| As part of our new Roll Up Program, we’re enjoying rolling through our spine, while opening the front of the body over the Spine Corrector.
A Spine Corrector?? That’s what it’s called, but it’s not the instrument of contortion or torture that the name might conjure up! It’s a wonderful piece of equipment that you can use on the Reformer or on the Mat. It helps us find length and strength through the front of our body, as well as in our shoulders and legs, while improving our spinal mobility.
We use can use the Spine Corrector both in supine position (lying on our back) and in side-lying. We also sometimes use it to help us find a good mermaid or Z-sit position. It really is a versatile piece of equipment!
So, back to the Roll Up. What’s it all about? We start the movement sitting upright on the spine corrector with our arms outstretched, knees bent and feet on the footbar. We send our legs long and then start to roll segmentally through our pelvis and spine over the spine corrector. We’ll feel our hips opening. Depending on our spinal mobility, we may be able to drape our spine fully over the spine corrector. Once in this position, we take one or two (sometimes more!) long breaths to enjoy the stretch, before reversing the segmental movement of our pelvis and spine to return to the start position, resetting our spine and pelvis and going again.
It’s a position that our spines don’t get into very often, so, naturally, as we begin the movement, we may find that our spine (and/or hip flexors) are a little tight. For that reason, we normally warm up by initially placing only our lower ribs on the arc, breathing and returning to start. Then perhaps placing our upper ribs and shoulder blades on the arc, breathing and returning, before getting into full extension. We really don’t need to be in full extension to enjoy and benefit from the movement.
It’s a gorgeous movement where we can enjoy a big stretch, while increasing mobility in our hips and spine – the perfect antidote to sitting hunched over a desk, curled up on a sofa, or any form of exercise!
As well as helping us to feel good, the Roll Up is great for improving our spinal mobility into extension and for helping increase flexibility in our chest and ribs. It’s also enables us to experience how our breath can help us relax into and/or hold a movement.
We can practice this movement at home too. You don’t need a Spine Corrector. If you have an Arc, you can use that, or your could use a couple of large cushions to find the ‘draping over’ effect. As your flexibility improves, you can remove the Arc or other props, progressing either to an assisted (with a band or weights) or unassisted Roll Up.
If you’re not sure how to practice this at home, have a word with your teacher – they’d love to help!
If you’d like to try the Roll Up as part of our Rolling Up program, you can use the link below to book your place in either our Reformer Plus Classes or our Reformer Fundamentals Classes and join in the fun
We’d love to welcome you to the Studio! |
