Lynne Robinson: With the hamstrings lengthened now, that’s a good preparation to do the scissors, which is a classical pilates exercise. We’re going to build on the skills you need to do that exercise. First, what we’re going to do a preparation. So, you’re in the relaxation position, breathe in wide and full as you breathe out zipping and hollowing you’re going to fold the knees in one at a time. Now make sure your abdominals don’t bulge, if they do take hold of one leg behind the thigh to fold the upper leg in. Otherwise, if you can fold them in one at a time keeping the low abdominals hollowed.
I’m going to take hold now behind the thigh, elbows open, breast bones soft, neck released, holding with both hands, breathe in; as you breathe out, zipped and hollowed throughout, you’re going to straighten one leg out and flex the foot. Make sure the leg is in parallel. Breathe in and as you breathe out, you’re going to very slowly lower the leg towards the floor, making sure you’re hinging from the hip. Breathe in and as you breathe out, again hinging from the hip you’re going to raise the leg. Fold the knee down, change hands, stay neutral throughout upper body is relaxed, breathe in wide and full as you breathe out, zip hollow, stay zipped, straighten the leg, and flex the foot.
On the next out breath, slowly and with control lengthen through the heel as you lower the leg away from you long, long, long leg. Breathe in at the bottom just as it touches the floor, as you breathe out hinging from the hip, we’re going to raise the leg and fold the knee down, change hands. Breath in to prepare as you breathe out straighten the leg, flex the foot, lengthening through the heel and on the next out breath lower the leg away from you, long, long, long leg, upper body relaxed breathe in as you touch the bottom and out as you raise the leg, then the knee, change hands, wide breath in to prepare, breathing out, straighten the leg, flex the foot, on the out breathe, lengthen wide, upper body relax, shoulder blades down, elbows open, breast bones soft breathe in, breathe out, and the leg comes back up again and slowly bend the knee to relax.
Quite a few of our exercises involve curling the head up off the floor. If you got a neck injury, avoid those exercises. Before we move onto to do the full scissors, I need to show you how to curl up correctly, nice frame for like your pelvis stays in neutral and your lower abdominal stay hollow throughout. You’re going to lightly clasp your hands behind your head, just make sure your head is resting in your hands, you should still be have to see your elbows; remember that right peach is just gently tucked in under your chin to next just gently rotate it forward. Take a wide breath into your back and into your sides and should breathe out, zip up and hollow, soften the breast bone, funnel the ribs down, don’t let the lower abdominals bulge and don’t tuck, breathe in and as you breathe out, lengthen and curl back down again.
I’ll just show you the same thing, but with the knees bend this time, so only out breath zipping and hollowing fold, one knee up and again, if you cant fold the upper knee out, if not maybe take hold of your leg, so just holding yourself while breathing to prepare as you breathe out, zip, hollow, chin is gently tucked in as you slowly curl the upper body, breathe in, breathe out and lengthen the lower back down. Thank you, Becky.
Okay, we’re ready for the full scissors. Breathe in wide and full, as you breathe out zip up and hollow, fold the knees out one at a time. We’re going to take hold of one leg behind the thigh, holding it with both hands, elbows opened, breast bones soft, very slowly now, chin tucked in, you’re going to curl your upper body up off the floor slowly strike in both legs. Now, you may find, if you can you’re going to hold onto your ankle or your calf otherwise, hold onto whichever part of the leg that you’re comfortable with. Breathing to prepare again, breathe out, you’re going to zip throughout now and take one leg down towards the floor. Breathe in as the leg comes up, change hands and breathe out. Elbows opened, breast bones soft, stay zipped, stay in neutral, you’re breathing out as the leg lowers, breathe in as the leg comes back up, chin just tucked in, long, long, long leg make sure the legs in parallel, stay zipped throughout, changing hands, lengthening the leg down on the out breath bring it up on the in breath. Crossing the legs over like a pair of scissors and then bend the knees in slowly lower back down and breast bone up.
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