By
Judi Ketteler
After you’ve worked up a sweat with Oxygen’s
mix ’n’ match abs routine, try this abs stretch
over a stability ball. “We’re super short
on the front of our bodies because we spend so much time
hunched forward. This stretch, which opens up the front
of the body, is a great counter-pose to life,” says
certified Pilates instructor Wendy Puckett of Steamboat
Springs, Colorado, who has her students stay in the stretch
for one to two minutes.
Note:
This
pose – when done to the full extent – is
an inversion. Avoid extending back over the ball if you’re
pregnant or have high blood pressure.
How to get into this stretch:
Start
by sitting on the floor, your knees bent in front of
you, feet flat and your back resting against the side
of the ball. Leaving your hands at your sides for balance,
slowly push back onto the ball as you straighten your
legs.
How to come out of this stretch:
Bring
your hands to the sides of the ball; holding on lightly,
bend your knees up and roll forward until you’re
sitting on the floor again, with your back pushed into
the ball.
Form Tips:
• Your arms should be relaxed, whether open at your
sides or overhead.
• Keep your neck relaxed.
• Keep feet hip-width apart. If you feel wobbly and
unbalanced, bring them further apart.
• Make sure feet are flat on the floor.
• If you straighten your legs too quickly, your lower
back can tighten up. Move very slowly.
• If your muscles start to feel tense and resistant
halfway through the stretch, slowly come out, take a breath
and try again.
Photography: Paul Buceta, Model: Linda Minard, Hair & Makeup:
Valeria Nova, Styling: Rachel Matthews-Burton
|
