Consistency builds proper balance. Here we add a few new movements to a couple of foundation movements that we’ve done earlier.
- Sitting on Big Ball: Inner Thigh Squeeze with Little Ball
- Getting Up and Down
- Trunk Rotation: Sitting on Big Ball
- Pullback with Big Ball
- Wall Push-Ups with Big Ball
Sitting on Big Ball: Inner Thigh Squeeze with Little Ball
Position
- Sit on the Big Ball
- Visualize yourself as a “Puppet on a String”
- Keep shoulders back
- Lift your chest
- Hold your “Dime” tight (this is hard to do when you are sitting!)
- Zip your “Zipper”
- Keep your feet on the floor in front of knees
- Position your feet flat on the floor, with weight evenly distributed on the bottoms
- Draw your inner thighs towards each other with the Little Ball between them
Action
- Squeeze ball gently using the inner thighs
- Slightly release without losing tension on the ball
- Repeat
Tips
- If you find yourself arching the back, check your “Dime” and “Zipper”
When you correct the “Dime” and “Zipper” avoid slouching your shoulders - Try to maintain both: it will be a great workout
Getting Up and Dow
Position
- Sit On Big Ball Using Good Posture
- Visualize yourself as a “Puppet on a String”
- Keep shoulders back
- Lift your chest
- Hold your “Dime” tight
- Zip your “Zipper”
- Keep your feet on the floor in front of knees
- Position your feet flat on the floor, with weight evenly distributed on the bottoms
Action
- Get Up
- Thinking from the hamstrings and buttocks, try to get up from the seated position
If you can’t do this, then bring the feet in a bit closer and try again - Repeat until you find a position that lets you maintain posture and still engages the hamstrings when getting up
- Thinking from the hamstrings and buttocks, try to get up from the seated position
- Sit Down
- Focus on maintaining form while SLOWLY sitting yourself down
- Repeat Up and Down
Tips
- Getting up and down is an important function in our aging years
- Take every opportunity to work on this. You will be amazed!
- This process will take time: we tend to “roll out” and “fall” into a sitting position
Trunk Rotation: Sitting on Big Ball
Position
- Start with good “Me” posture and alignment
- Keep ball at chest height, in front
Action
- Slowly rotate ball to one side only as far as your Range of Motion
- Repeat movement to the other side
Tips
- Think and initiate from the center (in between the hip bones)
- Keep feet relaxed
- Keep shoulders pinched
- Watch shoulders, “Dime” and “Zipper”
Pullback with Big Ball
Position
- Ball against the wall
- Lean shoulders against the ball
- Extend arms in front
Action
- Pull arms back, squeezing shoulder blades
- Slowly move arms back to the starting position
- Repeat
Tips
- Only move arms within a Range of Motion that allows you to keep correct “Me” posture and alignment
- Make sure the ball is in between the shoulder blades
- The farther away the feet are, the greater the resistance…but you must maintain correct “Me” posture and alignment throughout the continuum
Wall Push-Ups with Big Ball
Position
- Place the ball on the wall
- Place hands at sides of the ball (shoulder width or closer)
- Lean into the ball, with arms extended (elbows soft)
- Stand feet shoulder-width or closer
- Maintain “Me” posture and alignment
Action
- Slowly bend elbows: leading chest towards the ball
- Keep tension in the body
- Extend back out and repeat
Tips
- Be sure you always maintain posture and alignment
- As you get stronger, move your feet away from the ball