Class #4579

Full-Body Mat

55 min - Class
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Description

Focus on full-body integration with this intermediate Mat workout by Melissa Connolly. You’ll warm up your spine with the Cat and Cow movements, then you’ll turn it up a notch by taking your knees off! Afterward, you’ll flex, extend, and twist your way through different movements to wring out your muscles, then you'll stretch everything out with Mermaid. By the time you finish out with the Standing exercises, you’ll feel energized and ready to take on your day.
What You'll Need: Mat, Overball

About This Video

Jun 18, 2021
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Transcript

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Welcome back to class five, full body (indistinct), using a ball. We are gonna start on our knees. We're gonna do the same sequence facing one direction and facing the other. I'm gonna turn so that my right side is facing the screen, and we're gonna place the ball between the top of the inner thighs. So we have some nice inner thigh work.

So let's place our hands down onto the mat, and just getting a nice, strong, solid foundation, spread your fingers out. Have the shoulders directly over the wrists. Hips directly over your knees and create a nice long neutral spine. From here take a deep breath in through your nose, and on the exhale we're gonna start to round the spine. Round through your lower back, middle back, upper back and then tuck your chin to your chest.

And now roll through your spine through the lower spine, the middle spine, the upper spine and raise the head. Exhale round the lower spine, round the middle spine, round the upper, then your head, and now lift your tailbone roll through lower. Roll through middle, roll through shoulders. Raise your head, one more, exhale. You're getting some nice spinal articulation as we warm up for class.

And then raise your tailbone roll through lower, middle, shoulders and head. Now come to a flat long spine. Tuck your toes under. Engage your core as you hover your knees. Hold three, two, one.

From here send your hips up, lengthening out your spine. Pressing your heels down. Raise your heels and bring your knees back down to the mat keeping your toes tact, hover the knees. Hold three, two, one and then send your hips up. Lengthening your tailbone towards the ceiling heels towards the mat.

Raise the heels and bring the knees down. We'll do that one more time. Exhale, engage the core to hover two, three and then lift your hips, stretching out, raise your heels and then place your knees all the way down to the mat. Now place the tops of your feet on the mat. Pick your right foot up, and then bring your right foot over to the right shoulder towards your right hip side bending.

And then take your right foot across the body and side bend to the left. Let's integrate the breath. We inhale side bend to the right, exhale side bend to the left tail wag breathe in to the right and exhale to the left and just three sets. That is it. Place your right foot down.

Now bring your left hand into the center and then step it forward a bit. We're gonna rotate onto the left side. So that right leg is now staffed. Raise your right arm up, and then squeeze the ball in, and open just six times. Engage your core.

Squeeze the inner thigh, And open exhale, and open. We'll do three more. And open exhale two, and open one more, and open. Now grab the ball, send your leg out to straight flex the foot, take a big breath in, and then on the exhale let's thread the needle, reaching the arm through, and then inhale raise arm look up, and two more exhale thread the needle. Engage your core looks through, and raise up.

One more time, exhale and raise up. Now, engage your core, and pull yourself up to the center. Place your knee down and let's do the same thing on the other side. So turn around, place the ball between the inner thighs. Come down to your hands and knees.

Take a big breath in, and on the exhale curl the tailbone under around your spine. Flowing through lower, middle, shoulders, head. Look up, and exhale around the spine. Scoop your stomach in nice and tight, and roll through lower, middle, shoulders, head, arch, exhale around the spine, and inhale roll through the spine and arch, and then come back to a nice strong, neutral spine. Tuck the toes.

Hover the knees, two, three, send your hips up into a downward facing (indistinct), and then raise your heels and lower the knees down. Engage the core, hover two, three and then send your hips up. Lengthening in your spine. Raise the heels and lower down. One more act, feel hover two, three, we'll lift the hips stretch, and then raise the heels, and lower.

Point the toes down. Pick up your left foot going into the tail wag, side them look over to your left shoulder towards your left foot and then bring the foot across to go over the right shoulder. Breathe inside, bend to the left, exhale side, bend to their right. One more, side bend to the left, exhale side bend to their right, come to the center. And then the right hand comes in and step slightly forward.

Pivot around, pulling the shoulder down, engaging through (indistinct) and (indistinct), raise your arm, and then squeeze down and left, exhale two and left, exhale three, your feet stay connected. Engage the gloopy inner thigh. Two more, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in and then take the ball. We'll stretch the left leg out easy on big breath in, and exhale thread the needle rotate, raise lift up, and exhale thread the needle, rotate raise reach up one more time breathe out, and lift up, and then reach your left leg longer and correct yourself up. Good, now we're gonna have a seat on our mat.

We're gonna place our ball right between the knees. Hold the back of your legs. Lengthen up through your spine. Shoulders down, stomach muscles tight, breathe in. On your exhale, curl the tailbone under rounding into your letter C shape.

Take a breath in, and then exhale. Pull the belly to the spine, and raise your chest, I gaze up, exhale, pull the abdominals and rounding back, inhale, and then exhale pull the stomach in round and forward. Lift the chest inhale, exhale squeeze it all, draw the belly in and round back, and then exhale. Pull the stomach and scoop, scoop, scoop, and raise up. And now round the spine back.

Halfway pause there. Squeeze it all, scoop your stomach in tighter. Reach your arms forward and let's touch every vertebrate to the mat. Touch the lower back, then the middle back, then the shoulder blades and now your head and arms go down. Raise the knees to tabletop, and then let's move the ball right in between your ankles.

So knees at a 90 degree, pull your abs in, stretch your arms out long and straight. Take a breath in through the nose, and then exhale. Raise your chest. We're gonna stretch the legs up to the ceiling, and hold it for big breath in, and on the exhale squeeze of all, pull the belly into your spine. Take your legs to your point of control where your back is stable, and exhale preparing for hundreds.

Pump the arms, breathe in two, three, four, five, exhale two, three, four, five, two, two, three, four, five, exhale scoop your abs in tight three, two, three, four, five, exhale, two, three, four, five. Right leg on the top. Two, three, four, five, exhale, two, three, four, five, stay there, two, three, four, five, exhale, two, three, four, five, start to swivel around, exhale, two, three, four, five, breathe in, two, three, four, five, exhale, two, three, four, five. And now bring your legs back to the center. Squeeze the ball.

Two, three, four, five, last breath, two, three, four, five, exhale, breathe out all of the air in through your lungs, bend your knees, hold the back of your thighs. Rock yourself up to see them. Now we're gonna stretch those legs straight out in front of us. The ball will go right between the feet. So sit in your spine nice and tall on your sit bones.

Take your arms straight up overhead lift and link them. Going into a stretch we're gonna lean forward with a flat back, and then start to stretch forward. Drop your head down, and roll up one vertebrae at a time. Stretch the arms up and overhead. So to lean hold yourself back, and then lower your head around your spine, and roll up one vertebrae at a time.

One more, lift the arms up, lean forward, round over your legs, and roll up one vertebrae at a time. Now take your hands in line with your shoulders. Pull the stomach in. Squeeze them all. Squeeze your glutes.

And then we'll roll halfway back. Think opposition, fingers reaching forward, heels reaching forward, belly button pulling back, take a breath in, and then exhale. Squeeze the ball with your feet round forward, stretch. Roll up, sit up nice and tall. And pull the stomach in.

Reach forward, take a breath in, and then exhale. Squeeze the ball. Pull your abs in round forward. And roll the spine up. When we're like this, scoop the abs and reach forward, breathe in, and then exhale.

Squeeze the ball. Draw the stomach back, back, back as we reach forward, and roll up. Now, roll halfway back, hold this halfway round back position, exhale squeeze the ball and open your right arm. Look at your right hands. Inhale center, makes you squeeze the ball as you open the left arm.

Look at the left hand, inhale center. Exhale squeeze and rotate, inhale center. Exhale left arm back when you rotate, inhale center. One more time on both sides. Try to keep your lower spine round, and center.

Last time, squeeze and reach back, inhale center. Now reach your hands forward. Stretch over your legs. We're gonna point the feet and roll all the way down this time. Roll lower, middle, shoulders, head, arms, flex the feet with the arms.

Exhale, squeeze into the rounding up, and forward. Point your feet. Let's roll down nice and fluid, through your spine. (muffled speaking) lift the arms, exhale, rounding up and over. And again, point the feet, stretch forward as we roll back and reach.

Flex the feet, lift the arms. Exhale, rolling forward. Now, roll up to see them. Grab your ball. I'm gonna scooch forward just a teeny bit.

Now the arms and legs reach forward. Let's roll down. Roll down, touch the lower, middle, shoulders. Arms up to the ceiling. Now bend your knees so your feet are flat on the mat.

Place the ball between your knees, arms are down by your sides. Squeeze the ball nice and tight with your inner thighs. Tighten your core, your glutes, and let's roll your hips up, up, up into a bridge, nice and high with those hips. Inhale, reach the arms all the way back energy through your fingertips. Exhale roll, upper roll, middle roll, lower tailbone and lift your chest.

Reach above the knees, and then lower your head. Arms go down. Exhale, squeeze as I roll the hips up. Lift your hips, tighten up your glutes. Take the arms all the way back, and exhale roll upper spine, roll middle spine, roll lower spine.

Keep squeezing the ball, and lift the chest up, and lower down. One more time only. Let's roll up one vertebrae at a time. Hips up nice and high, stretch the arms all the way back, and exhale, roll down. Reach your arms back as you reach your tailbone down, and then lift the chest up, and then take that ball in your hands again, we're gonna lower the head down and take your legs straight up.

The ball goes between the ankles. Arms are reaching down by your sides. Give the ball a little squeeze, feel inner thighs and the core muscles. Now you're gonna start to lower your legs down to your point of control. Once you get there, flex your feet, squeeze the lower core, squeeze the ball to lift up.

Point your feet. We're only gonna do two more and then it'll progress. We're gonna lower down, lower down to your point of control, and then flex the feet. Squeeze of all deep in your lower abs to the left. One more, breathe in nice and controlled lowering down.

And then flex your feet, squeeze and lift the legs up. Point your feet, anchor your arms. We're gonna do a hip lift. So engaging through your lower abs lift hover, lower down, exhale lift hover, lower down. Exhale lift hover, lower down.

Taking it into the roll over, lift and hover and then take your legs back overhead. Now the next variation is from one of my previous classes here. It's a challenge. You're gonna take your arms out to the sides. Overhead, we're gonna hold onto the ball with the hands, legs together and then roll down.

You're holding on the ball behind you, and the legs reach down. Take them to 45. Lift the legs up, and then hover, use your core to go up and over. Place that ball between your ankles again. And let's circle the arms.

They go out to the sides all the way down by your sides and roll down. All right, we're gonna do that series again. So let's go down to 45. Feel free to not use the arms. If you need to anchor them down.

Here we go. Lift up and over. Circle the arms out, bring them all the way back hold the ball. Legs together and then reach your arms back. Reach your tailbone down.

And this is the last one. Take those legs up. Exhale over head. Ball between the ankles. Now use your arms and reach out.

They come all the way down into the mat, and roll upper spine, middle spine, lower spine and tailbone. Very good, we're gonna bend the knees. Now, please your feet down. We're gonna have our feet on the ball from here. So your feet are, the arches are over the ball.

Knees are together. Okay, squeeze up those glutes, inner thighs and core, and roll your hips up. And then roll your spine back down. Here we go. Press down into your feet.

Exhale, roll those hips up, lift and hold at the top for a second, and then roll the spine down. And again, roll up and hold, three, two, one, and roll the spine down. You're gonna stay down. Place your left foot on the floor. The right foot is still on the ball for a single leg bridge.

We engage our left glute and press your hips up and down. Press the hips up and down. Now hold it up. Weight is in the left foot. Right knee comes to tabletop.

Hips are square. Stretch the right leg straight up. Now take this right leg across your body. Circle it down, around, and center focusing on the hip stability, circle two or to five, inhale, exhale, three, inhale, exhale four, inhale, exhale, five. Reverse breathe in, breathe out one.

One only make this circle as big as you can stay really stable for your center. Two more, last one. Now keep your leg reaching straight up. Roll the spine down, one vertebrae at a time. Take your left side, stretch it down on the mat.

Lift your head. And now your left hand is gonna walk up the leg first. We're gonna climb a tree. We walk up the left but we're not gonna roll all the way up. Just halfway two, walk up three, and then walk down with your left hand first.

One, right hand two, left-hand three. Two more, raise up one, and two, stretch three, walk down left and right, and left. One more time. Exhale, walk up, walk up and stretch, and walk down, walk down and down. Bend the right knee.

Lace your fingers together. Raise up your head and roll your body right up. Okay, take your ball. We're gonna place the ball underneath your tabs and up against your hamstrings. So squeeze in, bring your arms around, scoop your stomach in tight, and roll like a ball.

Inhale, exhale, scoop and balance. And inhale, exhale, scoop and balance. Three more, breathe in and squeeze the ball. Tighten up your core. Two more, breathe in, exhale, last one, and exhale.

Now your feet go down. We're gonna come down onto our backs to do the other side. It is so much harder to do a roll back with a ball here. So, take your time. Roll down the best you can.

All right, and then once we are there, we're gonna just place both of those feet back onto the ball. Okay, so ground your feet. They're arched over the ball. Inner thighs together. Tighten up your glutes, and let's roll the hips up, high as we got the top, and then roll the spine down.

And two more. Press down in to the ball. Roll the hips right up, and then roll the spine down. One more press and lift and stay for three, two, one and then roll upper, middle, lower, tailbone down. Good, so now we have the right foot onto the mat.

The left foot stays on the ball. Engage that right glute and press your hips up. We just did three. Lower straight down. Press straight up two, lower straight down, press straight up and stay.

Hips square, raise the left leg to tabletop, stretch it straight up to the ceiling and circle across, down around center. Inhale, exhale two, inhale, exhale three, inhale, exhale four. Inhale, put the brakes on five. Reverse, breathe in, breathe out. Hips nice and stable, lift two, check the pulse pulling in three, exhale four, exhale.

Now keep that like lifted roll down. Once your tail bone touches the mat, take the right leg, stretch it down to straight, lift up your head and then walk up the leg with a right hand. The left hand and the right, locked down. Right hand, left hand. And the head goes down.

Exhale, walk up, two, three, walk down the leg, two, three. Again walk up, two, three, and walk down two, three. Bend your knee. Place the fingers behind your thigh. Roll yourself on up, good and then grab your ball for the next set of rolling like a ball.

Yes, we're repeating that again. So ball in between your hamstrings and your calves. Second set, here we go. Squeezing in nice and tight with control, roll back to the shoulder blades, scoop and lift. Inhale two, exhale lift, inhale three, exhale lift, two more.

Roll four, exhale lift. Last one, exhale lift. Okay, we'll do that, roll that again. So feet are down, close to your heels or to your sit bones as you roll down, the harder it is. Let's see how we do on that second side.

Roll down one vertebrae at a time. All right, let's pick up those legs and grab your ball. The knees are in a tabletop position. Arms are straight up, moving into single leg stretch, double leg stretch. Take a big breath in, actually raise up your chest.

The arms are gonna reach back as you reach the right leg. Keep them back as you be so left leg, bring the arms forward, reach to the right leg. Keep the arms forward. Reach for the left (muffled speaking), breathing in and breathing out. Two, breathing in, three and exhale, four and inhale, five try to lift, six breathe in.

Seven exhale, eight breathe in, nine exhale, 10 bend your knees, double leg stretched. Take your arms and legs away. Lower back is down. Arms are reaching. Hold the ball on the right hand, open to a T, and pull it in.

Stretch and hold nice and long. And then open the arms, ball on the left-hand to a T, and pull it and pick up that pace. Breathe in, exhale. In, exhale, three exhale, four scoop your abs, five pull in, six breathe out all the air, seven, exhale, eight, exhale, nine, exhale, one more time, and 10, rest your head for a second. Place the ball between your knees.

Hold it back of your leg. Rock up with momentum. Okay, good, so now we're up to seated. You're gonna take your feet to the inside edge of your mat. We're gonna sit nice and straight and reach the arms up overhead, breathe in, flex your feet.

Exhale, pull this in my back. Contract your core round back, and then keep on scooping your abs was around for it for spine stretch. Ball to the floor. Roll it away for three, two, one, grab your ball, roll up, raise the arms to the ceiling, lift up tall. Scoop your abs and round back.

Round four, keep pulling your stomach back, fall to the floor. Pulse one, two, three, gauge your core. Roll up one vertebrae at a time. Arms lift up, one more. Pull your abs and round Take the ball to the floor.

Roll it away. Pulse one, two, three, and roll up one vertebrae at a time. Good, take your arms forward, transition onto your back again. So roll down one vertebrae at a time. Okay, good, ones we're there, bend your knees.

And your arms are straight up to the ceiling. Roll your hips up and let's place the ball underneath your sacrum for scissors and bicycle. So go ahead, rest your back down onto the ball. Lift the knees up into a table top. Really engage your core for that stability.

Send the right leg straight up. Reach the left leg away. Scissor your legs. Pulse one, two. Pulse one, two.

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out, inhale, exhale. Stretch four, pulse stretch three, pull two more. Now hold the last one out there like they're long.

Your bottom like reaches down to your mat, pull it in and circle two, reaching towards the mat, three, stretch four, stretch five, stretch six, stretch seven, stretch eight. We'll do two more, nine, 10. Now reverse, so stretch on that leg down. Reach the leg down, stretch, three. Stretch four, stretch five, six, seven, bicycle eight, two more.

And then lift your legs up to the ceiling. Bend your knees. Place your feet down on the mat. Lift the hips right up off of the mat. Hold the ball straight up.

And again, roll your spine down, nice and controlled. And once it's there, we'll lift those legs up. Okay, ball between your ankles. Take your arms out to your sides. So T position.

Shoulders down, ribs connected belly button to your spine. We're gonna lower the legs over to the right. Left shoulder down, left shoulder down, reach, reach, reach. Exhale, engage your core to pull center. Other side, bring your legs over to the left right shoulder down, down, down and exhale pull center.

Take the legs to the right breathing in, exhale, engage core and (muffled speaking). Keeping your shoulders and reach, reach, reach and exhale center. One more time, breathe in. And then exhale, pull center, and breathe in and exhale center. Let's take it to the modified corkscrews.

So legs to the right. Circle your legs down around to the left, and center, legs to the left. Breathe out as your circle down around and right, center, inhale right. Exhale, down around left, center, inhale, left, circle down around right, center. One more time.

Breathe in, exhale, circle around center and to the left, circle around, and center full corkscrew. Your arms press into the mat. Your abs are pulled in. We lift those hips, little hover, like the rollover, the legs go back overhead. Make sure your neck is long.

Legs are long. Shift your hips to the right, roll down the right side of your spine. And then circle like down around, roll up the left side of your spine, and find center. Shift your hips to the left, roll down the left side of the spine. Circle the legs down around, roll up the right side of the spine, and center.

Let's do one more on both sides. Shift to the right. With control, roll down the right side. Circle down or around, go up the left side. And center shift to the left.

Breathe out as you roll down. Inhale as you circle. Exhale as you roll up the right side. Now find your center. Either keep your arms where they are or circle them out in overhead.

And then just rule yourself down one, vertebrae at a time. All right, you're gonna bend your knees. You're gonna pick up that ball. Knees are together. We're gonna revisit a crisscross variation we did a couple of weeks back.

So the ball between it's in front of your inner thighs. And then take your elbows up onto the ball. Now, stretch the right leg long and straight. Pull your left elbow back and rotate. And then come back to the center.

Stretch the left leg long and try to pull the right elbow back and rotate and center. 10 more, breathe out one, inhale center, exhale two, center, exhale rotate three, center, rotate four, center, exhale five, center, exhale six, center, really engaging your cores, to your wrist, center, and right wrist, center, to your right wrist, center, to wrist, and center. Place the ball between your knees, and rock up to see them. Okay, all right. So now we're gonna take the feet, to the outside edge of your mat.

Stretch your arms out in front of you. Sit up tall. We're gonna do a saw here. So, the ball stays in our left hand. Take the right arm, reach it back.

Look at your right hand. Now take the ball to the outside of your right foot. Roll it away and stretch. Now reach back with the right arm. Roll up twist, and take your hands forward.

Pull your left arm back, rotate. The ball goes to the outside of your leg. Roll it away saw, roll up twist, and center. And right arm reaches back, falls the outside of your leg. Roll it away saw, roll up twist, and center, and bring the left arm back saw.

And bring the ball down, roll it away. Roll up twist, and center. Last time, give yourself that nice spring rotation, use your core to twist. Roll the ball away. Roll up twist, and center, very last one, use your core and rotate.

Ball is the outside your leg and roll in a way, roll up and center. Good, okay, so from here, we're gonna come up onto the knees, and move into the thigh stretch. So place your ball right in between your inner thighs, okay? So you operate on your knees and hips and shoulders in line, arms down by your sides. Squeeze through those glutes, the hips, the core, and then we're gonna start to lean back.

As you lean back reach your arms forward. And then pull yourself back up. Two more, engage the glutes, the inner thighs, the abs, and then pull yourself back up. And one more time, lean back and reach forward. Now keep your arms forward.

Lift yourself back out right. The left arm is gonna sweep back as we lean into the thighs, stretch breathing in, and then exhale sweep the arm back up. The right arm reaches back as we lean into the thigh stretch, exhale feeling those those thighs. Here we go. Lean back and reach, exhale, sweep it up, right arm lean back and reach, exhale up.

Keep the core tight, hips tight, glutes tight, lean back and reach, exhale, lift up, and lean back and reach, and exhale up. Great, we're gonna take that ball. It's gonna go behind your right knee. So wedge it under the knee. Come up onto your hands and your knees.

Now, we're gonna flex the right foot. Squeeze the ball. Your abs are tight. Your back is flat. Press your heel up, inhale, lower.

Four more, breathe out lift, lower, exhale three, lower, exhale four, lower. Now keep your leg lifted, that foot is lift. Tuck your left toes under, right leg is still, lift your left knee up one, and down. Exhale two, and down. Not quickly, pause at the top.

Three, and down, lift up four and down, lift up five and down. Point both of your feet. Pull your right knee and round your spine. Lift your leg. Just come to neutral.

Exhale round the back. Inhale lift, three more. You gotta squeeze up or pull it in, and lift. Two more exhale round, extend. One more time, breathe out, and breathe in.

All right, you're gonna lower the right knee down. Place your ball next to you. That right leg is gonna stretch back. You want the ball of the foot. Stretch your left leg back.

We are in a plank position. One long line, head, shoulders, hips, heels. The right leg pulls into the chest, step it back. Left leg into the chest, step it back. Here we go.

Last eight, seven, pulse, six, five, four, three, two, one. And bring your knees down. Okay, good, let's do it on the left side. So take that ball underneath your left leg, wedge it in. Yes, it might pop out sometimes.

So here we are on our hands and knees. Your left foot is flex, core is tight. Exhale lift, and lower. Exhale lift, and lower. A little squeeze up the top, lower.

Two more, breathe out, lower. And now hold it, tuck the right toes lift up one, and lower. Exhale hover two, and lower. So stable, so strong three, lower. Two more, exhale four lower, one more time.

Lift, five, and lower. Point both of your feet. Pull your left knee. And as you round your spine, lift the leg to neutral length and, exhale round two, and lengthen, exhale around three, and lengthen, exhale around four, and lengthen. One more time, breathe out, and lift the leg, lower the leg down.

Place your ball to the side. Step your left leg back first. So stretch out that left leg that was just bent, and then bring the right leg out. Okay, this time, your left knee pulls in but you bring it towards the right elbow, not touching, but in that direction, and center, switch, eight a little quicker. Here we go.

This is three, twist, four, twist, five, six, exhale, seven, eight, two more. Turn and then just find your plank position, place your knees down onto the mat, and bend your elbows and we are on our stomach. All right, grab your ball. You're gonna have your feet, hip distance apart, and then you're gonna hold this fall behind you so it's right, back behind your hips. Your legs are long.

Your feet are pointed. Your forehead is down on the mat, and now take an inhale and lift the chest up. And then exhale, lower down. Two more, breathe and lift the chest up, and exhale down. One more time.

You're gonna lift and stay. The ball is in the right hand. The arms go to a T. Lift the legs up and click your heels 30 beats. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10.

Squeeze two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 20. Squeeze two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 30. Bring your arms overhead, squeeze one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 20. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 30.

Lower your chest. Lower your legs. Hold the ball in two hands. It's on the floor. And then release your chest.

Roll the ball up towards you. Extending your spine. Exhale, lower down. Just two more. I get that nice, beautiful back extension lifting, shoulders down, chin up, and exhale lower down.

One more like this. We inhale, arche the spine up, and then exhale lower down. Now we're gonna finish at our heal beats, so the ball goes now in your left hand, the arms reach out to a T, the leg lift, and we click for thirty. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, two, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, three, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10. Bring the arms back behind you.

Legs are lifted, chest lifted, and last 30. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10. Squeeze, the glutes eight, nine, 10. Squeeze your inner thighs. And that is 30.

Let's rest the chest and the legs. Ball to the side, hands by your shoulders, just give me three swans, inhale, lift and arch up, and exhale lengthen all the way down. Two more, big breath in, arch up, and exhale lower all the way down. One more time. Inhale, lift, arch up, exhale lower all the way down, press yourself all the way back, into a lovely child's pose.

So just sitting back to your heels, take a nice deep breath, inhale through your nose, and then exhale. And now roll yourself on up. Okay, we're gonna move onto the side. So you're gonna take your ball in front of you. You're gonna prop yourself up onto your elbow, bend your knees.

Now we're gonna lift our hips up, and place this ball underneath your hip. My right hip, whatever hip you're on, your bottom hip. Now it's a little bit of support, but try to lift up off of the ball. So you're engaged with those oblique muscles, lat muscles. Raise your arm.

Now you can either keep one leg out just straight, or bring two legs. So you're barely on that ball. Bring your hand to your head, and raise your top leg for three, and lower. I'm barely touching the ball, two lower. Last one, hold strong and stable.

Kick one and back. Kick two, and back. Kick three, and back. Where you circle forward up and around. Forward, up and around, forward, up and around, reversing go back, up and around, two around, one more, three, around.

Now, lower the leg. Grab the ball, raise the arm up, lower the hip, and then just bend those knees follow them, take both arms overhead, pulse three, two, one and then we'll repeat it on the other side. So swing your legs around. Come up onto your forearm. Bend both of the knees.

Now lift the hips and gently just place that ball under your hip, okay? And then you get to choose from here whether, you have one leg out to a straight, one knee bent, or two legs out to a straight. Barely on the ball, right hand to your head, raise the leg up three, breathe out two, nice and stable hold, kick one, and back, kick two, and back, kick three, and back. Circle the leg forward, up, and around. Forward, up, and around, forward, up, and around reverse, inhale, exhale, one.

Inhale, exhale two. I know you're just thinking, (muffled speaking) can this be done? And then take the ball, raise it up to the ceiling, and lower down. Good, bend your knees. Hold up all with two hands.

Give it a stretch for three, two, and one, yay. Okay, have a seat facing forward. Place the ball between your ankles, and then roll yourself down onto your back. Okay, so we're on our back. We're gonna do a couple of teasers next.

So knees are in a tabletop position. Reach your arms straight up to the ceiling. Give the ball a little squeeze, tighten up your core. We're gonna start by reaching the arms back. Open your arms, raise your head, and then roll up.

The knees are bent. And then feel free to extend your legs out long and straight. Bend your knees, and roll down one, vertebrae at a time. The arms go back, circle, exhale. Roll up to your teaser, stretch your legs, stretch your arms, bend your knees, and roll down one vertebrae at a time.

One more like this. Out, around, exhale, roll up to a teaser. Lengthen you're (indistinct), scoop your lower abs and lift your chest. Bend your knees, roll down. We're gonna do three more teasers.

Feel free to do what we just did, or keep your legs to 45 the whole time. Arms go out, exhale, roll up. Get your teaser position. Low abs in, and then roll down one vertebrae at a time. Open the arms.

Exhale, roll up, breathe in, exhale roll with control lower, middle, shoulders, head. Open the arms. Exhale, this is the last one. You're gonna pick up your ball. Bring your legs together.

They can bend or stay straight. And as we lower, bring the legs down, arms overhead. Let go of the ball, and teaser back up. Raise your chest. Exhale, roll up to a teaser.

Separate your feet. Grab your legs, your ankles, or toes wherever you can ground for open leg rocker. So now lift the chest, tall chest, lower abs in, roll back to the bottom of your shoulder blades. Roll up whew, balance at the top, and roll back. Roll up, (indistinct) to the top.

Let's give it a breath. We're gonna exhale back, Exhale again, inhale, lift. Exhale back, exhale up, inhale lift. One more, back, roll up, and lift. Bring your legs together.

Hold the back of your thighs. Bend your knees. Now slide your legs straight forward. You're gonna place your right ankle over your left (indistinct) the boomerang. So here we go.

So nice and straight palms down. Scoop your abs in, roll back. As you roll back, take your legs up and overhead. The legs open, they cross. Your left leg's on top.

Roll your spine down. Raise your head. Roll up to that teaser. Lift your arms, circling around, lace the fingers behind you. Lower your legs.

Some circle around with your feet. Roll up, sit up nice and tall. Scoop your abs and roll back. The legs open, cross right leg is in front. Roll down, raise up your head.

Roll to that teaser. Lift the arms. Open the arms, they lace behind your back. And then the legs lower your circle around. We have two more right up, and roll on back exhale.

Legs are over, open and cross. Roll down, raise your head. Roll up to your teaser. Lift the arms, circle them around. Lay some behind the back.

Lower the legs, they circle reach to your feet. Roll it up. Last one, roll down and bring the legs over. Open cross, right leg on top, roll down, raise up your head, lift, this is our teaser position. Okay, arms up, around, lace the fingers.

Bring them back, and circle all the way around. Sit yourself up. Bring your legs together, and then take your hands back. So fingers are facing and soften your elbows. Press your shoulders down.

Open your chest, squeeze your (indistinct), and lift up, okay, good. So from here, you're gonna either stay with both feet down or bend this right knee, stretch the right leg up and lower. Then your left knee, extend it up, and lower. Again, we bend, extend and lower, bend, extend and lower, bend, extend and lower, bend, extend and lower. Lower those hips.

Swing yourself around onto all fours. Steps on back to a nice strong plank position. One long line, head to heels. Point your right foot lifted up for the double pulse, up up dance those legs, up, up, down, inhale, inhale, exhale, inhale, inhale, exhale, inhale, inhale, exhale. Last one, exhale.

Please your knees down. Now bring your right hand into the center. Pivot down to your right hip. Okay, side bend mermaid. You're gonna take your left leg in front of your right ankle, reaching your right arm away from you, turn your left palm up.

Now send your hips up, bridge and stretch over. Lift your arms straight up to the ceiling, thread the needle, exhale, rotate. And then raise the arm up, and then lower your hip down. And again, lift stretch over, raise the arm up. Thread the needle.

Raise the arm up, lower down one more. Here we go. Lift up and overstretch. Raise the arm, thread the needle. Raise the arm, and lower down, very good.

So from here, just swing your legs around to the other side. So you have your right foot in front of your left, left arm is reaching out, pull the shoulder blade down, and send yourself up and overstretch. Raise the arm, thread the needle, inhale left, exhale lower. Head barely touches the mat. And then you'd go up and over.

Raise your arm, thread the needle, raise the arm, lower with control. One more time. Lift up and overreach. Stretch up, thread the needle, raise the arm, and lower down. Fantastic, come around onto all fours.

Last exercise, we're gonna stretch those legs back, and I want you to do three push-ups. You can either be on your toes or your knees, but let's hover the elbows in, and then press yourself back up. Two more, hover the elbows in, press up, one more. And now pike your hips up. Walk your hands back to your feet.

Roll your spine up to standing, stand tall, lift the arms up and overhead, and then round your spine, we're gonna do two more sets. Walk your hands out to your plank position. You're gonna be on your knees, on your toes, or take your right leg across your left, and bend, press up, and bend, press up, and bend, press up. Uncross the legs pike your hips walk it in, in, in, in, in, let's roll the spine up. Raise the arms, round your spine forward.

Walk out if you can, three walks, one, two we're there by three. And if you had the right leg over bring your left leg over, and lower, push up one, lower, exhale two, lower, exhale three, and then pike your hips up. Walk it back. Now just stay in your forward bend. So separate your feet, the hip distance.

Bend your knee. Just relax your head, relax your neck, relax your shoulders. And with soft knees, roll your spine up, to standing. And then once you are standing nice and upright, take a deep breath, inhale, lift your arms up overhead, press the palms of your hands together. Bring your hands to your heart.

And thank you all for joining me, for class number five. Hope you got a good sweat on like I did.

On Center: with Melissa Connolly

Comments

Lina S
1 person likes this.
Excellent class. I've enjoyed the criss cross variation as well as the roll over. Fun and creative use of the small ball. Thank you!
1 person likes this.
I used 10 lb vinyl coated hand weights to drape across my ankles for the roll-ups which worked for me. I normally wear 5 lb leg weights but the class was too advanced to make that doable for me. Sand bags or a mat with a strap would work too, except I do not own those props. I  find it beneficial in side planks to thread-the-needle by reaching toward the feet. That move pops multiple lumbar vertebrae (which feels wonderful).  Class is a well-considered mix of strength and lengthening moves. I got a good work-out, sweated a bit, and feel much better. Thanks Again Melissa:)  PS~ like Lina i also got a kick out of the criss-cross variation. 
Great class Melissa! Definitely go sweaty with that one!
Excellent pace and variety for me.  Great challenge for strength and ROM.  Thank you.
Roxana F
Excellent class !! I enjoy it.
Wow that was challenging but really enjoying the work with the ball....thank you! 
Thank you Melissa.  A very enjoyable and challenging class as always.  Especially loved the creative way to use the ball on the criss cross and the rollover.  Thanks
Great class - thank you!
Wow, really fun class, thank you so much!! 🌻
Maryam
Great session. Thank you!
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