Balanced Body Pilates Arc, Manual

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7
Beginning • 6 Reps
Cueing and Imagery
Stay seated on the ischial tuberosities (sit bones).
•
Imagine your sit bones are like a mountain, stay on the very -
top. Don’t roll off either side.
Keep lifting up and out of the hips.
•
Imagine a partner is holding your hips and lifting them off -
the legs as the legs straighten and bend.
Maintain a slight amount of lumbar flexion.
•
Instructor use fingers on the lumbar spinous processes to cue -
a slight curve.
Keep the head in line with the spine.
•
Cue the eye focus to adjust the alignment of the head. -
Purpose
Strengthen the abdominals and the torso
•
Strengthen the legs including the quadriceps, hamstrings,
•
adductors and calves
Increase flexibility of the lumbar spine, hamstrings and
•
calves
Improve leg alignment
•
Teach scapular stabilization
•
Precautions
Low back and sacroiliac joint issues
– Avoid if lumbar flexion
increases symptoms.
Knee issues
– Sit farther away from the footbar to decrease knee
flexion or avoid if symptoms increase.
Tight hamstrings, weak torsos, pregnancy
– Support the back by
placing the box in short box position on its side behind you
and leaning back into it.
Avoid with osteoporosis.
1 stomach massage reach and Twist - starting Position - hands reaching forward
2 stomach massage Twist - rotate and reach one arm out
1 monkey - starting Position - legs parallel, hands on footbar
2 straighten the legs to stretch the hamstrings and the lower back