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SPINAL ARTICULATION: FLEXION WITH HIP DISASSOCIATION
Starting Body Position: Supine
- Basic: Knees bent with feet flat on floor; legs neutral; arms by sides with hands behind thighs for assistance through “sticking” point
- Intermediate: Legs parallel with flexed knees and feet flat on floor; arms by sides
- Advanced: Legs extended along floor with feet in Pilates First Position; arms lengthened behind head
Action
- Basic & Intermediate: Exhale while lifting the head, neck, and shoulders with chin positioned over chest
- Articulate the spine from the floor one vertebrae at a time rolling up to seated; lengthen arms toward feet
- Inhale to axially elongate to prepare for the roll down
- Exhale while engaging the core and articulate the spine down to the floor one vertebrae at a time
- Advanced: Inhale to lift arms and head to ceiling, exhale to articulate spine up to seated maintaining
c-curve. Inhale to initiate roll down maintaining c-curve, exhale to complete articulation lengthening spine along floor into neutral, reaching lengthened arms over and behind head to Start Position
Repetitions 5 – 8x
Purpose
- Articulates spine
- Strengthens powerhouse muscles and neck flexors
- Shoulder Disassociation
- Stretches the paraspinals, scapula adductors, and hamstrings (advanced level)
Watchpoints
- Chin jutting or neck strain
- Shoulder elevation or protraction
- Hyperlordosis of lumbar spine during roll up
- Lack of core strength: Unable to roll-up completely with fluidity or lifts feet from floor
- Lack of spinal flexibility: Unable to roll through the vertebrae or unable to control the rate of descension
- Lack of ribcage stabilization when arms extend over the head (spine arches from floor)
Cues
- “Anchor your legs to the floor and grip your buttocks as you roll up and down.”
- “Imagine your spine as a wheel and roll it up and down one bone at a time.”
- “Feel your lower back being pressed into the floor as you roll up and down.”
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