The PIATES theme of the week – ROTATION OF THE SPINE:
This is a movement we use in some activities in daily life but we tend not to use the FULL range of movement and therefore lose range with age. Joseph Pilates said “Use it or lose it!”
These are movements you can do every morning. I do these 3 exercises as I get up every day:
THE LOW BACK
Knee Rolls in Lying
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your knees and feet together.
- Then roll both your knees from side to side as far as is comfortable.
- Notice how far you can rotate left and right.
- Which is your stiffer direction?
THE MID BACK
Shoulder Twists in Sitting or Standing
- Place your arms across your chest with your hands on the opposite shoulders.
- Turn your shoulders to look over one shoulder and repeat to the opposite side.
- Notice how far you can rotate left and right.
- Which is your stiffer direction?
THE NECK
Turning the the Head in Sitting or Standing
- Keep your arms across your chest with your hands on the opposite shoulders.
- Turn your head to look to the left and right while keeping your shoulders still.
- Notice how far you can rotate left and right.
- Which is your stiffer direction?
Try performing these rotation exercises daily for a week and notice how your flexibility improves.
We look forward to seeing you in your Pilate class this week.