Kierstin Elliott, Pilates Rehab Specialist Exercise: Kneeling Side Leg Series with Stability Ball Set Up: Kneeling on mat, place right forearm on stability ball and extend left leg out parallel creating a long diagonal line from the head to your left foot. Extend left arm overhead, knit ribs together and engage glutes. Execution:
- Inhale to prep, exhale to lift left leg and lower left arm toward each other and then return to starting position. Complete 8-10 reps and hold the leg up.
- Place left hand on hip. Inhale to sweep left leg forward and exhale to sweep leg back. Complete 8-10 reps and hold the last rep back.
- With leg extended back, roll ball slightly forward and place both hands on the ball. Square off hips and shoulders to the ball and engage lats. Lift and lower back leg about 8-10 times holding the lift on the last rep.
- Exhale to bend both elbows pulling ball towards chest and then pressing ball away from chest. Complete 8-10 reps.
Focus: Stability! It’s imperative to keep the core, glutes, and lats engaged throughout the entire exercise in order to focus on moving the correct body part at hand while stabilizing everything else. Connect movement to breath. Exhale on the hard parts! It will help you through 🙂 Importance: Stability, strength, and coordination. There is a lot going on in this exercise. The challenge is to not only perform the exercise with correct alignment, but to make the transitions as seamless as possible. Modifications: To add greater challenge, add an ankle weight to moving leg. To simplify, take the ball away and place your hand on the floor for steps 1 and 2. If you have wrist or shoulder sensitivities, lie on the floor and proceed with Side Lying Series.
