Lower Body EXO Chair

Hi, Gia Calhoun and we're gonna do a beginner Exo Chair class. For the spring settings there's four settings on this Exo Chair. I start at the bottom, so bottom is one and the top is four. For our pumping that we're gonna begin with I have one spring on the bottom, one spring at three. Feel free to make any choices that work for your body.

We're gonna start seated in the middle of the chair. If you wanna make it more challenging you can scoot further forward. Or if you need a little bit more support you can scoot back. I have my balls of the feet on the pedal and then I have my heels together, toes apart. I'm gonna bring my hands onto the side of the chair.

But if you wanna test your balance and have your hands in I Dream of Jeannie position, you can do that as well. Sitting up nice and tall, you're reaching up through your spine, right on top of your sit bones. You're gonna push the pedal halfway down and then pull it up into your abdominals. So push down and up. (inhales, exhales) Inhale, exhale Pulling navel into the spine, lifting the spine all the way up to the ceiling.

Four, three, two, one. We're gonna come onto parallel now. The legs are gonna be glued together on your arches. Wrap your toes around the bar and you're gonna push the pedal down and up. Same thing, halfway down, all the way up to your chest.

So as you're moving the legs try not to rock your spine forward and back. You wanna stay right on top of your sit bones, nice and stable in your torso. We have four, three, two, one. Come back all the way up, come onto your heels flex all five toes back to your shins. Just checked again to make sure you're on your sit bones.

You didn't scoot back as the pedal is coming all the way up. Inhale as you push halfway down. Exhale to pull it up. Finding a nice rhythm that works for you, down and up. Good.

Controlling that pedal all the way up to your chest. We have four, three, two, one. Stay in parallel, we're gonna come up to the balls of your feet. Heels are lifted nice and high. Keep pulling your abs in and up and you're gonna push the pedal halfway down and up.

Try not to lower the heels down and up. You wanna keep that nice high heel position for the whole movement. Lower, lift, lower lift. Four, three, two, one. You're gonna push down and hold.

You're gonna try to keep the thighs still. Just move the pedal. You're gonna flex the feet, pull the pedal up. Point the toes, push the pedal down. Again the thighs are staying still.

It's just the ankles that are moving. Flex and point. Looks like you're not doing much, but it is actually pretty challenging to not move the thighs. If you really wanna test yourself you can put something on your thighs, like a pole and see if it's moving back and forth. down and up point and flex.

We have two more. Keep lifting up through the spine. Good. Point the toes one more time. Lift the pedal up and we're gonna go into a single leg.

So we're gonna stay in parallel first. So I'm gonna keep one foot on the pedal right on the ball of the foot. The other foot's just gonna reach out. You can have it bent or straight. I'm gonna keep mine bent.

You're gonna lift up in the spine, push the pedal halfway down and back up. Down and up. So with the single leg, might not go as far. That's okay. Think of using the back of the leg to push it down.

We have four, three, two, one. Switching legs. Replace the other leg out. Again, you can keep it bent or straight and push the pedal down and up. Good.

Pulling into your abdominals every time. We have four, three, two, one. Replace the other foot again. This time we're gonna turn out. So we're gonna have the first foot on the pedal on the ball of your foot again.

Turn that knee out to the side. Think of rotating from your hips. The leg that's out is also gonna be rotated out. You can keep it bent or straight. Pushing the pedal down and up.

Trying to keep the heel up again so you're not moving the ankle, it's coming from the whole back of the leg. You have two more on this side. And then replace that leg. So the other leg is turned out from the hip. The leg that's out is bent and turned out or straight and turned out, and you'll push that pedal down and up.

Three, four. Four more. Lifting the spine up, staying right over your sits bones. And rest. Good.

Shake out your legs. We're gonna come on up and we're gonna lie down on your chair. We're gonna do a little bit of ab work. So you're making sure that your tailbone is on the chair and also your shoulder so that you have support for your whole spine. You're gonna curl your head and shoulders up.

Hold onto your right leg. You want your right hand on your right ankle, left hand on your right knee. The left leg is gonna be reaching out long to a high diagonal. You're gonna pull this leg in and switch. Pull and switch, pull, switch.

Find the breathing that works for you. You can inhale and exhale or you can do a double. Inhale, inhale, exhale, exhale. Whatever you prefer, just keep curling the spine up. One more each side and then both knees into your chest for double leg stretch.

Curl up a little higher if you can. Inhale, the arms and legs reach out. Exhale, circle the arms around, hug your knees into your chest. Inhale, reach, exhale, circle it in. Inhale, reach.

Curl up higher as your knees come into your chest. Two more. (exhales) Last one. Go ahead. Both legs up to the ceiling.

Grab onto your right ankle or thigh. Lower the left leg out to a diagonal. Curl up a little higher. You're gonna pull the right leg in and switch, and switch. Same breathing you did for your single leg stretch (inhales, exhales) Keeping the legs long.

Passing right through the center. Two more each side. Last set. Both legs up to the ceiling. Hands either behind your head, one on top of the other or you can place 'em under your tailbone in a little triangle.

You're gonna inhale as you lower both legs to a diagonal. Exhale as you lift them back up to the ceiling. Inhale, lower. Exhale, lift. Inhale, lower.

I have my legs parallel, but if you want them turned out in a V, you can do that. Inhale, lower. Exhale, lift. One more. And lower.

Good. Bend your legs again, elbows are wide. You're gonna twist to the right leg, stretch the left leg out and then twist and switch and switch. Think of your ribcage coming to the opposite knee and switch. Switch.

One more each side. Switch and twist. Hug both knees in. You can let your head go back for a second if that feels okay. And then curl back up.

You're gonna rock up gently and come on off the chair. So we're gonna change the springs. We're gonna go into just a single spring. I have one spring at two and then we're gonna sit on the chair. So we're doing mermaids.

So we're gonna have one leg out to the side on the floor. I like to keep that leg parallel. If it feels better to turn it out, you can. I find that a little harder to keep the hip square so I like to keep mine parallel. The other leg is just gonna rest in front of the chair.

Hand on the pedal that's closest to it. The other arm comes out to the side. You're gonna reach it over, push the pedal down into your side bend and then you'll come all the way up to your sliding position. You reach over. You can let that free arm reach over your head and then come up back to your starting position.

As you reach over, try to keep that foot on the floor pressing down so you're getting opposition, you're not letting it come with you. One more like this. And then we'll come back up to our sliding position. So we're gonna go into our side bend again. This time we're gonna add a little bit of a twist, one hand on each side of the pedal if you can.

You're just gonna push down here and then back up and then push down and up. Two more. Keep reaching that opposite foot down. Last one. Bring your hand back to the center of the pedal.

Come back to your side bend and then come all the way up. So we're gonna change the position now. So we're gonna lie on your side this time. So I have my hips about in the center of the chair. You can kind of adjust as you need to depending on the length of your body.

So we're gonna push the pedal down all the way. And then the free arm is gonna just come up to the side. So you're gonna lift up into a little side bend reaching both legs out and then coming back down with the pedal. So we lift up, try not to bring the legs forward, they're right underneath you. Two more like this.

And lower. Think of using your obliques to lift you up. Lift. Lower. Now we're just gonna hover that pedal just slightly over the floor and then keep your position with your body.

You're gonna bend that arm on the pedal, lower it down. Bend the arm and press. Two more. Bend. Let's try to keep the body nice and stable.

And then you're gonna lift all the way up. Bring that free arm down for support. And then we'll do all of that on the other side. So, and one leg is out on the floor. The leg is parallel if you can.

And then the other leg is resting in front of the chair. One hand on the pedal, the other arm out to the side. You're gonna push the pedal down as you reach over into your side bend, keep reaching that opposite leg onto the floor. And then we'll come all the way up to your starting position, reaching up and over. Try not to just fall onto the pedal.

You're still finding length in the side of your body. And lift. Two more like this. Over. And then back up.

One more. And then back up. Now we're gonna do one more and hold. So you're gonna reach over, twist. One hand on each side of the pedal if you can.

And then you're gonna push down and, so a pretty deep twist. And two more. Last one. And then bring your hand back to the center of the pedal, back to your side bend. And then come all the way up.

Changing your position, you're gonna lie down on your side, your hips are about in the middle of the pedal or adjust it if you need to. And then you'll push that pedal all the way down to the floor. Ideally you want your shoulder right over your hand. The free arm is gonna go up to the ceiling or out to a T. And then you're gonna use your obliques to lift that pedal off the floor and then lower it back down.

Again. Reaching both legs out right underneath you, they're not swinging forward or back. So you'll find one side's gonna be a little bit more challenging than the other. And that's normal. Last one.

Now we're just gonna hover the pedal just a few inches off the floor. Keep your body where it is and just bend the arm and straighten. Bend and straighten. Bend. Try not to lift the body up.

Staying nice and still. Two more. Last one. Push your pedal all the way down. Come all the way up.

Bring that top arm down for control and then lift yourself up. So we're gonna come onto your hands and knees. We're gonna do a little quadruped, a little arm press. So I like my knees to be toward the back edge of the chair so that way when I'm have my hands down my hands can be at the front of the pedal. So I usually like to push the pedal down first and then I find my position so that way my hands can be even and then my knees can be even.

So the knees are under your hips and then the hands are under your shoulders. Keeping everything in a neutral position. I'm just gonna lift this pedal up, try not to twist my spine and then push down and lift. So everything is staying nice and stable. The only thing moving is the arm pushing the pedal up and down.

We have four, three, two. Keep pulling up in the abdominals for your support. Control that pedal all the way up. And we'll do this exercise on the other side. So again, I like to go toward the back and then push the pedal all the way down so I can find my position.

So I have my hand at the front of the pedal. My other hand is in the same line as it and then I have a neutral spine. In this quadruped position, you'll keep the spine square as you lift the pedal up and then push it down. So ideally, I'm trying not to let that pedal control me. I'm just resisting against it and moving the arm only.

And the lift, press. We have four more. And three. it's getting to obliques as well for that unilateral work. Last one.

And then bring that pedal all the way up with control. So we're gonna come on up, we're gonna change the springs for some legwork. So I already have one spring on two. I'm gonna bring another spring on three. We're gonna be lifting the pedal up.

So if you want it a little heavier, if you just need a little bit more support, you can do that. You can also move your chair against the wall if you need a little bit of help for balance. So you're standing at the front of the chair, you're gonna push the pedal down with one leg and then you wanna be whichever leg you're gonna start with, the leg that's on the pedal. You're gonna keep that on the ball of your foot. And then the other leg is gonna come forward all the way to the end.

This foot, both legs are parallel. The back heel is lifted high. We're just gonna have our fingertips resting on the front of the chair. You're gonna round your spine, pull your abs in so much that you're not touching your thigh. And then we're gonna hover the pedal up just slightly.

We're gonna do a little mountain climber. So you're gonna bend this back leg and straighten. Bend, straighten. Good. And straighten.

We have four, three, two, one. Now we're gonna do another set but we're gonna try and test your balance. So we're gonna do the same thing. We'll bring the arms up to this genie position and then we'll do the same thing here, bend and straighten the arm. Leg, bend, straighten.

So this leg that's on the chair isn't moving it's just that back leg. Four, three, two, one. Push the pedal all the way down and do the same thing on the other side. So the back leg is on the ball of your foot. Heel is lifted high, front leg is all the way to the back of the chair.

And then our fingertips are just resting on the back of the chair as well. Pull up in your abs so you're not touching your thigh. Round your spine. Hover the pedal up just slightly and then bend the back leg and stretch, bend, stretch. So eventually as we get more proficient on the chair we'll keep going and moving as we lift our spine up while we balance.

But today we're just gonna do two sets. Last one, in two positions. So find your balance. I Dream of Jeannie arms, Keeping that front leg still will bend the back leg and stretch, bend, stretch. Good.

And four, three, two, one. Push it all the way down. Come on down to the floor. Control that pedal up. Shake out your legs.

And then we're gonna go into going up front. So one last leg exercise. So again, you're gonna push the pedal down whichever leg you did first. Start with that again. So the back leg is on the ball of your foot.

Heel is lifted high. The front leg is gonna come all the way to the back of the chair again. This time we're gonna keep the I Dream of Jeannie arms the whole time. Bring your weight forward over this front leg, push down in that heel and then float the pedal up as much as you can. And then push it back down with control.

So that back heel is staying high the whole time. You're really pulling up in the whole back of that leg. Lift and lower. Trying to go straight up like you're on an elevator. And lower.

Two more. Pushing down in that front heel. Last one. Control it all the way down, and then we'll switch sides. So that back heels lifted up, both legs are parallel.

Bring your weight forward just slightly so you're over that front leg and then push down in that heel to lift you up and lower. So if you are struggling in this you can make it heavier, it will help. And then as you get stronger you can lighten the springs. And lower. You want it heavy enough to support you but not so heavy that it feels like you're flying up.

We have two more. And lower. Last one. Lower all the way down. We're gonna take the foot down to the floor, control the pedal up and then we're gonna go into one last exercise.

So I'm gonna take off my spring at three. So I'm left with just one spring at two and I'm gonna go into a forward fold. So I'm standing right next to the chair as close as I can be. I don't want the pedal to hit my leg when I do push it down. So you want a little bit of space.

Arms out to a T. You're just gonna roll down the hand closest to the pedal, so you're gonna come to it and you're just gonna try to stay even on both feet as you push the pedal down and then back up. The free arm is gonna stay out to the side and lift. So I'm trying not to twist as I'm doing this little roll down. Press the hand on the pedal.

That arm is straight. Two more. Hold this last one down. Keep the pedal onto the floor as close as you can. I'm just gonna open up your chest.

Twist. You can look up toward that free arm as you reach it up toward the ceiling. Try to keep both hips as square as you can. Don't let them go with you. And then you're gonna untwist, bring that arm back out to the side and then roll up.

Take your hand off the pedal and then we'll go to the other side. So again, I'm standing fairly close to the chair, arms out to a T. I'm gonna roll down. One hand's gonna reach the pedal and then push it down. The other arm stays out to the side.

So again, I'm trying to keep my weight even in both feet trying not to twist or lean. And lift and push down. And then I have my eyes on my leg so I'm not looking down towards the floor. Two more. That way I keep my neck in line with the rest of my spine.

Push down and hold. Keep the pedal down or as close to the floor as you can get it. You're gonna open up your chest, twist toward the ceiling and you can follow your top hand. Just breathe into that stretch and then come back to center, untwist and then roll up. And then roll your spine up.

Arms push down. Good. We finished the whole class. I hope you'd enjoyed it. And I look forward to seeing you again next time.