Upper
& Lower Back Workout - Strengthen Back Muscles with Yoga
How to Strengthen Lower Back
Downward Dog
Downward Dog
Begin on your hands and knees. Align your wrists directly under your
shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. The fold of your
wrists should be parallel with the top edge of your mat. Point your
middle fingers directly to the top edge of your mat.
Stretch your elbows and relax your upper back.
Spread your fingers wide and press firmly through your palms and
knuckles. Distribute your weight evenly across your hands.
Exhale as you tuck your toes and lift your knees off the floor.
Reach your pelvis up toward the ceiling, then draw your sit bones toward
the wall behind you. Gently begin to straighten your legs, but do not
lock your knees. Bring your body into the shape of an “A.” Imagine your
hips and thighs being pulled backwards from the top of your thighs. Do
not walk your feet closer to your hands — keep the extension of your
whole body.
Press the floor away from you as you lift through your pelvis. As
you lengthen your spine, lift your sit bones up toward the ceiling. Now
press down equally through your heels and the palms of your hands.
Firm the outer muscles of your arms and press your index fingers
into the floor. Lift from the inner muscles of your arms to the top of
both shoulders. Draw your shoulder blades into your upper back ribs and
toward your tailbone. Broaden across your collarbones.
Rotate your arms externally so your elbow creases face your
thumbs.
Draw your chest toward your thighs as you continue to press the mat
away from you, lengthening and decompressing your spine.
Engage your quadriceps. Rotate your thighs inward as you continue to
lift your sit bones high. Sink your heels toward the floor.
Align your ears with your upper arms. Relax your head, but do not
let it dangle. Gaze between your legs or toward your navel.
Hold for 5-100 breaths.
To release, exhale as you gently bend your knees and come back to
your hands and knees.
Hamstring Lengthener Yin
Yoga
Pilates
How to do the Hundred ab
Exercise
Pilates Hundred Exercise
The exercise involves coming into a ‘dish’ shape on the floor and
pulsing your arms up and down 100 times. Yes you read that right – 100
times.
Lie on your back and lift your head and upper back off of your mat,
so that only the base of your shoulders is touching the ground.
Lift your legs off the floor and bend the knees into a 90° position,
so your calves are parallel with the floor.
Place your arms by your sides and extend them out towards your
toes.
Pulse your arms up and down by just a few inches, exhaling as you
press down.
Keep the movements dynamic but controlled while maintaining tension
in your arms.
Pulse the arms for 100 reps. You can do this in 10 sets of 10, or do
as many as you can and then rest for a few seconds before jumping
straight back in.
Pilates Hundred Exercise with Straight
Legs
Variations for the
Hundred ab Exercise
Leg placement is the easiest way to change up the intensity of this
exercise. To make pilates hundreds more challenging, keep your legs
straight and lift your feet a few inches off of floor. The closer the
legs are to the floor, the harder it is. Make sure they aren’t so close
that you end up losing form by arching your back.
For an easier variation, bend your legs so your knees point towards
the ceiling and place your feet on the floor a hands-width away from
your bum.
Training Notes for
the Hundred abs Exercise
It’s a challenging move, so making sure your form is perfect is
crucial. The two most common mistakes include:
Dropping the head back
Letting your head fall back and your chin point towards the ceiling
will put make you strain through your neck, shoulders and back. Make
sure you keep your chin tucked in towards your chest.
Arching through the spine
Arching will put pressure on the lower back rather than the
abdominals and could cause more pain that it solves. Instead, draw your
belly button in towards your spine so your spine is imprinted in your
mat.
Back
Strengthening Pilates - Michelle Merrifield
Back Strengthening Pilate
Steps
Right Side
Pointed, stretched toe life to neutral position, exhale on life (20
reps)
(always from previous position unless otherwise stated)
flex calf and then stretch to pointed neutral position on exhale (20
reps)
Hold in flexed calf position, lift thigh up on exhale (20 reps)
Place left hand on lower back with palm facing upwards (5 reps)
Extend left hand, palm facing towards face, pointed stretched leg
(10 reps, inhales and exhales)
Bring left fist and right knee into chest and the extend back into
previous position on exhale (20 reps)
Extend leg and point toe to floor, raise leg and left arm to neutral
position on exhale (20 reps)
Left Side
Repeat right side on opposite side
Next Steps
Return to start position, lift head up on inhale then look down and
raise midriff to the ceiling (5 reps)
Raise right arm on inhale and them tuck arm under left and exhale
(10 reps)
Stay in tucked-under position for 5 reps
Repeat on other side
Return to raised arm position and hold for 5 reps
Grip outer heel with left hand and hold (10 reps, inhales and
exhales)
Grip inner heel with right hand and hold (10 reps, inhales and
exhales)
Repeat on other side
Sit back down your heels for 10 reps
Sit in a crossed legged position, place right hand on left knee and
turn to the left (5 reps)
Do opposite side
Place right hand on mat, bring left hand over head and stretch over
to the right side, exhale. Repeat on the other side (10 reps)
Done!
Bridge Booty Burn
Bridge Booty Burn
Instructions
Lay flat on your back with your feet under your knees flat on the
floor.
Exhale and roll up the pelvis to create a straight line from
shoulders to hips to knees.
Lower pelvis an while inhaling and lift back to original position on
the exhale. (20 reps)
Repeat the same thing but pulse. (100 reps)
Bring your knees together then spread as wide as your shoulders on
the exhale. (50 reps)
Return to start position, lower hips push up in two steps, exhaling
on each upward motion. Don’t touch the floor and keep toes down.
(20resp)
While in up position, raise left knee on inhale, extend leg to point
straight up on exhale, return to previous position on inhale, and return
to ground on exhale. Repeat on other side. (20 reps)
Roll down and take a breathe to relax.
Roll back up and tuck the pelvis bone and stomach together.
(20 reps)
Repeat the above with pulses. (100 reps)
Get into the leg raise position and move down, inhale, an
inch and then up an inch on exhale. (20 reps on each side)
Take a moment rest.
Lift hips then lower slightly, swing hips to the right on exhale and
then repeat for the left. (20 reps)
Repeat the above by swinging to each side 4 times. (10
reps)
Move feet on tip toes further towards your body. Pulse your hips up
and down. (100 reps)
Return to normal position, place knees and feet together. Kick left
leg straight out on exhale, return leg and repeat for the other side.
(20 reps)
Place left foot on/over the right knee, thread arms under left leg
and clasp the shin for five breathes. Repeat for other side.
