My Own Essential Movement Sequence for Small Groups
This sequence is the start to all of my sessions because it is a consistent baseline for assessing my clients’ current Range of Motion and their progress from one session to the next.
- Pelvic Tilt
- Reverse Torso Curl
- Inner Thigh Squeeze with Big Ball: Lift
- Pelvic Tilt: Calves on Big Ball
- Lengthening & Tracking the Core
Pelvic Tilt
Position
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the ground
Relax your arms at your sides
“Dime” pinched, “Zipper” zipped, feet relaxed
Action
Focus on abdominal area between the hip bones
Lift from your abdominals and hold the position of your feet and legs
Pull your inner thighs towards one another
Slowly lower the pelvis until you feel as if you will lose the “Dime” or “Zipper”
Return to starting position
Tip
Less is more: this is a very small movement
Reverse Torso Curl
Position
Lie on your back with knees over your chest
Extend your legs enough to engage your core (between the hip bones)
Place your hands to the side
Action
“Think” from your core (between the hip bones)
Curl your hip bones up to the bottom of the rib cage
Tips
This is a very small movement (less is more)
Experiment with leg positioning
Extend your legs up, keeping the knees bent to a position where you feel engagement of the core
If you feel shoulders rounding or notice that you are pushing off the back, you can place hands behind the head to keep the shoulder blades engaged
Inner Thigh Squeeze with Big Ball: Lift
Position
Be sure to check for your “Me” posture before beginning
Lie on back with calves at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock on the ball
Action
While gently squeezing the ball – slowly lower and lift the spine, one vertebra at a time
Tips
Keep legs no more than shoulder width apart
Pulling in from below your knees, slightly rotate thighs inwards
Pelvic Tilt: Calves on Big Ball
Position
Relax on Back
Place calves on top of the ball
Keep hands relaxed at sides
Relax feet and bend knees
Action
Lift up from the bottom of the spine
Slowly lower until you feel as if you will lose alignment or tension (keep the “Dime” and “Zipper”)
Repeat
Tip
Keep focused from the center (the abdominal area between the hip bones)
Hold your “Dime” and “Zipper”
Lengthening & Tracking the Core
Position
Relax on your back, knees bent, feet flat and relaxed
Pull your inner thighs towards one another
Shoulders back and down
Ball between hands and over the chest
Action
Slowly raise ball over head until you feel it connect with the center (abdominal area between the hip bones)
Keeping shoulders pinched, return to starting position
Maintain proper alignment
Tips
Engage from your abdominals, not your feet
Only go as far as your Range of Motion allows
Make sure you feel the connection to the center at all times