IN THIS LESSON- different examples of warm ups

Warming Up:

There are many ways you can warm up. Choose what makes sense with what you want to do next. For instance, if you want to start on the floor and then do floor work, warm up on the floor with some cat/cow and extensions. If you want to do standing stuff right away, warm up with some wide leg plies, maybe add some lunges and some stretches.

Purpose/Function

-Spinal Flexion to warm up the spine

-Spinal Extension

-Stretches hips, back, abdomen, and chest

-Prepares body for exercise

-Align breath and movement

-Warm up through the core 

Cat/Cow

Benefits

-Increases flexibility in neck, shoulders, and spine

-Focuses the mind

-Invigorates the body

-Improves the circulation to the discs between the vertebrae

-Relieves stress

-Relieve and prevent lower back pain

Considerations

-Stack the shoulders over the wrists, hips over the knees

-If student leans too far forward, it could put too much pressure on their wrists

Instructions:

-Start in table top pose, stacking shoulders over wrists.

-Inhale and gaze up, lifting the heart, letting the belly drop down.

-Exhale, round through the spine, scoop up the belly, tuck chin

-Repeat 3X

Spinal Extension/Stability- Core Work

Instructions:

-From Table-Top, extend right arm forward, left leg back

-option for weight in the right hand

-Cue: keep hips level, navel pressed to spine, hip over knee

-Pulse arm and leg up (16x)

-Cue: Engage glute to lift leg

-Extensions/Contractions (8x)

-Inhale and extend, Exhale- contract bringing the elbow to the knee

-for the contraction, round through the back, hug the belly up

Wide leg Plies (2nd position)

Stand with feet wide and pointed out. Inhale raise arms, Exhale, bend knees as you bring arms down. 

Options:

-slow it down, do with counts such as 3 down, 1 up

-hold it at the bottom for a few beats

Lunge Side to side, rolling shoulders

-Step the legs wide, begin moving side to side, alternating bending the knees

-Roll the shoulders back as you move, then roll shoulders forward