Previous Lesson

Recover Day 3

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Outline:

Equipment needed:

  • – Pilates ball or towel.

Complete 10 repetitions and 1-3 sets of each exercise.

  • 1. Transverse Abdominal Breathing
  • 2. Pelvic Tilt with Ball Squeeze
  • 3. Dead Bugs with Legs Fully Extended
  • 4. Hip Dips
  • 5. Supermans

1. Transverse Abdominal Breathing

Activate and coordinate your pelvic floor with your transverse abdominis.

  • – Lie on your back with one hand above and the other below your belly button.
  • – Take a deep inhalation through your nose.
  • – Make sure to breathe deep into your back body filling all the spaces in your lunges so your abdomen and diaphragm expand.
  • – Exhale.
  • – Open your mouth and say “HA” while doing so pull your ribs together and narrow your waist line.

2. Pelvic Tilt with Ball Squeeze

This exercise targets the transverse abdominals as well as the multifidus. Adding the ball squeeze gets your inner thighs and pelvic floor muscles working as well.

  • – On your back with the knees bent and the soles of the feet on the floor.
  • – This is your neutral position, with the natural curve of the lumbar spine causing the low back to be slightly elevated from the floor.
  • – Place a yoga ball or rolled up towel between your knees.
  • – On an exhale, gently tuck your tailbone. You will feel your low back press into the floor.
  • – While doing so pull your bellybutton towards the spine and pull together the muscles of your waist line.
  • – At the same time squeeze the ball between your knees.

3. Dead Bug with Legs Fully Extended

This exercises activates the deep core muscles. You will work the transverse abdominis, erector spinae, rectus abdominis, obliques and the pelvic floor.

  • – Lie on your back with your arms and your legs straight up towards the ceiling.
  • – Lower opposite arm and leg toward the floor slowly and with control.
  • – Return to center and then repeat on the other side.

4. Hip Dips

This exercise will help activate your core, hips, thighs and glutes.

  • – With legs extended assume a side plank position.
  • – Elbow is directly under your shoulder.
  • – Do not sink into the shoulder.
  • – Raise your hips off the floor and return to start.

5. Supermans

This exercise targets the posterior chain and will help with optimizing posture.

  • – Lie on your stomach.
  • – Keep your neck neutral (face down).
  • – Arms 90 degrees at your sides.
  • – Press your hips into the floor and raise your chest, arms and legs off the floor.
  • – Hold for 2 seconds and lower.