Pilates will always feature strongly on the exercise schedule. This year, I've been focusing loads on strengthening the obliques and spinal articulation. Along with that, opening up the hip flexors even more. The perfect side splits have returned. The middle split, is still, well, far from anything resembling a split. LOL. Let me continue to work on that!
To round up 2018, I've been working on the backbend for six weeks. Backbends are done not just on the mat, but also on the Reformer, the Cadillac as well as on the ladder barrel. It's not a matter of getting into a backbend for me, or deepening that curve. I can still do backflips rather easily; the Pilates swan, yoga bow and such poses are par-for-course any time. The whole point of doing backbends is to understand the movement of a certain exercise and which muscle groups they target.
On the Reformer, this move is similar to the 'high bridge', except in reverse. My hands are on the foot bar and my legs are on the carriage, and I have more grip to extend my arms and chest a little further. It looks more like yoga's wheel pose. It's not meant to be static. I didn't bother to load a video here. This backbend on the Reformer is meant to be mobile; moving the carriage first with the thighs, then keeping the thighs still, I move with the shoulders.
Spinal articulation always feels soooo good. Those chest and hip extensions are so deep that they help stretch key muscle groups so that pinched nerves don't happen as much, and any knotted muscles get stretched out quite easily before they start to spasm and turn into a throbbing cramp. The aim, is always to stay injury-free, and pilates helps tremendously to strengthen the core for everything else that I do.
To round up 2018, I've been working on the backbend for six weeks. Backbends are done not just on the mat, but also on the Reformer, the Cadillac as well as on the ladder barrel. It's not a matter of getting into a backbend for me, or deepening that curve. I can still do backflips rather easily; the Pilates swan, yoga bow and such poses are par-for-course any time. The whole point of doing backbends is to understand the movement of a certain exercise and which muscle groups they target.
On the Reformer, this move is similar to the 'high bridge', except in reverse. My hands are on the foot bar and my legs are on the carriage, and I have more grip to extend my arms and chest a little further. It looks more like yoga's wheel pose. It's not meant to be static. I didn't bother to load a video here. This backbend on the Reformer is meant to be mobile; moving the carriage first with the thighs, then keeping the thighs still, I move with the shoulders.
Spinal articulation always feels soooo good. Those chest and hip extensions are so deep that they help stretch key muscle groups so that pinched nerves don't happen as much, and any knotted muscles get stretched out quite easily before they start to spasm and turn into a throbbing cramp. The aim, is always to stay injury-free, and pilates helps tremendously to strengthen the core for everything else that I do.
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