shoulder level. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you roll back slowly stopping at the “sticky” point where your abdominals shake. Bend the right elbow as you
rotate and look toward back right corner of room. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you roll slowly back up as you think of drawing your navel in an upward. Lengthen spine at the top to neutral position.
Extra Tip
Continue cuing the group to visualize placing each vertebra onto the mat one at a time as they scoop the abdominals in and upward.
Modification
Perform the Roll Up with bent knees and feet flat on floor. In addition, assist by gently holding onto your thighs if needed.
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