C.M. Pilates MWF Setup: HW: Description of Cross-Crawl Position: kneeling (cat) (vertical arms and thighs, horizontal spine and shins); legs and apart Alignment of pelvis: neutral Alignment of spine: neutral sit-bone width Top of head to front wall, sit bones to back wall, belly button into spine to make spine horizontal; armpits in the hip sockets, arms shoulder width apart, shinbones into earth. Imagine yourself floating or hanging from the ceiling to take weight off hands and knees. Movement of Exercise: In starting position, inhale to prepare, and with the exhale, reach left arm and right leg simultaneously away from the body and towards walls(for arm-front wall; for leg-back wall). Concentrate on reaching away rather than how high your lift your leg and arm. Make sure your spine is remaining in neutral horizontal position with the head in extension of the spine. On the inhale, release and bring arm and leg back to starting position nice and slow and in control. Try not to shift weight in the hips or shoulders, keeping them suspended in air. On the next exhale, reach the right arm and left leg (opposite)to walls ahead and behind like before. Repeat sets Pelvis: Neutral Spine:Neutral, belly in spine to create a nice horizontal line Shins and Feet: into earth for balance when opposite leg is lifted Armpits in hip sockets, shoulder blades glued to ribs The turning point of this exercise is when an opposite arm and leg is lifted/reached to walls in front for the arm and back for the leg. If you lift too high, the back will arch. If you reach too far, your cat position may lean too far forwards (where the shoulders are over the hand) or too far backwards (where the pelvis is behind the knee). You should feel the work (muscle contraction) in the belly and obliques. You should not feel it in your Gluteus Maximus or lower back. You should feel a stretch in the hamstrings and arms and spine. What not to do: Do not... drop belly and arch the back, squeeze your gluts, tilt pelvis, drop head, shrug shoulders to ears, raise arms and legs higher than needed, shift weight in pelvis. These are the appropriate cues I chose for this exercise and its setup : shoulder blades glued to ribs simultaneously armpits in the hip socket shoulder blades wrap around down and forward move...bone..in the...joint make...heavy/light navel/belly button to spine connect heels to sit bones push shinbones over/into... reach/lift... heart center/bra band area
Set Up: Performing Cross Crawl S.V. Pilates M/W @ 3 4:20 Position: you are going to be kneeling on all fours (cat); you want vertical arms and thighs, horizontal spine and shins. Alignment of Pelvis: neutral pelvis Alignment of Spine: neutral spine Direction of Effort: Top of the head is to the front wall, sit bones to the back wall, belly button is to spine, arm pits to iliac crest, crease of the elbow forward, thumb side of hand heavy, shinbones into earth. When you are standing on your hands and knees you want to feel like you are hanging from the sky on bungee cords. With the cords attached to your four corners of your table top body. Movement: In starting position, inhale to prepare, with the exhale, move the right arm forward and then extend the opposite leg (left). (If you are going to use your left arm first then you want to extend your right leg. We are doing opposite arms and legs.) You want to keep your spine in neutral position. Slowly move back into starting cat position. Then repeat but alternate to left arm and right leg. Switch. Repeat for 5 times or more. Direction of Effort for stabilization: The further the arms and knees reach away from the center, the more I need to anchor the heart center and make the pelvis heavy. Keeping my position in neutral spine as much as possible. Turning Point: Work: The turning point could be when you have stretched your opposite arm and leg as far as you can go without losing your neutral spine shape. If you went to far, you will eventually lose your neutral shape and eventually go beyond the range of the exercise. You should feel the work in the armpits and around the shoulder blades for stabilization. The heart center, inner core, and hamstrings for movement. Your heart and pelvis always remain heavy. You will probably feel a stretch in your lower back area and in your arms and legs too. What Not to Do: You do not want to contract or make your buns work, fluffy pillows. You do not want to lift your heart, the heart is anchored, stays heavy. You do not want to lift or tilt your pelvis, the pelvis too has to stay heavy at all times. You do not to go far with your arms and legs, causing you to go out of range. You do not want to have to arch your back or hump your back while doing this exercise. Always keep it in neutral spine position.
J.H. Pilates T/Th Exercise: Cross crawl Set up: Position: Cat position Alignment of pelvis: neutral Alignment of spine: horizontal Vertical arms and thighbones Ankles, knees, and sit bones aligned Tops of the feet pushing slightly into the floor Belly button into the spine Head and neck are an extension of thoracic vertebra Arms straight, but elbows are not hyper extended Top of the head and the tail are stretching away from each other Shoulders in the hip pockets Movement: Inhale, with the exhale slide one arm and the opposite leg away from your body, directly to the front and back, not to the sides. Go slowly so you stay in control. With the inhale, bring it back to center. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg. Turning point: Go only as far and as high off the ground (if at all!) as you can without shifting your weight (tilting your core),using your glutes, or losing control. Keep your core engaged for stabilization Do not shift your weight to the opposite arm and leg that are resting on the ground Imagine you are balancing a pole on your spine, from the top of your head to your tailbone, and concentrate on keeping the pole balanced. Don't let it roll off! You should feel the work: In your midsection, particularly the lower abdominal and lower back muscle Your arms and legs may also feel tired You may feel a stretch: In the abdomen and lower back Do not: Shift your weight side to side (tilting) Use your glutes to perform this Move too quickly Bring your hand and leg back to a position they did not start from Arch your back Tilt your pelvis or collar bones Lift your head up or down
G.L. Pilates T TH Set up for Cross Crawl: 1. Position: kneeling on all fours with vertical thighs and arms, and horizontal spine and shin bones. 2. Alignment of pelvis: neutral 3. Alignment of spine: neutral 1. abs are tight with belly button sucked into spine 2. top of head is pointing to the front wall 3. tail bone is pointing towards back wall 4. back of the feet are pressed slightly into earth 5. weight is in the thumb sides of hands 6. elbow creases are facing forward 7. shoulders are pulled down towards hips, not by ears THE EXERCISE In the starting position, with the inhale slowly let your right leg and left arm float up and away from you while not altering your body s trunk position at all. Your arm should go toward the front wall, palm facing down and elbow slightly soft, while your leg lifts toward the back wall, utilizing mostly hamstrings, not glutes. Turning Point is when you have raised your arm and leg far enough that your hamstring and shoulder muscles are activated but your body, especially pelvis, is still, horizontal, level, and in the neutral position. Return: With the exhale lower arm and leg back down to starting position while keeping body stable. With the inhale raise the other arm and leg and do the exercise on the other side! 1. shoulder blades stay glued to ribs and away from ears even while lifting arm. 2. belly stays locked into spine 3. the more movement is done with arms and legs the tighter the heart center needs to be flexed to stabilize body. Work: Should be felt in the hamstrings, abs, and shoulders. Do Not: 1. allow shoulders to come up towards ears 2. let your spine curve up or down 3. let your belly relax 4. squeeze gluteus muscles 5. allow pelvis to tilt when raising leg 6. allow scapula to unglue from ribs 7. squeeze or shrug shoulders 8. allow head to lift 9. lift arms above shoulder level
J.G. M, W, F Pilates Cross-Crawl To begin, start in cat position (on all fours) with a neutral back and spine. Your pelvis is neutral and your back is parallel to the heavens. Armpits are tucked into the hip pockets (iliac crests). Head and neck are an extension of your spine. Make your feet and shins heavy and your thumb side of your hand heavy. The direction of effort (the way your body is working) is the head extended toward the wall in front of you, and the sit bones are extended toward the wall behind you. The tops of your feet are pressing into the floor and your belly button is zipped into the spine. Instead of imagining yourself as balanced on your knees and hands, think of yourself as suspended from the ceiling by the four corners of your body (hips and shoulders). Taking a breath in to prepare, slowly extend the left arm and the right leg simultaneously by moving the arm bone in the shoulder socket and the hip bone in the hip socket. Try to reach the arms toward the wall in front of you and the leg toward the wall behind you. It is not necessary to lift your arms and legs too high. You are trying to maintain your neutral position. If you do lift them too high, your shoulders and hips will move out of alignment. Keep your belly zipped in towards the spine. The back of your head is facing the heavens. Head and neck are an extension of the spine. Your hamstrings will be where you feel some the work, but your bottom should be like fluffy pillows. The work should be felt in the oblique muscles (the inner ones I believe). Also you will feel a stretch from reaching away from your body at both ends. As you exhale, return your arms and legs to cat position (on all fours) with a neutral spine and pelvis. Repeat using the opposite sides. Do the same amount on each side. Do not move anything except your arm in the shoulder socket and your leg in the hip socket. Do not move the spine; stay in your neutral starting alignment. Do not move the shoulders or hips while doing the movement. Do not lift arm or leg too high. Do not move your head too high or hang it low; keep it in alignment with your spine. Do not forget to keep your belly button zipped into the spine.