August 2022 – Pilates With Ayla

– August 2022 –

What an exciting month. I continued to work alongside Southampton City Council with their Summer HAF project. It’s been amazing getting to work with sooooo many different children from across the city. Not only are they always full of surprises and interesting things to talk about but, on the whole, they have all tried really hard to join in and stay focused while being asked to take part in new and different exercises.

I have also really enjoyed being able to go back to a couple of venues and allow the children who have tried Pilates with me before to take the lead and show the others what to do. Seeing these children consolidate their new skills gained has been a very proud moment for me.

The last two weeks of August will be for me to take some time off and enjoy a lovely two week break with my family. We are going camping in our van from the IOW up to Wales and back. Have a good summer every one and see you when we get back!

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Swan Dive

Swan dive is a move used to primarily strengthen your lower back. Depending on your back strength you might eventually start to add more fluid rocking movements to work your whole posterior chain and add mobility to your spine.

Breathing:
-Inhale to prepare and then exhale on your push up. Then Inhale down, exhale up.

Step 1

Set up
-Position yourself laying on your front.
-Focus on placing your arms in a U shape, elbows in line with shoulder and hands either side of your head.
-Use your arms for support and lift your head off the ground, reaching through your shoulder blades before moving back to the start position.

Note: Try to keep your hips on the floor and your bottom relaxed.

Step 2

Now try, 6-8x reps
-Start in the same position from step 1, inhale to prepare, engage through your core muscles and as you exhale raise head AND both arms off the ground.
-Inhale to lower back to the ground.

Note: Try to keep your hips on the floor and your bottom relaxed

Step 3

Now try, 6-8x reps
-Start in the same position from step 1, inhale to prepare, engage through your core muscles and as you exhale raise head AND both arms off the ground.
-While raised reach your arms forward then return them to the U shape.
-Inhale to lower back to the ground.

Note: if you are able to keep your bottom relaxed you may perform multiple arm reaches before lowering.

Challenge 1

Rock and catch, 6-8x reps

-Push your torso off the ground supported by your arms.

-Inhale to prepare and as you exhale lift your hands away allow your body to rock down then up. Catch yourself with your hands on the floor back to the start position.

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