Gyrotonic helps with teasing out greater hip mobility and the ribs and spinal rotation. Six months of weekly sessions have kinda awakened the weak spots and teach them to pull their weight. Weeks of practice have resulted in being able to pull in the hip joints properly without lifting the sacrum, strain in the quads/hamstrings or the lower spine overcompensating.
Going back to basics at pilates allows me to know for sure if the hips are truly less 'tight', and to check if the spinal could articulate as well it should. Gyrotonic movements are much better with coaxing gentle spinal articulation than pilates which require a little more strength. With gyrotonic, I could really isolate the spine and hips, allowing me to focus on understanding how to activate the muscles. Also, our pelvic floor muscles weaken with age; it's my interest to strength the pelvic floor as much as possible.
Did the Monkey Stretch on the Cadillac. The bar really helps in pulling the back up straight. I'm not supposed to be hanging on for dear life. The abs and hips are supposed to be supporting this weight. The hands and toes are light on the bar. I have issues with rounding the middle spine or sitting up ramrod straight (like in a Teaser). I once thought I needed longer arms to do an on-point Monkey Stretch. I guess not. A stronger core and deeper hip flexion are key. The Monkey Stretch requires a lot of lift from the lower and middle back, and also a lot of pulling in of hip joints into its sockets without tucking. I doubt I could touch my nose to the knees. 10 degrees closer at a time. I'll get there.
Going back to basics at pilates allows me to know for sure if the hips are truly less 'tight', and to check if the spinal could articulate as well it should. Gyrotonic movements are much better with coaxing gentle spinal articulation than pilates which require a little more strength. With gyrotonic, I could really isolate the spine and hips, allowing me to focus on understanding how to activate the muscles. Also, our pelvic floor muscles weaken with age; it's my interest to strength the pelvic floor as much as possible.
Did the Monkey Stretch on the Cadillac. The bar really helps in pulling the back up straight. I'm not supposed to be hanging on for dear life. The abs and hips are supposed to be supporting this weight. The hands and toes are light on the bar. I have issues with rounding the middle spine or sitting up ramrod straight (like in a Teaser). I once thought I needed longer arms to do an on-point Monkey Stretch. I guess not. A stronger core and deeper hip flexion are key. The Monkey Stretch requires a lot of lift from the lower and middle back, and also a lot of pulling in of hip joints into its sockets without tucking. I doubt I could touch my nose to the knees. 10 degrees closer at a time. I'll get there.
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