13 Jul Pilates to go: Prenatal, part II and magic circle exercises
Exercise precautions: Please consult your physician before starting any exercise activity during your pregnancy. If you experience any pain or discomfort, stop the movement and consult your doctor.
All exercises should consist of 10-12 repetitions.
Prenatal: exercises #1-#8
Exercise #1: Clam shells
Set up:
- Side-lying
- Hips stacked on top of one another
- Head supported
- Heels together
- Neutral Spine
- Theraband loop around knees
Move:
- Inhale: contract abdominals
- Exhale: open hip and lift knee, keeping heels together
- Inhale: lower leg
Modify:
- Eliminate theraband loop if SI joint is unstable
Exercise #2: Abduction
Set up:
- Side lying
- Hips stacked on top of one another
- Head supported
- Heels together
- Neutral spine
- Theraband loop around knees
Move:
- Inhale: contract abdominals
- Exhale: lift leg and hold for 1 count
- Inhale: lower leg
Modify:
- Eliminate theraband loop if SI joint is unstable
Exercise #3: clamshells w/ internal rotation
Set up:
- Side lying
- Hips stacked on top of one another
- Head supported
- Heels together
- Neutral spine
- Theraband loop around knees
Move:
- Inhale: contract the abdominals and lift leg
- Exhale: internally rotate leg
- Inhale: return to parallel
[wpvideo BzxyP0Qw]
exercise #4: Wall squats
Set up:
- Physioball between back and wall
- Feet hip distance apart
- Arms at shoulder height
- Neutral spine
Move:
- Inhale: contract abdominals
- Exhale: bend knees
- Inhale: hold squat position for 5 counts
- Exhale: return to starting position
[wpvideo XCwVjuJF]
Exercise #5: Side bend
Set up:
- Seated on physioball with knees bent
- Neutral spine
Move:
- Inhale: contract abdominals, extend one leg out to the side and lengthen spine
- Exhale: side bend away from extended leg
- Inhale: return to starting position and repeat on other side
Exercise #6: spine twist
Set up:
- Seated on physioball with knees bent
- Neutral spine
- Arms extended out to side
Move:
- Inhale: lengthen spine
- Exhale: rotate to the right and pulse 3 times
- Inhale: return to center and repeat other side
Modify:
- Bend the elbow of the side you are rotating to to increase shoulder girdle stretch
Exercise #7: Neck Stretch
Set up:
- Seated on physioball with knees bent
- Neutral spine
- Arms extended down towards floor
Move:
- Inhale: reach arm above head and place on the opposite side of your head
- Exhale: gently pull head away from opposite shoulder
Modify:
- Eliminate manual stretch if pain occurs and just bring one ear towards the shoulder
exercise #8: Elevation/Depression
Set up:
- Seated on physioball with knees bent
- Neutral spine
- Arms extended down towards floor
Move:
- Inhale: elevate shoulders
- Exhale: depress shoulders and reach arms towards the floor
[wpvideo 0V2eu7jr]
Magic circle: Exercises #1-#3
Exercise #1: Adduction
Set up:
- Side lying
- Neutral pelvis
- Magic circle between legs, just below the knee
Move:
- Inhale: contract abdominals
- Exhale: depress magic circle
- Inhale: return to starting position
exercise #1, part 2: adduction w/both legs
Set up:
- Side lying
- Neutral pelvis
- Top leg on top of magic circle, just below the knee
- Bottom leg through the magic circle
Move:
- Inhale: contract abdominals
- Exhale: depress magic circle with top leg and lift bottom leg
- Inhale: return to starting position
exercise #1: part 3: adduction with magic circle w/ circumduction
Set up:
- Side lying
- Neutral pelvis
- Top leg on top of magic circle, just below the knee
- Bottom leg through magic circle
Move:
- Inhale: contract abdominals
- Exhale: depress magic circle with top leg, lift bottom leg and draw small circle with bottom leg
- Inhale: return to starting position
[wpvideo 2mM1iu2Y]
exercise #2, part 1: pelvic bridge with adduction
Set up:
- Lying on back
- Magic circle between knees
- Feet flat
- Neutral spine
Move:
- Inhale: contract abdominals
- Exhale: articulate spine off of the mat
- Inhale: hold bridge position and squeeze magic circle 3x
- Exhale: articulate spine down to starting position
exercise #2, part 2: pelvic bridge with abduction
Set up:
- Lying on back
- Knees inside magic circle
- Feet flat
- Neutral spine
Move:
- Inhale: contract abdominals
- Exhale: articulate spine off of the mat
- Inhale: hold bridge position and open legs to press magic circle out 3x
- Exhale: articulate spine down to starting position
[wpvideo DIds2aK8]
exercise #3: spinal flexion and adduction
Set up:
- Lying on back
- Magic circle between knees
- Feet flat
- Neutral spine
Move:
- Inhale: contract abdominals
- Exhale: squeeze magic circle
- Inhale: squeeze magic circle
- Exhale: lift head and shoulders off mat
- Inhale: keep head lifted and abdominals contracts while you release magic circle
- Exhale: release head and shoulders down to the mat and starting position
Modify:
- Place legs between magic circle and abduct knees (open knees) as an alternative to adducting the magic circle
[wpvideo zhcswiYV]
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