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  Pilates side to side  Pilates Information
Pilates Alexander Technique
Free pilates Exercises Online
Use a tennis ball between your knees for this exercise.

Side to side:- Start Position
  1. Lie on your back.
  2. Bring your knees up one at a time and place a tennis ball between your knees and hold it there thoughout the exercise.
  3. Place your arms at right angles to your body with palms up.
  4. Thighs at right angle to body.
  5. Press hands arms & shoulder blades to the mat.
Side to side:- Action
  1. Breathe in to send the legs right and look left to where the hand turns palm up. (you could lift your hand and look at your palm).
  2. Breathe out to bring your legs to the centre and continue through:
  3. Breathe in to send the legs left and look right to where the hand turns palm up. (you could lift your hand and look at your palm).
  4. Repeat four to eight times each side, going a little further each time.
Comments


Stay in control with this exercise. Emphasize smaller movements with precision to start with. This exercise will feel strange because the legs are being moved by the abdominal muscles while the leg muscles themselves (more or less!) take a holiday.
(Scroll right>>>>....)
Side to side:
Start Position HipRole1
Action HipRole2

Benefits


Standard exercises emphasize obvious movement that starts by activation of limb muscles. Pilates emphasizes movement "from the core" (the core is the centre of the body - the lumbar region plus the pelvis). This Pilates exercise demonstrates the concept. Benefits summarized:-
  • A core (body centre) that moves with precision and control through a wide range of twisting movement - even when loaded!
Watch Points
  • Shoulder blades stay on the mat!
  • Knees together - use the tennis ball!
  • Abdominals do the work: you move the legs by "stomach power" not "leg power"!
  • Small of the back stays pressed to the mat!
  • Relax and lengthen your neck.
Further benefit - neural flossing of arm nerves
If you feel a slight tingle in your finger tips or a slight burning sensation in the side of your neck then you will be pleased to know that you are "flossing" (or mobilizing) one or more nerves that run from the neck down to the arm and that this form of stretching will over time loosen tight or stuck areas along the path of that nerve.
  • By looking to a "palm up hand" you stretch the median nerve.
  • By looking away from a "palm down hand" you stretch the radial nerve.
More information on nerve flossing, click on the internet searches below!
Reference
  1. The Official Body Control Pilates Manual Available from: http://www.bodycontrol.co.uk/
  2. Google search: median nerve flossing
  3. Google search: radial nerve flossing
© Bruce Thomson, EasyVigour Project  (scroll up^^^^)