15 Aug On-the-road: Magic Circle stretch & release!
Magic Circle Part II: Stretch & Release
Pilates to go! If you own a magic circle, check out these exercises that’ll help work out the kinks & align your bod for more efficient strengthening (& see the strengthening exercises here!). If you don’t own a magic circle, now may be the perfect time to buy one.
Exercise #1: Hamstring Stretch
Set Up:
- Lying on back
- Both knees are bent
- One foot in Magic Circle
- Pelvis in neutral
Move:
- Inhale: Contract abdominals
- Exhale: Extend knee and straighten leg (do not lock or hyper extend your knee)
- Inhale: Release hamstring in stretch
- Exhale: Bend knee and return to starting position
Exercise #2: IT Band stretch
Set Up:
- Lying on back
- Both knees bent
- One foot in Magic Circle
- Pelvis in neutral
Move:
- Inhale: Contract abdominals
- Exhale: Extend knee and straighten leg (do not lock or hyper extend your knee)
- Inhale: Release hamstring in stretch and begin to cross right leg over bent knee
- Exhale: Hold this position and try to release IT Band
- Inhale: Continue to hold stretch
- Exhale: Return to starting position
Modify:
Bend knee during the stretch if the hamstring and IT Band are significantly tight and you feel discomfort in your knee.
Exercise #3: Adductor (inner thigh) stretch
Set Up:
- Lying on back
- Both knees bent
- One foot in Magic Circle
- Pelvis in neutral
Move:
- Inhale: Contract abdominals
- Exhale: Extend knee and straighten leg (do not lock or hyper extend your knee)
- Inhale: Release hamstring in stretch and begin to open thigh to the side
- Exhale: Release hamstring and inner thigh
- Inhale: Return to starting position
Exercise #4: Hamstring stretch #2 (advanced version)
Set Up:
- Lying on back
- Leg on the floor the knee is extended
- One foot in Magic Circle
- Pelvis in neutral
Move:
- Inhale: Contract abdominals
- Exhale: Extend knee and straighten leg (do not lock or hyper extend your knee)
- Inhale: Release hamstring
- Exhale: Hold this position and try to release hamstring
- Inhale: Continue to hold stretch
- Exhale: Return to starting position
Exercise #5: Hip and hamstring stretch
Set Up:
- Lying on back
- Both knees bent
- One foot in Magic Circle
- Pelvis in neutral
Move:
- Inhale: Contract abdominals
- Exhale: Extend knee and straighten leg (do not lock or hyper extend your knee)
- Inhale: Release hamstring in stretch, bend knee and flex hip
- Exhale: Release hip and hamstring
- Inhale: Extend knee and straighten leg (do not lock or hyper extend your knee)
Precautions for flexibility exercises:
- Be careful to not hyper extend or lock your knee.
- Attempt to keep the sacrum on the floor and maintain a neutral pelvis
- If you feel significant stress on the knee or hamstring, decrease the range of motion of the stretch
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