Archive for December 23 2008

A 2-Week Pilates Hiatus?


Never! Here is a great way to keep up your workouts- some exercises you can do even without rings, balls, Xercizers, or Jim bouncing around to the music. Hint: read it all first so you know what’s coming before you try it! As a hard-working IM=X Pilates Blue Bell client, you should understand and recognize most of what you read here. If you don’t, skip it. We’d rather you didn’t injure yourself.

Step 1: Do you have a yoga or pilates mat, a ring, a stretch band, a balance ball, or ankle or wrist weights? Go get them. If you don’t, go get a hand towel.

Step 2: Lie on your back, on your mat if you have one or on the floor. Carpet may be more comfortable! Knees in for a hug and a low back stretch. Legs out, stretch through the ribs and hips on one side, then the other, then both to get a neutral spine. KEEP THIS NEUTRAL SPINE!!!

Step 3a: Feet flat on the floor with something between your knees- a ring, a ball, a yoga block, a towel folded a few times. Walk the feet out from your butt to open up the front of your hips. Maintain your neutral spine.  Hold the thing between your knees with your Pelvic Floor (Don’t Pee Muscle), NOT your inner thighs!

Step 3b: This is where you can add the wrist weights, if you want more upper body work. The trick is Read the rest of this entry »

|