Pilates exercises: Part VII

Trunk exercises

Now we are going to work the thorax, waist, back and arms. To perform the following movements we have to keep our legs and buttock very tight, since these parts will work as well:

Stand up with your arms hanging on each side holding tight the cuff links. Put the left wrist with the cuff link on your waist. The right arm, stretched and over your body holding the cuff link. This will slide slowly over your thigh until the knee or lower if you can, bending the thorax by that side. Get your body back to its original position. Repeat the movements by the opposite side 10 times. Remember to coordinate this exercise with deep breathing. In this exercise, what changes is that instead of keeping one wrist with a cuff link leaning on the waist, we are going to raise it forming a half arch above our head at the same time we start bending the thorax towards the right side, feeling the stretching of the muscle that cover our ribs of the side we are raising the arm. When finishing the movements oft hr right side we start doing it at the left side (10 times for each side).

Hold the stick of a sweeper from your back at the level of your waist standing up with your feet together. Bend the thorax alternating one to the right and once to the left. Accompany slowly the waist movement with your head and the eyes open for not getting dizzy. Concentrate with the respiration and when you finish drink some slurps of water.

Pilates exercises: Part II

Neck and upper back exercises

In this post we are going to focus on exercising the neck and all that area of the shoulders and upper back that aches so bad due to the stress and anxiety that produce disnea. It will also help us to have a better blood circulation in the head (brain, eyes, ears, throat, etc). So here we go:

– Stand up with the feet slightly separated (for more balance) and the arms hanging loose on each side.
– Inhale and move your head forward slowly (until the chin touches the chest) and then backwards, (like nodding) stretching the neck (10 times).
– Move the head to both sides, look upon your shoulders, stretching the neck (like saying NO) for 10 times.
– Move the head to both sides like trying to place ear upon each shoulder, stretching slowly (10 times).
– Let’s turn our head 360° degrees from the right and the left (slowly to avoid dizziness) and taking care of breathing with the diaphragm. Inhale deeply through the nose and exhale wrinkling the lips.