Read Full Transcript
Hello. Join me, Lara Hanlon, for a quick 30 minute, reformer class. Let’s get started. Sit down on your reformer, swing those legs right around to the ledge. I am on a green, which is slightly heavier than a red on this reformer and 2 reds. Maybe 3 reds. Do what you need for leg and footwork. Reach those arms forward.
Take a deep breath in, and exhale begin to roll down onto the carriage with control using those hands as always, if needed, make sure you squeeze in there. Reach fingertips towards the edge kind of the head back and we’ll lift those legs up. Place the arches of the feet on the bar to start and a strong prehensile position feel like a mama bird on the perch holding on with the toes wrapping forward heels wrapping under, inhale to press the carriage back. And exhale to bend those knees using the glutes and hamstrings to pull it in, inhale to lengthen, exhale breaking right at the hip so we keep this neutral pelvis using the breath, using the abdominals to tighten through the core warming up through the entire body. Really lengthening on the way out, pressing into the feet, lengthening through the crown of the head, squeezing inner thighs and glutes together without tucking that pelvis, breaking right at the hips as if it was a hinge joint inhale to lengthen.
Accel ribs draw together belly pulls down and in. All the way back all the way into that stopper once more inhale to lengthen and exhale to return. From here, keep that pelvis anchored. Palms press down, belly pulls down, and then we’ll lift the legs up as straight as you can towards the ceiling without adjusting the pelvis. From here flex the toes back towards you reach your heels up high and then point back up through the toes, opening up through the back of those legs, inhale to flex.
Excel to point. 2 more. Toes flex down towards the body. Toes point up towards the ceiling. One more time, we’ll flex to stay deep breath in, exhale slowly bend your knees, bringing those heels onto the bar with control. Again, keeping our neutral pelvis chest open abdominals engaged pressing all the way out here, flexing all ten toes back towards us, accel to resist using glutes and hamstrings on the way in inhale to lengthen, think of lifting in the knees and thighs, exhale to resist.
Pressing all the way out each time working within your leg alignment, mobility, what feels best in your body. I like to press all the way to a straight leg, really feeling that lift that activation in the tops of my knees and my thighs. Keep flexing those toes back. You might feel the front of those shins working. Just support us. Inhale.
Excel to resist working both directions twice, more we lengthen back. We return with control. 1 more inhale and exhale. Once again, we’ll extend those legs up to the ceiling. Pointing through the toes, breaking right at the hips here, inhale to turn out, wrapping the back of those legs together, exhale back to parallel.
Finding that external rotation from the hips using the glutes, exhale back to parallel 2 more times in heel turnout. Excel parallel. One more time turn out inhale. Accel bend your knees flexing at the toe joint. Finding our Pilates stance first position on the bar in how to lengthen thinking of that tight zipper through the inner thighs up to the belly.
Axle to resist. It owns tailbone. Continue to reach long here. Really breaking at the hips in this first position turned out position. It’s easy to adjust and tuck the pelvis. We wanna keep it nice and neutral, so important here.
So we work the low belly versus tightening in the hips and the low back. We engage underneath the sit bones, squeezing the seat tight, squeezing those heels together, inhale on the way out. Axel to resist on the return. They go breathing with the springs. They open like an accordion.
We bring air into the lungs. Everything closes back together. Press and then 1, Maureen, heel out and exhale all the way back in From there, bring the knees back together, we’ll lower the feet back down onto the ledge, float the arms up, take a deep breath here, and exhale to round and roll up using those abdominals. We’ll swing our legs off to the side, lower that foot bar down, and change our springs. Moving into some upper body work.
I’m changing to one red and one blue. Legs come back around. We’ll extend them out long over the bar Open up the spine a little more with some roll ups. So flex the heels forward. Reach forward towards your toes.
Let that head release biceps framing the ears. Deep breath in. And x, he’ll begin to round and roll back. We’ll see if I make it here. Pull that belly button deeper, deeper, deeper, lengthening head back arm straight up to the ceiling.
Shoulders, pull down, inhale, exhale to curl back forward and up, pull the belly deeper back and then reach towards the toes, inhale. And exhale to curl back down vertebra by vertebra. Think of opening up through the spine lengthening at the bottom once more inhale. Exhale up. Pull that belly back back back.
Open up through the waist to reach forward through the heels and fingers inhale, exhale to round and curl all the way back down, keep zipping up through the inner thighs, through the belly. This time we’ll lower, scoot a little bit away from your shoulder blocks. You have some space there, and then take hold of the strap one in either hand. We’ll reach the arms up, draw the legs to a tabletop position with control, inner thighs glued together like magnets, and then start by bringing some tension into the springs, into the straps. So those fingertips are reaching up. Palms pressing forward.
Hands right up over the shoulders. Gaze lift it. Take a breath in to prepare. And then exhale press the palms down to hover off the map by the sides, squeezing those elbows in tight squeezing into our armpits. Inhale arms, lift back up to the ceiling, exhale to press it down as you pull the low belly down. 2 more inhale arms float up. Exhale arms press once more in the lift and exhale to press same movement with the upper body, inhale arms lift.
We’ll add an upper body curl as we press chin overs over the chest gazing between those thighs. Head and arms back on the inhale curling up and forward as we exhale. Use the breath inhale. And exhale once more day get back. Curl up and forward.
We’ll stay lifted, reach through those fingertips, lower the right, toes down, inhale, lift the leg up as you exhale. Left leg lowers, maybe hovering or tapping the ledge, pulling that belly button deeper continuing to warm up the core here. Keep reaching long through those arms, chin hovering over the chest, inhale. And exhale both legs together four times. They were with control.
Zip up through the legs through the waist to left for 3. Use the breath. Can we curl a little higher over the ribs for it to pull that belly deeper to lift one more time inhale down. Exhale this time draw the knees all the way into the chest. Bend your elbows. Let the head release. And then bring the carriage into rest for a moment, feet lower to the bar, to the ledge, arms open.
Take a deep breath here. An exhale let the knees float over in one direction. Doesn’t matter which one. Think of keeping the opposite shoulder. Really anchored down.
So we feel that stretch across the collar bones all the way through the back and the hips out through those thighs in Hill moving through center. An exhale, taking the knees over in the other direction. Nice gentle twist for that back. One more breath here inhale and exhale. Bring those legs all the way back to center.
Make sure you still have a little space between the shoulders and the blocks. Knees come back in towards the chest elbows back bend back in by the sides. Take a breath here. Is you exhale peel the chin over the chest forehead reaching to the knees. We’ll extend arms and legs out long, right into our hundreds, breathing, and fives into 345, exhale to 3, 4, 5 inhale through the nose as you exhale pull the belly deeper towards that mat.
Inhale. As you exhale, can you watch your belly sink deeper towards the ground? Inhale. Keep lengthening longer through fingers and toes for more breath, and maybe legs lower to eye level, maybe you need to bend your knees in to support your back more, listen to your body and exhale out. 2 more breaths. And exhale out 2, 3, 4, 5, 1 more inhale and exhale 2, 3, 4, 5, stay hold and reach.
Take a deep breath and use that low belly draw the knees all the way back in, bend the elbows, and release the head From here, we’ll place the feet into those straps, getting there however you need, lowering our headrest down, making sure it’s flat as we move into our short spine stretch. Bend your knees in and then start by extending legs and arms out long. Legs will start parallel here. We’ll lift and lower the legs a couple times just to feel that hinge at the hips. Reach the toes to the ceiling.
We were here earlier. Now with that added support from the straps. It should feel like a nice lengthening for the back of the legs. Squeeze the glutes and hamstrings lower back down to 45 degrees. Break at the hips deep breath in.
Press the legs down and away, squeeze the seat, draw the ribs together, keeping space away from the chin and chest, inhale legs lift. Exale legs lower. One more time. Leggs lift to perpendicular or as high as you can go without lifting those hips and press down and away. This time we’ll let the legs maybe go a little bit higher again, trying to keep the pelvises anchored as we can This all will depend on that hamstring flexibility. Do what feels best for you so you get this lovely stretch for the back of the legs.
Take a deep breath in. Ideally, that carriage comes to a stop maybe you’re not quite there. Inhale and exhale to roll up using our core, using those glutes and legs to support us here. Reaching the toes up, gaze up, palms down. Bend your knees into a diamond. Knees come over the shoulder blocks, deep breath in, Exel, take your time to roll down here, chest away from the chin, opening up through the upper back, middle back low back, finding that link through this beautiful long diamond shape of the legs, then the heels come in towards the glutes and we extend those legs back to that forty five degree angle. Again, parallel legs let them float up maybe to perpendicular, maybe a little bit further and join a hamstring stretch here, burrito, then exhale to curl up and back toes reach up, strap stay caught, have been the knees to a diamond as you inhale, roll down through the spine as you exhale, trying to keep those heels together, Keep them lifted, open up through the back of the legs and the spine. Heels come in and heal, lengthen through the spine, lengthen through those legs.
Two more legs float back on the inhale and join this moment of a stretch, exhale squeeze the seat, zip up through the waist to curl and lift as you bend, try not to just drop those knees, thighs parallel to the floor. Roll down through your spine. We’re using our short spine today to really open up through the back. Heels come in. This should feel nice, juicy movement. Really, really good for the back.
One more inhale. Excel. Roll it up. Zip up through the waist. Feel that slow control. Maybe find a little more length.
Squeeze the seat. Lift a little higher. Knees bend and straps stay taught inhale. Roll all the way down vertebra by vertebra. Chest away from the chin.
Open up through the waist. Ruling those heels in and extend the legs long. We’ll stay turned out here, flip the headrest back up. Chin stays lifted away from the chest, open neck, and throat, flex through the heels, bend your knees in for frog inhale, and exhale to extend squeezed tight into those inner thighs. Break at the hips, lengthen, and squeeze the seat, inhale to bend, exhale to reach a little longer.
Really lengthening through the leg muscles, through the back, deepening through the waist. Furr4. And extend. 3 and reach 2 more resist to bend, lengthen as you extend 1 more inhale. Axale extend point through the toes, circle those legs up, out down and around squeezing heels together, break at the hip palvis stays anchored, press from the glutes and hamstrings, squeeze into those inner thighs. We lift and circle 2 more this direction, opening up through the hips, keep it controlled, maybe just a little bit wider than your carriage, not too crazy here.
Reverse your circle around and up on the inhale, deep in the belly, press again from those glutes and hamstrings to lower for 4. Belly pulls down. Legs reach away. 3 and press. Last two. And lengthen to lower one more time inhale, exhale lower and stay.
From there, bend the knees all the way back in. We’ll take the feet out of the straps. Keep them in the hands. Bend your elbows in. Keep those knees in close.
Take a breath in to prepare. And then once again, we’ll curl forehead towards the knees into this tight little ball moving into our advanced coordination. Arms and legs extend open and close all on that breath in, exhale pulls the knees into the nose and bends the elbows with resistance. We breathe in. And out fusing that low belly, keeping that movement fluid and zip up through the inner thighs through the waistline.
We exhale draw it in a little bit tighter, a little bit closer for 4. Can we curl higher as we deepen through the belly through Lost 2. Exhale it out. Watch that belly sink deep final time, exhale, knees, and elbows, and ruffs. Love that exercise.
Let the feet rest down straps back over the pegs. Legs extend that long, deep breath, and reach those arms up. And exhale to round and roll up. Hopefully feeling a little bit warmer. We’ll spin around.
Lower your headrest back down, easing into some arm work here with some simple biceps and triceps. I’m gonna keep myself on one red today. Legs extend long through the headrest. Again, if you’re tight in your hamstrings, maybe knees are slightly bent, maybe you need to sit on a box or cross your legs. Listen to your body here.
You’ll take the straps 1 in either hand, Sit up tall. We’ll start with a tricep exercise, so roll the shoulders back, begin to press your palms into the straps, reaching maybe to the of your hips maybe a little further. Hold it here for a moment. Reach fingertips further to the floor. CrownADA had higher to the sky. Take a deep breath and maybe press back one more inch.
And then exhale resist the arms forward, keeping some tension in the straps and the springs so we’re engaged between those shoulder blades, inhale to press back. Axle to resist forward. We’re pressing from our lats, our back muscles, our triceps, opening up across the collarbone so we don’t feel those shoulders roll forward, inhale to press back, exhale to resist. Keep lengthening down through those fingertips up higher through the spine using the breath inhale. And exhale.
3 more times. Pull the belly back as you resist. Arms forward. 2. Once or maybe a little further. This time, reach those arms all the way forward.
Carriage will come to rest. Arms lift to parallel with the floor. Palms slip to the ceiling, keeping those shoulders down and back simple bicep curl from here, inhale to bend. Exhale to lengthen. Now imagine your elbows, your upper arm bones are on a tabletop. We’re trying to keep them lifted with out lifting the shoulders.
So again, use the back muscles, those lats, to pull the scapula down as you lengthen up taller through the spine, maybe a little fire underneath that seat. It’ll help you lift out of the hips, inhale to vent, deep in the belly back, exhale to lengthen for 4. And reach. Can we keep elbows lifted at shoulder height and shoulder width, really working our alignment here with control for 2 and stretch one more time inhale and exhale. Let the straps release over those pegs once again, take a forward stretch, shake the legs, the feet out, whatever you need, breathing into the back. Exceled your reaping the body a little further forward.
From here, option to keep your spring as is. I’m gonna lighten mine a little bit, which will actually make it slightly more challenging here as we move into kind of a variation of Ron Fletcher’s diamond rollback. So I add a little more arms to it but still comes from that same idea working into the core. So with less spring tension, less weight attached, it’s a little more challenging on those abdominals. We’ll start with a little tension here so we can find a lift through the spine.
My heels are at the very edge of the headrest. Nies are not totally flopped open, but about shoulder width. Take a deep breath in to prepare. X, he’ll begin to curl back one bone at a time. How slow can you go here? We’re opening up through the low back.
Through the middle back. We find the tips of the shoulder blades hovering here. Try not to tuck your pelvis. Reach this bones and the tailbone long gazes forward breathe and use the straps to help you use the low belly to initiate and curl the body back up with control. Shoulders come over the hips, and then we lengthen back up tall and heel at the top, exhilter round and contract.
I like to have maybe just a bigger tip touch here. So I’m not gripping onto those straps really using our abdominals and heel at the bottom. Excel belly button pulls down, heels, press down. If your heels are lifting, your legs are flying up, you’re gripping in your shoulders, add a little more weight for more support one more like this, and he’ll be beautiful Tallback, exhale deep contraction round and roll down. This time, we’ll stay at the tips of the shoulder blades to add that arm work.
So now do hold on a little bit tighter. Palms flip down. Arms pull out to a tee on the inhale. Arms close back to the sides as we exhale. As we open, we open through the chest, we stay connected in the core.
Pulling wide, reaching to the sides of the room, keeping those palms facing down for 2. Draw the ribs together as the arms close. One more. Excel close. Hold it here on the inhale.
Axle to contract and round back up. Belly pulls back. Lengthen up tall inhaling at the top, exhale to round and curl down. From here, we find the tips of the shoulder blades. We add on inhale lift the legs in this diamond shape, exhale lower the heels to hover or tap the head rest.
Inhale diamond lifts. Deep in the belly down, lower the diamond down for 2, exhale to lower. One more lift. Axale lower. We lift the diamond to stay.
Same arm movement. Palms down. Arms pull breathing. Axale arms, close ribs, close, inhale to open, exhale to close, keep squeezing your heels together, keep curling up over the ribs, remaining in this lift at the tips of the shoulder blades, nice, even square body last pull. Close and hold. Lower the heels back down.
Take a breath and exhale curl back up. Belly button pulls back shoulders come over the hips, stack up to that beautiful tall spine, breathe in at the top. Again, we round and can track continuing to add on doing what you need, maybe going back to that first step here. Inhale here. Exhale, we’re gonna curl up lifting body and legs. Find it to start.
Slightly rounded spine. Relax through the shoulders. With control, lower back down so your heels, your shoulder blades hover or tap the headrest. Again, I’m trying not to grip my straps here. This time a little bit quicker, a little smoother. We inhale to lift, exhale to lower.
Still rolling through that spine for a 3. Pull the belly back. Roll back down for a 2. Lift. Heart between the thighs. So I’ll take it down.
One more time. Inhale. Zip up through that waist. Axale as you lower. We lift a hold. Deep breath in.
Lift through the heart, exhale, to stay. Hold on. Palms down last time we pull those arms wide. Use your core to balance. Squeeze your heel bones together and heel open, exhale to close. Keep those shoulders point away from the ears.
Heart reaches forward. Chinstays lifted away from the chest. Think about the whole body for 2 resist. Working both directions always. Pull squeeze between the shoulder blades, exhale resist, belly pulls back to the spine.
Take one more breath here at the top. Slowly lower heels and body all the way down in 4. Hold the low belly a little deeper. Open up through the spine in 3. Find the hover of heels and shoulder blades to release the heels down option to let the head release back open up through the shoulders on one deep breath in wherever you are.
Axle to round and roll it back up. Hopefully, we feel our abdominal. Sit up tall, hook those straps back over the pegs. We will spin around to face the, springs once again, sitting legged for a little bit more arm work keeping it fairly simple with our hug a tree. I’m just gonna stay on that one blue spring. If you want it a little heavier, you can always add or subtract taking those straps once again, thinking about that beautiful tall spine, that core we just nicely activated, float the arms out, slight lift and bend in the elbows, shoulders rolling back. I think of hugging someone you love right in front of your heart on the inhale, exhale to open.
Inhale big hug. Axle to resist as you open. This exercise is as much about posture as it is about anything using the core to stay lifted out of the hips. So we’re not gripping in our hip flexors easier said than done here. Really using that low belly inhale hug.
Draw the ribs together as the arms open, keep those elbows lifted in hell, huck. Ax sale to open. I think of a beautiful porta bra ballerina style arms here. I teach this often. Without any straps, without any weight attached, you’ll still feel your arms and reach. Shoulder blades pull down big hug for 2 and open 1 more inhale and exhale.
Lower those arms down. We’ll switch the cross of the legs. Other one, the more awkward one comes unfront keeping that lift out of the hips. This time the thumbs in your handles or straps, palms facing down, hug the elbows in, and bring the arms right into that lower rib. Inhale, reach up on a high diagonal for porta bra, lower the arms to the sides of the carriage sides of the knees, lift back up, maybe to shoulder height, maybe higher to the ceiling as long as you can do so without lifting those shoulders. If anything, pull them further down as the arms lift a little higher, anything of reaching fingertips to either side of the room, bend your elbows in like a bird drawing the wings back and really use resistance.
A little bit smoother here in how we reach up. Axel to lower inhale to lift, exhale circle and draw it and use the back, use the biceps there. Reach up. Exale lower down. Shlifts and circle.
Pull it back in 3 more times. Use this exercise. To open up across the collar bones, lift taller through the waist, and then resist using the arms, using the back inhale. Exhale. Should we lift?
We circle. Last time we reach it up. Lower down. Lift all the way back up and around resist. To rest.
Straps come back down. We’ll spin to face either direction here and then lift our bar up. We’ll move into our Cleop to exercise another Ron Fletcher variation of the Mermaid. Right shin, in this case, my left hand will be on the bar. My right shin will be against our shoulder blocks. And then my left leg is in front here parallel to the front of that reformer, like a seated 4th position. That hand that comes to the bar, I like to place slightly in front of the shoulder.
So we’re not rolling shoulder forward. We’re gonna move some lateral plain movement here to open up through the waist palm flips up, press the carriage out, reach that arm over your head, inhale, and exhale come right back up to vertical. Pulling those shoulders down, lifting through the waist, reaching up and over. Use the breath. Exhale to left.
Yes. My right hip might lift slightly, but I’m thinking about pressing it down in opposition to really get that beautiful side stretch through the body. One more time. Reach up and over deep breath in. This time round down towards the springs, exhale pull that belly back. Take right hand towards right corner of the bar. Left hand opens to left corner of the bar.
Now try and twist the body a little further to the floor. Open up through the back. Inhale begin to lift the heart and chest forward. Slide those shoulder blades down the back. Lift the heart up. Inhale.
Axle to press back down and away. Now working into some rotation for the spine so important to squeeze whatever we can in with lateral movement and –ication for the back. No matter how short that workout is, we have to get all planes ranges of motion, exhale deep in the belly up as you press the carriage down in a way. Two more times, lengthen forward enough. Excel to press back down.
One small lift. And lower. Staying here. We’ll bring the hand slightly inward and then flip those fingertips slightly inward, bend your elbows out to the sides, deep in the belly up, press the carriage away. Bend your elbows in. Think forehead towards the bar.
Press it away for 2 and press keep lifting belly up and in one time inhale to bend, exhale to press and hold. Right hand comes to the low back, single arm push up here, left elbow bends wide on the inhale. Press out on the exhale for 3. For 2, keep lifting belly away from that bottom thigh. One more time. We bend.
Press and hold. Bring both hands back wide to the bar. Finger to forward, press a little further away. Feel that beautiful stretch through the back and then lift the heart and chest all the way forward and up. We’ll stay lifted here for a moment.
Take the hands back to those shoulder blocks. Give yourself a little extra twist, a little extra pull. And then we’ll transition to our other side, turning around, left shin towards the head, shoulder block. Right in parallel to that other side of your reformer. Now right hand to the bar, left palm fee, seen up, and he’ll press out in a way.
Feel that lovely stretch for the left side body and exhale to lift back up going a little taller through the waist. We reach up and over, feeling length through the fingertips, exhale lifting out of those hips. Press and reach inhale. Shoulder blades keep pulling away from the ears. Feel your back really working here, really rotate down.
Use that lapped one more time. Inhale reach up and over. Exhale round down, pull back in your obliques towards the springs. Hands wide, press the carriage away. And he’ll start to lift the chest forward and up Open up across the collar bones, lift the chin away from the chest, exhale, press back down and away.
Pulling that belly button up and in a way from the floor, lengthen across the collar bones as you lift. And sail knit the ribs together as you lower twice more, finding that stretch for the back, that open sensation, for the front of the chest and upper back once more we lift, and we lowered down to stay. From here. Hands come slightly inward. Fingertips flip slightly inward on that diagonal. That way as we bend the elbows open wide forehead to the bar, exhale press it away.
Little more tricep work here, inhale to bend, exhale to extend. Keep that lift in the abdominals. Keep that open sensation across the upper back, across those shoulder blades. Left hand to the low back and he’ll bend. Exhale extending of pulling your belly button up to that back hand for 4.
Can we score the chest straight towards the floor? 3. Press away. 2. He lengthening from the tail through the crown of the head one more time, bend, exhale extend and hold. Both hands back to the bar fingertips reach forward.
Press a little further away. Get that one last lengthening stretch and then lift all the way up. Through the back. Take those blocks behind you once again. Really stretching and opposition here, getting one final deep twist.
And then coming back to center. Swing that leg around. Nice stretch for those hips. We’ll meet kneeling I’m gonna change my springs to 2 reds here. We’ll do a quick knee stretch series, staying rounded today.
So those soles of the feet reach back towards the blocks, hands to the bar, round your spine, feel the scoop of your waist, sit bones reach to the heels, head hangs heavy, and down from here. Press the carriage out as you inhale squeeze the seat, exhale pull the belly up and then pull the carriage in. Inhale and exhale moving a little quicker. Press, resist for 5. Keep that rounded back for 3, squeeze the seat, lift in the waist, 2. Last one. Hold it in right to knees hovering, breathe in to prepare. Press the borrow away, lift the knees to hover, pressing out for 8 to pull it in 7 inhale and exhale. Can you still find that connection in your seat? Lyft in the belly.
Last four. Knees stay low. 3. 2. And one. Pull it in hold. Find the hover and release. Whoo. That one always gets you going.
Stand all the way up. Walk your heels back towards the shoulder blocks. Feet will be flat instead of saying an around an elephant, we’re gonna press those hips all the way back lengthen through the spine as much as you can. Shake that head. Yes and no. Think of like a downward dog in yoga.
Or a stomach pull exercise here as I like to call it lifted in the waist, pressing heels down, maybe hover those toes. If you have hyper extension in the legs, be careful of your alignment press the carriage out. Feel lengthen the back of the thighs. Zip up through your waist. Keep open through the shoulders to pull it in, and he’ll press out.
Ax. I’ll draw it up and then. 2 more times. Link then. Left from your abdominal. Keep sit bones reaching back one more and and really nice stretch for the back of those legs. Bend the knees slightly if you need.
Walk your hands back towards your toes. Take a moment to get off your wrists. Little bend in the knees. Shake your head, yes, and no side to side deep breath in. Exhale it out.
Now right from here, I’m gonna reach back and flip my head rest up if you need to bend your knees to do so. You can do so. Walk your hands back towards the bar, pressing palms towards the center and into the bar, feet come towards the headrest press those heels as far back to the headrest as you can. Try and keep them there as you roll through your spine, finding our long stretch position from here. A beautiful plank pressing back through the heels, little tuck of the tail, squeeze the seat, lift in the belly, pull the shoulders away from the ears, lift the heart between the shoulder blades, work just to hold this position. Hold on tightly to that bar and press the carriage out, inhale. Pull the carriage in as you exhale. Feel your back working to press away.
Feel your glutes squeezing together to keep that connection in the legs, feel your abdominals working to support your back and pull the carriage forward. For 4. And then for a 3 long line of the body, Zip up through that waist. For 2, can you go a little further? Fill your whole body work here. Pull it in one more time we lengthen back. Bring it all the way in.
Hold it here. Take one more breath in. So pull the belly up a little higher, lift, and squeeze your glutes a little tighter. And then gently lower those knees to rest. Sitting all the way back will change back to 1 red spring. A move into a hip flexor stretch to finish here, left foot towards the front corner of your reformer, right foot flexed back against that shoulder block, really try and square your hips off staying lifted in the waist, pressing that right hip forward so we feel length in the front of the right hip more than just the thigh.
Gentle pressure, those fingertips to the bars you press out on the inhale. Zip up through the low belly shoulders. Stay down as we press the carriage back forward and and pressing the right hip forward inhale back. Can you keep the pelvis square? Excels zip up through the waist to bring it in.
That right knee stays in line with that right middle toe, left knee in line with the left middle toe. Once more, press down and back. Deep breath in, exhale to stay, pull the belly up and in, keep that core lifted, stay here, maybe come in slightly if you need, right arm floats by the ear, deep breath here, shoulder blades slide down the back, exhale to lift up and over for a nice side stretch. Feel the side body lengthening out one last time, one last breath here, inhale. And exhale.
From there, bring your arm and your body back up. And bring the carriage back in. We’ll switch to the other side here. Right foot towards the front edge of the reformer, left foot coming back to that shoulder block. Nice square hips, lift in the low valley shoulders.
Stay relaxed here pressing down and back on the inhale. Pull it up and in as you exhale fill the zip through the waist in halo and exhale up and in. Pressing back with control. Keep dropping those hips straight down as much as you can so we don’t sit into that low back, really keeping that low core connection time inhale, exhale to stay, maybe come slightly and really press left hip forward, reach left arm up, deep breath here. Shoulder blades side down the back, stretch up and over to the side.
One more breath in. And exhale and come all the way back up and all the way in I hope you feel nice and warmed up, ready to go. Had a great workout with you, and I’ll see you next time.
