Twisty Mat

Hi, welcome to Pilates Anytime. I'm here with my friend David Keith, and you are here in my living room, and we're gonna do a twisty mat together. So, when you're ready, come onto your mat and just go into all fours. Just take a moment and do a little cat cow motion of your spine. Anything that feels good, on your back.

And the Pilates teacher in me can't help but just arrange. Yeah, that's exactly it. And then, everybody end in a rounded spine, so you're really dropping your head and curling. in this position, just shake your head no. And for you David, send your hips back just a little bit, yeah, that's it.

So just to get a little bit more opening of the back. From here, come to a nice flat back, looking down at the floor, and just stay here, breathe. And can you try to find a nice neutral spine? So ribs are lifting, a little sticking out of the bum, and definitely a lengthening of the back of the head. From there, just shift forward and back a few times, just maintaining that nice neutral position.

And I find that the hardest moment is when he goes lengthening back, and to lengthen back, but without tucking the pelvis, so really keeps that nice length in the spine. Beautiful, that's Cathy Grant's new cat in town. From there, come to center, drop your head, and round your spine, and that's exactly, and we're gonna to head to some thread the needle. We're gonna be twisting a lot today. So from here, just reach one arm out to the side and hold.

From there, you're gonna look at that hand, reach up to the ceiling, give me a big inhale exhale twist. Yeah, and from there thread the arm through the back of the hand touches, the elbow touches down, until that shoulder touches down and you bend the arm to get that left shoulder onto the ground for you, David. So bend that right arm, so you get that left shoulder touches the floor. Keep going, keep going, keep going. That's tight for David, let's do that again.

Reach out to the side, hold and now from there, look at that hand big inhale, exhale twist. Think of sending that chest forward, good and thread the arm through back of the hand, elbow and shoulder touches down. Just stay there and breathe. And this is a good view that you're getting of David's back he's really trying to twist, and he's really trying to get that left shoulder down from there come onto all fours. Let's regroup for the other side.

When you're ready, drop your head, round your spine and take a moment here and breathe. Shake out that head. Now the other side, you wanna reach now the other arm out to the side, hold. Look at that hand. Big inhale, exhale twist, push the floor away you're trying to widen those shoulder blades and thread the arm through.

Remember David, you're going toward the camera. You gotta make it look peaceful. Not really, he doesn't have to. (laughing) Woo, nice back adjustment. And one more time, reach out to the side, big inhale, exhale twist.

So think of widening across the chest, pushing the floor away and threading that arm through and get a nice twist and in the twist, you're trying not to twist in your hips as much, but really in that torso. Yes, so it's a fight that he has between upper body and lower body. From there, come on to your stomach, please. I'm nothing fancy. And if you have a little towel unfold that towel, put your hands underneath your forehead, making a little pillow for underneath your face and just stay here and just take a little bit of a moment.

Just take stock. What part of your body do you feel on the mat or not on the mat? Right, and so while David's here and while you're lying there, can you lie down and feel if you have one hit more forward into the floor than the other? Yeah, Okay. So if you've identified that hip, press the hip that you don't feel as much forward into the mat.

Yeah, that's what was my guest to David, and release. Now, if you're like, I don't know which hip is more forward, try both. And I find that I get a little interesting sensation around my back, on the side that I don't have into the floor as much. And if you feel pretty, even awesome, use this just as a sort of a mobility thing and just press one hip into the floor than the other, keeping your less weighted hit down into the floor, push into your hands. We move on, lift the head.

The bottom of the rib cage stays down and you lift the chest, reach those elbows forward. Rest your head down and look down at the floor. Do that a couple more times. We're just working some extension. This is a part of Debra lesson's warmup.

And I really like it. I feel like we really need a lot more extension in our lives and this really helps target this upper thoracic extension. Beautiful, rest your head down. From here, you're gonna stick your tail out ever so slightly, exhale, rest it down. Do that one more time.

Stick the bat out now, from here David, let's have you really try to get the hip that needs to be, have more weight, that's it we'll exhale, that hip forward into the floor. One more time. So we're talking about and playing with twists and we're thinking about those twists right away so that as you come down and you're trying to come down a little more evenly, pushing down into your hands, lift both thighs up. Yeah. That's all it is. Now, I love how David's doing this and take it down.

So, notice how he's not really trying to lift his legs up really high. He's going for a straight legs. And really just trying to find that lift and take it down one more time. Find that lift of the legs and stay let's check in with a hip. Can maybe bring that hip forward that you need to get more forward, good.

And then from here, take the legs down, lift one leg up only. Thank you. And see if that helps you get that hip forward and circle this one leg. Yeah, it's a small circle size of a grapefruit. It could be a cantaloupe.

You pick your, pick your melon, reverse your circles. Keep reaching that right leg long for you, David, especially, yeah. And take it down, rest. Change sides, other leg lifts up. Good, and circle this leg.

Yeah, so the asymmetrical movement just lifting one leg will sort of twist your hips in a certain way. And sometimes it feels nice. And sometimes you're like, woo, I haven't done that. Did you reverse those circles, by the way? Great, the grand finale of this, you're gonna hover your head, arms and legs and just hold it there for just a second.

Bring your fingertips and elbows off the ground too, the thighs are lifted. Let's clap the feet together, parallel claps, (deep breathe) exhale. Yes, Turn out the legs. Keep those fingertips on your forehead. Keep weight in the ribs and the pelvis.

Go back to parallel legs. Keep clapping away and then come and turn in the legs. Feel the hip shift, yes. I love that one for you. It probably feels funky and take it down, rest.

Last thing. Bring your arms down by your side. Turn your head to one side and just get a little stretch of the neck and head, arms all the way down by your sides, David, yeah. Just feel that out. Yes, and then lift your head up, look down at the floor.

Turn your head to the other side and just feel that twist. Sometimes I feel like, you go like, oh, one side's tight, right, yeah. And now from here, we're gonna cut into a Kathy Grant called her Number 14 Head-Only. So from here, gently lift just the shoulders above the mat. That's it, gentle.

Lift your head, look down at the floor. And as you exhale, jaw muscles, look up, chest up, chin up, come up as high as you want to or can David, beautiful. Inhale, look back down at the floor, turn your head to the other side and just let it all relax. Now, this is how Kathy would teach it. She'd say, "Someone comes along and gently caresses your shoulders off the ground." That's more like it.

Lift your head, look down at the floor. So it's gentle, as you exhale, you lift the chest, This is less caressy, right. Inhale, look back down at the floor, long back of the neck. Turn your head to the other side and just melt, exactly. Push back, sit toward your heels and get a nice stretch of your low back.

And from here, we're gonna slowly come up to standing, we have to come back down again, but squat for a second. So come onto the mat and just, and come into your squat. So you're literally, you can touch the floor. So this is a, yeah, so squat, that's it. It's not pretty, but really great for the back.

Try to relax the ankles. Now, if you look like David and your heels are up fine, right. I can fake it, but I'm just sort of all in my butt. I actually prefer this and you're, he's breathing into his back. He's trying to relax his ankles.

And from here, use those legs, come up to standing. You ready, Freddy? Mh. All right, so let's turn around David. You're gonna turn face out that way and let's go for lowering down and we're gonna get ready to go into some good old fashioned Pilates.

So, we're gonna be twisting and playing around as we come all the way down, lie down on your mat and hug those knees into your chest and pull really tight. So from here, we're headed to The Hundred. I'm gonna take you into it this way. If you have another way, you'd like to do The hundred's fine. Hold on to the backs of your thighs.

As you exhale, stretch your legs up to the ceiling, lift your head up, connect and stay here, pelvis is down, keep your legs right there, bring your hands down by your sides. Let's pump, inhale, exhale. That's it, on your next exhalation, start to lower your legs to your level where you feel the belly kick in. Awesome, David, and exhale. Fabulous.

Few more breaths and sets. So I've with every exhale, nice connection of those legs together, yes. Inhaling and exhale. So, this is about when I start to get tired. So I'm gonna change the breath for you as you exhale, go shh, shh, shh, shh.

Yes two or three more breaths like that. Really, exhale, yes. Yes, a few more breaths. And I love the spiral that David's doing in his legs, parallel works too, but really just connect those legs in toward each other. When you are done, hug the knees in, pull tight, put the feet on the floor.

And when you can extend those legs forward along the mat, bring the arms over your head and just stretch. Yeah reach back and just enjoy the stretch. So we're gonna go for some good old fashioned roll-ups, but we're going to do Kathy's 10 count roll-up first. Arms up to the ceiling and hold, lift your head up. Give me a big exhale, hold right.

See that next wrinkle come up a little bit, right there. Count to 10 out loud 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. And this is where you hope your Pilates instructor holds you down or you have a strap on your feet. Come up a little bit higher, right there. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

1 more spot. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 He's counting to 10 promise. Go all the way forward, drop your head, huge stretch. Stay here, breathing and reaching, breathing and reaching. One more breath, big exhale.

Go forward, start to roll backwards. Inhale, exhale to light all the way down on your own. Just to a few, your own timing guys inhale as you come up, exhale, as you go forward, really exhaling at the forward, good. Now, he's going to do a few more and I'll tell you what he's doing so well and I'm hoping you're noticing as well. As you go forward, see how he keeps his ears above his upper arms, gold stars.

He presses those legs and he's breathing. Yeah, one or two more, David. Maybe you're doing like five and the time he's doing that one, or maybe you do one. It doesn't matter, just keep going through those bits last time. And in the forward position, really exhale and breathe.

So I'm gonna sort of mirror him facing this way. So from here, he's forward. Now he's going to take his hands to the right of his legs. Yes, and he's going to throw in a little bit of a twist, as he lies down, he's going to roll back. And when he lies down, he's gonna keep his legs center, but he's gonna bring his arms back on a diagonal.

That's right, inhale, roll up. He's twisting. Good, And he's gonna reach his legs forward to the side of his right foot. Yeah, it's almost like a mini saw, roll back, and reach back on that diagonal. That's it, one more time from the plant to the right foot and twist.

Yes, from there, David go to the left leg. So he's now going there, yes. And roll back. So this is a little variation from Kathy Grant. She called it her Around The Clock and she would go around the clock.

I'm just doing the hours, I like, (chuckles) dropping that head, roll back. That's it. So, it's really kind of fun to sort of see, Ooh, which side this looks a little easier for some parts for David. Some parts are harder. Like that part right there, yes.

I say one more, right. Yes, reaching back, rock back. And it's also kind of cool to try to hold those like center go forward after this. Yes, go to the center of the legs, drop your head, breathe. Rest your hands on the outside of your legs for just a second and let your head dangle, and just do a little circle of your head.

(breathes deeply) Ah, one more breath, exciting. And then when you can, let's start to lie down. Let's keep twisting away. So David, hug one knee into your chest when you're ready and he's going to hold onto the back of that thigh, stretch the leg up to the ceiling and do a little flexing point of the foot. Yeah, and then have a little circle of the foot.

So, we're gonna go for a leg circle variation. This is from Amy Lang, I totally borrow/stole it from her. And I really like it for the awareness of the twist of the pelvis versus the rib cage. So when you can hand down by your sides, you're gonna, oh, that's good, and see how David's hands are a little wider than his hips, it's good. You're gonna take the leg across the body, and as he does this, his hip comes off the ground, his pubic bone is facing my sofa, his shoulders are on the mat, he keeps the butt off the ground as he reaches the leg up.

Oh yeah, and go across the body. Let's do that, two more times. So a lot of work on this outer booty, right. Some oblique or lots of oblique action, right. That was what your third one.

Let's do one more. Let's make it four, fourth time's the charm. From there, he's gonna slowly lower his butt on the mat. And now keeping your hips steady. You're gonna try to take the leg out to the side.

Oh yeah, and bring the leg back up. So this is when David is paying his long leg tax, and it's a lot of tax, right. So I find that as I take my right leg to the side, I like to breathe into the left rib cage. And I think this is your fourth one coming up. And then from there, I'm gonna get out of the way, he's gonna go leg circle.

I'll cross down around, hold it at your 12 o'clock, reverse to the side. Let's do four sets of that. Now, if your leg is tight and you can't reach it up to the 12, o'clock in a straight leg, that's fine. But I really want the thigh to reach 12 o'clock. I'd rather that you bend the knee as long as your thigh gets to the 12.

Yes, I think this is your last set, David. And up one more down, up, grab onto your leg, lift your head up and give me a stretch. Ah, in your stretching moment right here. Stick your booty out. Yeah, feel that stretch, breathe.

Now, if you should feel your shoulder blades, like the tips of your shoulder blades on the mat, hover your other leg a few inches off the ground. Hold it right there. Now, let's go for C-shape spine with the lower body. Pull this leg so much that you lift your sacrum off the butt. That's a C-shaped spine, right.

So not just upper body, that that's it, that's it, hold it. Keep breathing, keep breathing, scissor the legs in the air. Wow, change sides, rest your head down flexing point this foot that's in the air, woo. (breathes deeply) (laughing) Circle the foot. Yeah, and circle in the other direction.

So here we go, Amy Lang's legs circles again, so point the foot, take the leg across the body of the pubic bone, twists the shoulders. Do not keep the shoulders down, bring the leg up, and bring it back over, two more, no, three more times. 'Cause you have to do 4. That's it. And I'm really pushing down to that standing leg to make it happen.

And David, if you straighten that bottom leg would be even better. Awesome, and then from there, bring it back up and hold, and now let's reverse it to the side, whoa. And bring it back up. So this is his left leg. So he's going to really have to breathe into his right side.

And I'm hoping you're feeling that oblique sort of diagonal, opposition, that's the word I'm trying to say. All right, here we go. Across, down around, up. Yes, and to the side down, make sure you get the down, inhale, exhale and up and to the side down and up. You got two more sets.

(breathes deeply and exhales) I like alternating sets kind of fun. One more, exciting, hug both knees into your chest after this, pull really, oh wait, hold on, I forgot the stretch. Stretch that leg up, thank you. That's why, I was like, why is he going so slow? Lift your head up, give big breath.

Now in this position, stick your butt out as number one, hello, hamstring. Right, I like that. So you're really doing the top of the hamstring and the bottom of the hamstring. Now, hover your right leg a little bit off the ground. Hovering, hovering, hovering.

That's it, keep the leg straight, keep the leg straight, that you're reaching, one more breath, both legs up to the ceiling, hold from there. Just breathe for another moment. Press the legs so that you come up into your teas are almost. Yes, bend the knees into the chest, easy rolling like a ball, David. And just roll it out.

Ah, a few more times. So, if rolling's too much, just pick your feet up and hover, right. That always works. You got one more. That's not true.

Let's do two more. (laughing) So just try to get a massage of the spine. It's not really my kind of massage. How about you David? I like it.

Oh, he likes it. Okay, so from here, let's go and let's do our stomach series, like all the way down on your back, hug one knee into your chest, single leg stretch. Go side to side, do your own rhythm. And now, here's my question to you. Is your butt down?

Totally good or are you curling and lifting your butt up? Both are good, just choose one, right. Hug both knees into your chest, pull tight, arms and legs reach forward and hold. Bring the arms back by the ears, hold. Circle the arms around, bend the knees and pull tight.

Let's use that too much times. Arms back, legs forward. Exhale, circle the arms around yeah, one more time. Arms back, legs forward. Circle around big, pull tight.

Rest your head down please. Let's relieve the head a little bit. Look to the right and look to the left. Look to the right again and then chin goes up and around. Oh, that should feel good.

And center reverse to the side up and around, and center. Here we go, scissors please, stretch one leg up to the ceiling. Lift your head again, Pull, pull, change. And my question to you is the same, is your pelvis up or down? Right, so I found that it's a little hard for me to lift my butt as the legs have been really working on the, trying to lift the booty.

Yes, flex the feet for a couple of sets, Maybe to get an extra hamstring stretch. Oh yeah, that's working. And when you can, both hands behind your neck, please. Double leg, stretch your legs, go down and up and you can bend those knees a little bit, David. Yeah, I just want, think of those femurs coming up.

Great, zip tight jeans, you got one more to go. And from here, bend the knees, hug those knees and rest for a little bit of a half minute. So now we're headed to an exercise called the long, No, I named it The Long Criss-Cross. I totally stole this exercise too. I should call this the stolen exercise class, both hands behind your neck, inhale, and as you exhale, head lift, stretch the legs up to the ceiling.

Good, twist to either side, I don't care which one. Yeah, and you're gonna put the outside hand on the opposite leg. Scissor the legs, look at your back elbow for dear life. Yeah, change, twist. So, scissor switch arms, bind the waistline.

Go and do that a few more sets. It's a bit of coordination, but I do like the back of the hand, pressing against the leg to find that spine twist last set, coming up big exhale last side, long crisscross, put your feet down, rest your head down. Pelvic lift or stretch of the back in the opposite direction. Ah, keep lifting, keep lifting, keep lifting. Put your hands on the tops of your thighs.

Hands pressed down, hips lift up. This is Kathy Grant's Slint Board. Pelvic lift, both arms reached back, active reach back. Let's go palms facing in Davids. We get that little external spiral and then pretend you're reaching back and lengthening those knees forward to me as you come down, keep coming down, lengthening torso away from those arms.

Extend those legs forward along the mat, from here, collect have to sitting up tall. Yeah, that's then what I say in my mind when I do this. So, when you're ready, sit up tall, open up the legs, open up the legs, I said that too fast. Reach both arms forward, spine stretch forward, just stay here and sit up tall. Oh, sorry, yes.

So stay sitting up tall for a second, David. Yeah, just stay here. Right, so staying here. Can you stick your t-shirt out ever? That's, so we're really sitting up tall from here.

Now, drop your head, go forward. And when you think you're at the bottom, take an extra breath and go a little further forward. Now, stay down there to sit up. Don't do it yet. And you press down in the heels, you lift the belly.

Correct, head is the last thing to come up. Do that two more times. Drop your head. Big exhale to go forward, stretching, stretching. Spine stretch forward can be so great and sit up nice and tall.

You got one more to go. We're keeping this nice and centered. The twisty parts are coming up next. Drop your head again and huge exhale to go forward. Again, notice how David's keeping his ears above his arms.

Just like I hope you are, when you're ready sit up tall, both hands behind your neck, David. You're good. Tilt to one side. I don't care which one. And then you're going to stretch the skin.

Yeah, it keeps stretching, keep going, keep going, keep going. Push down into the heel to come up to center, hold. To the other side, tilt and stretch it, stretch it, stretch it, stretch it. That should feel good, I hope. And slowly come up, one more set of those.

This is Kathy Grants, Laterals Number 1 and come up in the image she used to say was, you're going to stretch the flesh. I like to add between the top of the hip and the bottom of that rib cage. So from here, bring your right elbow to the outside of the right knee. This is Lateral Number 2. You stay there.

You breathe, on the next exhale, fold the left elbow in, exhale. I call that the knee taco open up the left elbow and sit up nice and tall. Look straight ahead, find your center, one more time slow, left elbow outside. Right elbow inside, big exhale. Open up the right elbow and sit up tall, here we go, right goes outside, left inside.

Open left, find your center angle outside, inside, open again, center. One more set. (inhales and exhales) And you find center, last one. Folding in open-end sit up tall hold, draw the legs together and hold from here, reach the arms forward, you need a schvitzing moment. We're okay, lower the torso halfway down.

We're sweating people, that's exactly it. Stay right here. So, we're gonna call this the upper body corkscrew. He's gonna circle his arms three times, trying not to move his torso and his leg, right.` He's just laughing, laughing his breathing. Come forward, drop your head breath.

Ooh, so that's one way to do it. I know this looks terrible, but it's better if I demonstrate on the couch, you're gonna roll halfway back. (chuckles) He's like, I hate you. You're gonna roll halfway back. Now, that first one that he was doing, he was keeping his torso still.

Now, he's actually gonna move his torso around, which is even harder, but the legs stay still. But the smile is still big. You're awesome, David. From there, go forward, drop your head stretch. From there, roll halfway back.

Yup. Lie all the way down. Hug those knees into your chest. Now we're gonna do lower body corkscrew. So if you like that upper body corkscrew, just repeat.

If not move on with me here. So let's go for knees into the chest. And again, you're gonna try to get the legs up to 12 o'clock and again, if you don't want to have your legs all the way to straight, remember you can bend the knees. David, it's okay to bend the knees. And I just want those fives at 12 o'clock.

So from here, he's gonna take his right leg to the side and hold, bring the left leg to meet at Harris' twist. He's gonna ring out that waist to center, to the other side, left leg to me, right leg joins it and then ring out the waist one more time like that, over and then join it, hello hips. Good, and come on back on the next set. We'll add in the circling of the legs. Yes, and come on back.

So here we go. Right leg starts, left leg follows and then down around left and back to center, left leg starts, right leg follows and down around hug those knees and pull tight. Woo, when you're ready, come onto your stomach, please. Nothing too fancy, onto your belly. Yep.

And when you're ready, hands underneath your shoulders, we're going to get ready for a little bit of a Swan. So different kind of Swan for those of you who are a little more classical, but so just follow along with me from here, push down into your hands, lift the head up, press the elbows down into the floor and lift up, lift up, keep pressing those elbows down. Gorgeous, and you come back down. I think I'm pulling myself forward to rest my head. Do that two more times, lift the head, lift the chest, press the elbows down as the big part.

And you should really feel the back of the arms, like right, right at the, I call it the, I wish I had a better day. It was like the hospital corners, right. Last time, that's what I think of that part. It's like where I'm sort of tucking that in. Yes, now from here, David fully straighten those arms, and lift the chin, lift the chest full Swan.

Pull yourself forward. Get those elbows down. Yes, press the elbows down for a second and then come down. What'd do you say, one more like that? And we'll add on our twists.

Come on up, elbows down, chest lifts as you straighten. Now from here, try to bend one arm only, keep the hands right there. Twist, look to the left, David. Yes, and then come up, bend one arm only twists. Yeah, oh, that seems easier.

Right, so as you do this, you're trying not to let your hips shift side to side this way. You really want the torso just to be doing the twisting. Yes, one last side I believe. Yeah, that's so much better. And then from there, come on down.

Let's do one more thing. Turn your head to one side class, four fingers behind your back. Yes, you are going to kick your booty three times. Go 3, 2, just look down at the, you straighten your arms, David, don't panic. Stay here, lift the thighs, lift the chest and then lift the arms as much as you can.

Straighten those arms. Yes, melt down to the floor and release again. Triple kick 3, 2, 1, he reaches, he looks long, looked down at the floor. Now lift the thighs and the chest thighs and chest thighs, thighs, thighs, thighs. And now arms, eyes up to put your hands underneath your shoulders, David.

Come up into Swan, hands under the shoulders, come up into Swan, stretch up, ah, and sit back on the heels, child's pose please. (inhales and exhales deeply) I feel like I exercised with him. (laughing) So from here, let's go for a funky neck pole. So when you're ready, I do this in a different way. So start seated facing what the short end of your mat and begin with both hands behind your neck.

So not lying down and right away, legs can be straightish. It's up to you, you're gonna go forward over the legs. Good, in this position, I'd like you to gently press your head up into the hands and notice that David's elbows are slightly forward. That is good. Now, when in this position he's gonna start to roll back, his head leads the charge, keep rolling back, keep rolling back.

I say to about here you come forward again. Double pulse forward, pulse, pulse. Do that a couple more times. Go back, back, back, back, back, back back. Yeah, and then so that's enough neck pull for me.

You can make it bigger and make it all the way down to your mid back or shoulder blades. Awesome, if not, no problem. Yes, Okay, on this last one, you're gonna sit up nice and tall, take a moment. David, I would like you to twist to your right. Good, when you twist right, reach your right heel forward, oh yes.

Bring your left elbow to the inside of the right knee and twist and fold over, hope you're getting a huge stretch. Roll backwards in this twist. Good head pressing. Come to center hold, twist to the other side. Reach your left heel forward for this one.

Right elbow to the inside of that left knee. We repeat, roll backwards. Yeah, good roll, roll, roll, roll. Roll your boat, yes, thank you. Come to center, go over to the other side.

Oh, come forward, big exhale, twisting. Now in this position, David is twisting, right, so he's reaching his right heel forward and loving life. Rolling back, (laughing) Come to center, go to the other side, come forward, big exhale, right elbow to the inside. Last one, roll on back, come to center, exactly. Go to the right, reaching that right heel forward.

Come forward, yes, sit up nice and tall for the last time. Lean back as you like, all the way down, take your time, take your time, take your time. Go all the way down rest. Ah, how you doing? I'm doing good.

Awesome. So when you're ready, lie in your side, please. I'm gonna have David face out and you're just gonna come into one long line lying on your side. So, we're sort of doing a thing, David's using his mat to line himself up. Cause it really helps, especially if you're at home by yourself.

So try to use your mat to do the same and notice how he's really flexing his feet, correct. And especially that base, that bottom baby toe. I'm just gonna have him stay here. So David, can you feel which hip is further back? Yeah, so you're gonna bring that left hip actually forward for you.

Yes, so even at home, see if you could just maybe play around with their hips and seeing where it is and where you are, that's exactly it. So staying there, breathing into the top rib cage a little bit. Here he goes, he's gonna breathe into the top rib cage, lift the top leg up. Inhale keep going, keep going, keep going. Exhale, take it down, a few more times.

(inhales and exhales deeply) Exhale, yeah. And also, it's not a big lift, but you know what's really great, is he's keeping his hips nice and solid, right. That hip isn't hiking up toward his ear as he goes up and down. Ready for more, David? You're gonna lift your leg up to your high spot and stay there a little pulse right here, five small 4, 3, 2, 1, and take it down.

So we are saying this is twisty, but it's, this is, you'll see. So reach your left arm up to the ceiling. So he's actually not going to twist. He's just going to try to stay center, but he's going to move his left arm in front of his left shoulder. Think inner thighs as he brings his left arm back up to the ceiling.

That's correct. So he's not twisting, but just by bringing that weight of his arm forward and back up, he's actually having to almost do the twisting. Like we're doing an, almost like a corkscrew, right. Just one more. This is from Kathy Grants, Porter, bra obliques.

I'm just Porter bra, sideline. I'm just messing around with it. So from here, bring the arm up to your ear forward in front of the shoulder. That's right. And down to the hips.

One more time up to the ear, forward in front of the shoulder and down to the hips. Let's reverse it. Reach forward. Now here comes the fun. You're going to bring it up by the ear.

Now from here, inner thighs, like crazy. You're gonna try to look at your back head and gently look behind you just casually and bring your hand down by your hips. (laughing) You know, just casually. That's it. And then, so he's working inner thighs.

That's his obliques, that's right, that's right, that's right. And he's working his pride cause he's like, damn it, I'm not gonna fall one more day, but you can do it. But you'd be surprised at how much work this is. Actually, you're not, you're doing it, you know. And come on down and rest.

From here, let's just do that whole thing to the other side. You can either face forward or have the, your, he can't help himself once a performer, you can never, it's really hard to do booty to the camera, isn't it? I know, we're so trained like, never do that. Okay, so he's finding his one long line. And so are you, and in this position, can you tell if you have one hip more for than the other?

I know, that's pretty good. Yes, and when you can, you're just gonna breathe into this top rib cage. Yeah, it's kind of a nice feeling to breathe into that side. And now keeping that idea of mine, of breathing into the rib cage, you're gonna breathe and lift the leg up and take it down. Awesome, David, I wish that we didn't care about form.

'Cause if we didn't, you're like we just go really high, but we really want his hip nice and long. Yes, it's just, I guess I say that because it's not that exciting, right. (chuckles) But you, hopefully you're feeling the work on that side hip area. He's in a state to his high spot. And so are you a little pulse right there, small, right. I like to say you should really be feeling this part, the good butt dimple.

Right, I want to say buddy, butt dimple. And so I was like, I have, but dimples, I was like, no, dimple. Okay and when you're ready, take it down. Here we go, you're gonna reach that right arm up to the ceiling and just feel the inner thighs is sort of a part of that center line. You okay?

(laughing) Bring that right arm forward, inner thighs. And I think belt to bring the arm up. Just do that a couple of times. So you're just sort of getting used to this feeling, right. Of bringing fat, isn't it amazing how hard that is?

I'm always like, wow, I didn't think my arm weighed that much and bring it up. From here, bring the arm up to the head. That's it down in front toward the shoulder and to the hips, two more times up to the ear in front of the shoulder and down to the hips. One more like that. And then we reverse it, from here, he's going to reach his arm forward from the hip to the shoulder, up to the ear and now inner thighs and casual glance back.

(laughing) Exactly two more times. I want to see this casual glance back. That's it inner thighs, inner thighs, inner thighs. Yes, one more inner thighs, inner thighs, that's it. From that waistline find that belt beautiful from here.

He is going to be grateful that it's over and he's gonna merperson. That's the gender neutral mermaid. He's gonna side then over to the legs and just get a nice stretch. Woo, I like it even got a hair fix in there. Yes, and then from here, you're gonna just twist both hands on that shin, that right shin.

And in this position, can you round your rib cage back to me. Yeah, and in this position, you're gonna breathe into the rib cage. One more breath like that. Accordion breathing, yes. And it's just, swivel those legs to the other side and merperson over to the other side.

Yep, and these side bends over. Oh, nice, nice, nice. And then from there, twist, hold onto both hands on the shin and then send the rib cage back to me. I know it's sort of bad form, but it feels so good. Proof is in the putting on this one, just one or two more breaths.

So what he's doing is he's trying to breathe into the sides of his rib cage and just one more breath like that. (breathes deeply) And then when you're ready, we're gonna head into what I like to jokingly call the elevated clamps. So come on to your elbow. Yeah, I don't care which side Dave, which other one? That's an elbow and a clamp position.

Now in this position, try to find your neutral position in this sideline. So the shoulder is gonna have the tendency to want to be up and you're gonna push the floor away. That's it. Now, even this position, breathe into your top rib cage. Yes.

From here, let's just do a few clamps, keeping the feet together. Do about five clams. Yep. A few more, that's it. So can you maintain this position while you're claming away? And now here comes the elevated part.

So you're going to push down into your left hand, David and lift your pelvis up, yeah. And now clamp away. So if you're able to hold this and it's pretty darn good. Let's add on. You're gonna keep the hips there.

Keep your torso here. Lift your top leg up completely and just circle the top leg. Oh yeah, so burning in that bottom leg. Flex your bottom foot friends and really push, yeah. Reverse, exactly.

When you're ready. Come on down. Take a mini rest, mini. Stick that top hand behind your head and lift your top leg up. Keep the hips down for this first thing.

You're gonna twist the elbow forward, take the thigh back. I think of this as a figure eight almost. So elbow goes forward, thigh goes back. That's great, I know. And change elbow back five forward.

So you can call this the wash ringing of the washcloth, yes. So that's good. If you want to make it harder, you would lift your pelvis up, correct. And now flex that bottom foot, David. Yeah. Yes.

And ring out that waist with the hips lifted and now we're cooking. Woo. If you weren't sweating before, I hope you're sweating now and come on down and now stay here and just slouch. Oh, I know. He's like no problem.

Other side when you're ready, other side. Now, sometimes it's nice, you get it. There's a nice stretch we had there and slouching. I look at my next class, the slouching class. (chuckles) Don't tempt me.

Okay, so from here, just find that diagonal line. And I think you find you get that extra bit when you think of breathing into the rib case. So we're kind of taking that, that's right. And that's always the head. The head usually has a tendency to want to be high.

You're just gonna almost drop the crown of the head while you breathe into the top rib cage. Keeping that breathing, go and start to do a few clams. I tried to call this clams casino. Do you know what clams Casino is? it's like oysters Rockefeller is sort of a fancy oyster dish.

I was like, you know, clams casino. It's not, I'm working on the name folks. I'm working on the name. If you have a good one, just, you know, message me. Okay, DM me.

Okay, so from here, you're gonna push down. Oh, I'm sorry. Can we lift the pelvis up? I got into my jokes. That's not good.

Now lift the top knee up. So now that's, that clams casino. I like to really flex my feet. And then if you feel like you're got a good thing going, you're gonna lift the top leg up and hold and try to draw a circle. Think of this knee, doing the circling.

Reverse the circles, yes. Woo, I love it. And when you're ready to take it on down, rest. Seek that top hand behind the neck. Keep the top leg somewhat lifted.

And you're gonna do elbow forward, thigh back. Elbow freeze like whoa, yeah, exactly. And then, elbow back five forward and yes, yes, yes. He does not like twisting left folks. Yes, and go one more twist twist, twist, twist twist.

Yes, I think one more set. Keep going, David, keep going. Remember it's one part working against the other, right. So just try to find those two pieces and work them against each other, yes. And rest slouch, exactly.

He's like no problem. From here, let's come and do that with a hips lifted. We do it with the hips lifted, yeah. Here we go. He's going to lift his hips up.

I try to do that, big clams casino figure eight. Yeah, oh yes. Two of these David, if you can. So when you're trying to find what is working against the other, I like to think of the waste being where those two parts meet. That's so good, and now do your slouch for reels.

Thank you, push up position, sir when you are ready. (breathes deeply) We're almost there guys. Full push-up position. Find it, find that nice lift of the rib cage and David, lower the hips for another moment and think inner thighs, inner thighs. One more breath.

Now David is gonna step his left foot halfway forward between his foot and hands. Yes, that's it. He's gonna turn to face you all. And now you're on. Now, notice how he has on the side of the foot, his fingertips and toes are we reaching forward.

His head and hand reach up and you're gonna lower the hips down. Reach your hand up, reach your head up and just stay there breathe huge stretch. You feel that, I hope? And lift back up. Do that one more time.

Please get a good stretch and lift back up. Stay here lifting thread that left arm through, try not to move the pelvis. Oh, just like throw the needle, reach back up. Hold it here for a couple of breaths. And when you're done, meet him back in a plank position for the other side and you will have your back to them, it's okay.

You're gonna step your right foot halfway forward down. Notice how it's only halfway right in all 10 toes are facing the other way, hand in head, reach up as you lower your pelvis stretch, stretch, stretch. Yes. Oh exactly. And you can even let that shoulder go up sometimes. It's okay. Thank you.

Now, in this lifted position, he's not gonna move his pelvis as he threads through, threads through, oh, yes, Keep threading. That's his favorite side. Hold here. Breathe, breathe, breathe. Full plank position, hold.

Yes. Yes. One more breath. Walk your hands to your feet or your feet to your hands. Yes, and slowly come up to standing. So David, let's try to do this together.

Try. Yes, okay. So we're going to open our arms out to the sides. Yeah, and now we're starting here with our back to you, but now let's both go toward me, right. So we're gonna twist to our left.

We're gonna end when our big twist, yes. And now, I'm in, how all 10 toes facing, you're going to just keep swiveling them around. So all 10 toes are facing around. Notice how I put them on the sticky mat. Keep going, David, keep going, keep going.

Yes, and he's gonna try to reach for that back leg. Yes, bend your front knee, bend your front knee, yes. There's your, his hips try to get like twisting and come back out, open the arms to the side and stay. You, okay? (laughing) So let's do this first.

So start to swivel the feet so that all 10 toes face the opposite direction from where we started. Yes, bend your front knee, bend your front knee and try to reach back for that back. Like it feels like my hips are coming, like turning inside out, how about you? Yeah. Yeah, opening, arms out to the side.

Take a little bit of a moment. Now, come to an even spot on the floor. So I'm gonna go onto this thing, right. Let's just reach our arms out to the sides without changing your feet. Do a little lift of the heels.

Not the full lift. Just a little lift. Yeah, that's exactly, slowly lower the arms, lower the heels. Take a little bit of a moment. Inhale and exhale.

Ah, and that's it, feel good? Yeah. So hopefully you feel rung out and stronger. Thank you for joining us.