Hi!
I was in my hometown of Sterling, Colorado over the weekend for Mother’s Day and I got to spend time with my nieces and nephews. I realized that they are all athletic and play sports or are in dance, but that just isn’t enough for them to develop strong bodies and core muscles.
I see it in my classes as well. You have young adults who are flexible and quick and strong in their sport but have very little core control when it comes to a new movement pattern. Pilates is a great way to help them build this core strength and give them stability and/or flexibility.
My niece, Carleigh is a dancer, so she has great flexibility, but could use help with getting more stability. This simple exercise, The Single Leg Circles is one way to start helping her build control and stability in her pelvis and core.
Perform the leg circles while keeping:
Your shoulders and arms flat on the mat
Keep both hips grounded as well. The circles will be small and slow because of this. This teaches them to have control and hold their core tight and strong, while performing this simple move. As they get stronger, let the circle become bigger and faster while still maintaining stability in the torso.
Always cue your zipper, meaning, hold your stomach in like you were zipping up a tight pair of jeans.
And don’t forget to breath!