This upper body exercise also works the core abdominals. Both scapula stabilty and mobility are required in addition to core stability.
Kneel upright with the ball in front of the body touching the thighs. Lean the body over the ball and place the hands on the floor in front. Straighten the legs and walk the hands forwards along the floor until the feet come off the floor. Keep walking the hands forwards until the abdomen and thighs are off the ball but the knees are still on. The body is in a plank position with the pelvis in neutral. The shoulders are directly above the hands.
Inhale – to prepare
Exhale – to engage the powerhouse and push the body backwards from the shoulder joint. The hands will now be ahead of the shoulders on the floor and the ball will move up the thighs as the body leans back.
Inhale - to bend the elbows backwards and lower the body downwards towards the floor, only bending the arms as far as a neutral pelvis allows. Then pull the body forwards again, keeping the elbows bent.
Exhale - to straighten the elbows and push the body back up to the starting position.
Deltoids, triceps, pectorals, latissimus dorsi, lower trapezius, transversus abdominis, gluteals, adductors, serratus anterior
Ensure the core abdominals are engaged throughout to prevent the back from dipping
Maintain the length between the ears and shoulders
Only bend the elbows as far as a neutral spine can be maintained
Try to avoid collapsing in between the shoulder blades. Engage serratus anterior to maintain the distance in between the shoulder blades
The further apart the hands are, the less challenging the workload
Urge caution with any shoulder issues.
Do not perform if there are any wrist issues (carpal tunnel, arthritis, sprains/strains etc)
Urge caution with any back problems (due to the amount of core stability required to maintain a neutral pelvis)
Variation One (Adaptation)
To make this easier, the abdominals will be supported on top of the ball so there is no chance of sagging in the hips and pelvis. There will be much less core work here.
Variation Two (Progression)
To make this harder, walk forwards until more of the body weight is off the ball. This is a very challenging position for the core and you must ensure that there is no sagging in the spine whatsoever. The more of the body that is off the ball, the more challenging the exercise
A lovely exercise for spinal articulation to open the back of the body and assist in coordination
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