10-Minute Reformer Stretch

Hello, Tracy Mallett here with Palaz anytime. We are going to do a very feel good workouts. It's about lengthening the body, moving the spine. And I know that I need it right now just as much as you guys, so I hope you enjoy Some of these exercises are put together. I think that will really open up your spine, get some spinal articulation, open up your hips, lengthen out those hamstrings.

Alrighty. So we're gonna start on the reformer. Let's start with 1 spring. Gonna put your feet against the shoulder rests here hinge forward and just place the hands on your platform here. So you're in that quadruped position. Just push out a little bit so your carriage is away from the stopper.

Now from here, I want you to push away curl and bring the carriage back. Reach out for the crown ahead, push away. Now initiating from your lower abs as you round through the spine and bring the cabbage back. So we're gonna go a little bit more fluid. You're resisting your platform as you bring the carriage back, and our goal is to move the spine initiating with the abs, the lower abs, And again, let's go a little bit faster.

In hell reach. Excel. 2 more inhale reach. XL. 1 more.

In outreach. XL. Hold it here. Just look out on the horizon. And then curl back up again, pressing away from the platform, and then coming back to an equal position here.

Now bring the legs together. We're gonna keep on that one red spring. I've got the outside red spring. So I've got lots of space to place my left foot down into the well and place the right foot against the shoulder rest here. Now I'm gonna place the knee down Hands are forward.

So you can already feel yourself in that sore stretch. Your hip flex the stretch. Now press the shoulder blades down. Draw up through those abs and bring the knee forward. So we bring in the carriage forwards, and then we're gonna push away.

Bring the carriage forwards and push your way. So you got that sliding effect. As the knee comes forward, you're gonna feel the stretch through the sower. Got that. So it's that sliding motion. Now we're gonna press back, reach the hands up, and then circle the hands back.

Go back in the same direction, and then down. So you're just circling the arms up to the sky, and then bat down again. And again, push away. Always remember to try and squeeze the glutes a little bit more so you're in that true hip extension to really stretch out your solas and your quad. One more.

Feels really good. Up we go. Hands forwards. And push away, toes come up, heels, look down towards the floor, and then bring it back switch legs, place the other leg down, and just swing. It's kinda like a little swingy motion backwards and forwards. Just to ease into that stretch outside into that hip flexor arms are straight. Now squeeze your glutes a little bit more to press that pubic bone towards the bar.

Now when we're ready, we're gonna do a couple more holdy here, reach the hands up, circle, and then just circle back. Just pushing the carriage away. Gentle stretch. All we want is just a little gentle stretch. Couple more. Keep pulling in those apps.

Let's do one more. Reach take the hands forward, elongate that front leg toes come up. Get that hamstring stretch, and then we bring it back down. Now from here, with step up, press your heels down into that up stretch, but some up stretch here. So you got that nice stretch.

Through the back of your body here. Now from here, you're gonna go up onto your toes, push the carriage away a little bit, take your left leg, forwards onto the railings here and push back. Now open up your body hand behind your head and just open. Doesn't that feel great? That lovely stretch. Now bring the carriage in, watch your foot, and then spiral and open out.

So you're looking down to the carriage, and then you open. Now let's see if we can open up a little bit more look, look, look, look, to the sky and back in. And we're just tapping the heel with the carriage. Now one more reach, and let's just reach it overhead. Drop the hand down, push back into that stretch.

From here, bring that front leg back into up stretch material. There we go. Up stretch. Exercise here. Hold it here. Now let's go with the other leg now. So we're gonna take the opposite leg through.

Alright. And let's just push back. Now let's see if we can spiral the chest around the side with a hand behind your head. Now bring the carriage in, as you look down, spiral the torso and your heart center is reaching out towards the ceiling. You're pushing away with that backhand and trying spiral around. Close the carriage.

Open the carriage. There we go. Draw in those apps in. And then really rotating, get that nice stretch. Let's just do one more. We hold it here, and let's see if we can increase that stretch, maybe reach over your head, press into that split a little bit more.

And then place the hand down on the bar and further your split wherever you feel comfortable in that stretch. From here, bring that leg back up into your up stretch, exercise, and pull back in that stretch. Bends your knees down on the carriage here. Now I'm gonna take it to 2 reds or 2 springs. Lie down.

You can take your head rest up. I'm gonna put my head rest up. Let's come down into the straps here. So you're gonna place your feet into the straps. I got the long straps here.

There we go. Now we're just gonna go up and around some circles, put the hands on the hips. Now I'm Big circles. Sometimes you do smaller circles for control and stability, now I'm looking for big circles because I want you to stretch out those hips. And let's reverse it.

We open up your hips. Breathe. Keep the hands on the hips and just really open those legs. Just a couple more. One more. And then from here, hold on to your ropes.

Internally rotate it, take that foot down, the other leg comes straight up. So I'm kinda like one leg is in a hamstring stretch, one leg is internally rotated, So you're opening that up. Don't be scared of internal rotation. It is natural. It's what we do every day. Our hips need to move internally as well as externally, as well as parallel.

They need to move in every different direction. For a healthy strong hip. Now be careful. Hold on to the strap and lift up so your feet are flexed Alright. We're gonna go to the other side. So one leg comes up.

One leg internally rotates, and we drop down. It's one of my favorite stretches. And I do this a lot every day just to stretch out my hips and my hamstrings. I got a few minutes. I'm in my studio, and I'm here doing some stretching to keep as much of my flexibility as I can.

And keep my hips mobile and out of pain. Now from here, we bring that leg straight back up again. Now just pull, and we're just gonna hold onto the straps, and there's your stretch here. Just hold it there. See if you can hold onto the straps, feel a little length in the hamstrings here.

Hold it there. And then just take the straps away. Beautiful. Put your straps back down again. And we're gonna roll to the side, plan to your outside foot against your reformer, and the knee is gonna against your shoulder rest. So in that kneeling position, I'm gonna pull back I'm just gonna stay with the springs right now. Not gonna have to change them because we're just pushing back just a little bit.

Now depending on your flexibility, I'm gonna try externally rotate my shoulder here so I'm getting that stretch through the front of my body and I'm gonna try and pull and press down. There's an incredible stretch for your Hit flexer and your quads, which are, I can promise you, all of us have got tight quads. Which obviously can cause knee problems, so we need to stretch out those quarts. And now I'm opening up through my chest I can feel that stretch through that front of my collarbone. Now bring the carriage in Step out to the side. Now I am going to take one of those springs off here.

So on one red, We're gonna push out, reach the hands forward, if we can, be mindful of where your hands are in the carriage, and then just pull in. And out and pull in. You can put your hand on the carriage too if you want. That just helps a little bit. There we go in and out.

Let's just do one more gentle ease into that movement and then stretch. There's your stretch. Reach out for the crown of the head. Send your tailbone back and your sit bones back. And press into it.

There's your adductor, your inner thigh, and your hamstrings. And then pull back. Quickly switch to the other side. Alright. Plant the outside foot near your reformer.

Get your knee back. There we go. Against the shoulder rest. Pull back. Outside hand, externally rotates, and we're in that lovely stretch. There we go. Draw the abdominals in those lower abs as much as you can and see if you can pull your foot towards your butt.

There's that stretch. Oh, pretty intense. I know. And we're gonna hold it there. For 5, for 4, 3, 2, and 1.

Bring it in just a little bit further, feel that stretch, turn around, bring that carriage in, push out, bring your hands forward. We've got one hand here, and then we can just bring it in and out. Just a little gentle stretch here. Just opening up through the hips, reach out to the crown of the head, and then in opposition, you're sending your tailbone back. So you got that long length in the spine, that long extension holder here, push out. Now push away so you're initiating from your shoulder girdle as you press down.

I'm reaching out to the crown of the head, right? And then sit back into your heel of your stabilizing leg. Feel the sit bones, spread, and reach out in our position you're reaching forward. This is an incredible stretch. Amazing.

Bring it back. One last stretch to finish off, of course. Wouldn't be Pilates without the Mermaid. So knees in your z position, reach away, rotate, bring the carriage in, bring the carriage back. Bring the carriage in. Oh, I feel so good.

Bring the carriage back. Rotate around. Lift off into that stretch. Put your hand behind your head. Rotate. Rotate. Rotate. Look to your back elbow.

And then back to center quickly to the other side, and we push your way into that mermaid. We rotate around bring the carriage in. Remember, flexibility is a component of fitness. It's self care, And as we age, we realize we need to do it even more. Push away everyone rotates and take hold of your shoulder rest.

Reach over in that pretty mermaid. Hand behind your head. A little bit more rotation, look to that back elbow. And then back to center. Release the legs forward.

We're gonna sit up, stand up, reach up to the sky. How amazing do we feel? Release. Let's roll down. To toes.

And roll all the way up. And release. Thank you for taking the time for yourself. And a little self love goes a long way. And, hope you enjoyed it.

Look forward to seeing you back here again. Have an amazing day. Goodbye.