Functional Reformer with Tom

Hi, everybody. I'm Tom McCook. It's a great pleasure to read back here at at platys anytime. This class today is a reformer class where we're gonna function up we're gonna focus on a little more function around the hips and the shoulders and nice full body training where you'll get a get work where the muscles that tend to get weak and inhibited from modern lifestyle of sitting a lot, and we'll flow through in a little more upper shoulders and back work also. So you're gonna start nailing on the carriage with your foot bar and middle bar second second notch from the top with 1 red spring. So in this position, we're gonna put one foot on the floor down where the springs are and have your other foot against the shoulder blocks.

With your hands on the foot bar, just tip your torso a little bit forward so you can straighten the back leg without having to arch your back. Let that back leg lengthen. Set your shoulders. Now lengthen the front leg. We're just gonna go into a slow split.

So to warm up the legs and hips. So push out slow. As you bend the front knee, keep reaching into the back leg, come forward up and in. And picture you're taking your pelvis through a circle. And put most of the work into your legs.

Just let your arms be there for a little balance support, but not taking the weight of your body. And just a couple more. With your front foot. Keep your foot points planted. That means the ball behind your big toe, the ball behind your little Tom, and your heel, like a triangle.

And one more. Now from there, we're gonna go into loading the glute on the standing leg. So bend the front knee about an eighth of the way. Now let your pelvis move diagonally forward over that front leg without bending the leg more. Let the shin go forward. Keeping the foot flat.

So now I'm starting to load my hip. Now hinge from the hip and just use the hands for balance. Try not to take weight into your arms. Now you've loaded your hip, press into the ground, and use those muscles to bring yourself back up. That's eccentric.

The muscles are lengthening and decelerating you. And we're gonna do a few more. We'll bend. We'll go forward. We'll hinge. Keep reaching into that back leg. Now if you wanna add a balance challenge to it, you can either keep your fingers on almost no weight or or bring your arms back like airplane wings and hinge again and then hinge back up and shift back.

We'll just do two more before we add hinge. Hinge back up. Shift. One more. Now we're gonna add a rotation that's gonna load your hip more. So my hands are back on the bar.

Go forward. Now hinge. Now just from the torso Tom to reach towards the outside of the standing leg Tom load the hip more and then come back up. We'll do that 2 more times. Go forward hinge, rotate, and reach. And come back up one more and come up. So now you know you have a butt.

It will take side too. So I'm gonna switch the springs to the other side so it's out of my way. You put the second leg on the floor down where the springs are. Tip the torso a little bit forward and lengthen the back leg. Now lengthen the front leg.

Now reach into both legs with control. Bend the front knee as you keep reaching into that back leg and feel you getting your back of your legs in the front of the back hip to mobilize and open. Keep the front foot planted all the way through. Since your body line from your back leg to your head, arms are just for balance, not for taking weight, 2 more. And one.

Now from the tall position, bend the front knee about an eighth of the way. Now let the pelvis and the front shin move forward to load your hip. Now load it more by hinging from the hip joint, flat back, hinge back up, and shift back slightly. Go forward, load, press into the ground to hinge back up. Forward hinge.

Come back up with control and shift. Now, if you want to take it further, either fingertips or arms back, since your alignment hinge hinge back up and shift back forward hinge hinge back up and one more. Now hands lightly on the bar go forward again. We'll add the rotation hinge rotate towards the front left side and reach and come back up. Forward hinge. Keep reaching into that back leg and bring it right back up. One more.

And, very nice. And then help yourself off of there. And we're gonna go into side leg work. So I recommend 2 reds in a blue. You need to make it lighter, that's totally fine too. If you wanna go to 2 reds or 2 reds in a yellow, that's completely fine.

So I recommend you put your headrest up for this. You could also use a pillow. When you come on to your side, extend your bottom leg under the bar. And for me, or depending on your leg length, you're gonna have to take your foot forward on the bar so your hips can be in the middle of the mat in line with your torso and head. So I'm gonna have my heel on the bar.

Now traction that top hip away. So both sides of the waist feel equally long, and then touch the bottom of your butt on that top side. Imagine you're gonna extend initiate from the bottom of your button ham, top of your hamstring, to extend the leg and every rep initiate through the back of the leg and finish with the front of your leg. So you feel the whole leg. So you get the full effect of turning on the hips and leg muscles in an organized way.

And we'll just do four more. Fully extend. Bend with control. And 2 more. And 1. Now, as you come in with that top leg going to turn out, and come on to the ball of the foot, keep the pelvis level intact.

Now you're gonna wrap. Now when you're bending, the thigh is wrapped out, but when you're straight and it doesn't continually wrap out, it actually turns in, but the knee will stay lined up over the foot. So extend out. Now as you're bending, picture an image, the thigh is rotating out. That's the mechanics of the leg while it's bending.

Connect into your 1st and 5th metatarsal heads on that front foot, on that up foot. Fully extend as best you can. And 3 more. And 1 Now next time, push out halfway and hold it. With the bottom leg, turn on the underside of that bottom leg, your inner inseam, the leg is turned out and touch the bar and lift with that bottom leg, keeping the top leg active.

We're gonna do it for 10 reps. That's 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and lower. And we're gonna go right on to side 2. Again, with that bottom leg straighten it. Take your top foot forward on the bar so you don't have to stick your butt out to the back too much or you're in line. Touch the bottom of your glute on that top leg and initiate the extension from that glute ham and then fully extend the leg every rep.

Hips stay stacked. Think of reaching through the sit bone as you extend the leg. Bottom leg is toned. And 3 more, and 1 As you come all the way in, go into turn out, put the foot on the bar, ball the foot, hip stack now fully extend out. Now as you're bending, the thigh is turning out without the hip hiking. Feel that rotation on the in.

And 2 more. Next time, push out halfway and hold it. Static hold. Now that bottom leg and turn out, touch the bar and lift. 10 reps. 5 more. 4321.

As you come in, come back onto your back. Now on your back, put your headrest down if it's currently up. And we're gonna go into a few bridges. So with your heels on the bar, arms long, just take a moment to take a few breaths just to arrive in this position. Let the front ribs melt a little bit.

Shoulders back and down. Now initiating from the bottom of the spine from the tail and pelvis, on the exhale, curl into an articulated bridge. At the top of the bridge, take a breath, and then sequence back down. And just two more. Breath at the top and lengthen back down.

And one more. Breath at the Tom. Length and back down. From there, we're gonna go into roll through. So come down onto the balls of your feet.

And I recommend you have the bone behind your little toe on the bar and the ball behind your big toe instead of just the toes. Now lengthen the legs, rise up to high heels, bend and come in. Lower the heels and press long. Roll up. Ben and come in. 2 more in that direction.

Press out. Lower the heels and come in. Roll up. Press out. Lower the heels and come in. One more. Now press out and hold and go right into running.

And inside of running, press the shin forward on the bending leg. On the dropping side, take the sit bone at the bottom of the butt more in towards the midline. So this gives you a little more tone through the legs and the hips while you work through the feet. And then on the next one, just lower one heel and hold for a few breaths. Just breathe through it.

Relax your neck, your jaw. Go right into side 2. And then Ben and come in and help yourself up for a spring change. And we're gonna go into some arm work. So let's go down to either a red and a blue or 2 reds.

And what I like to do with my head rests up a notch, you can do that or keep it down. Whatever's better for your position. And then take the straps in your hands when you're ready. So with the straps in the hands, start with your heels on the bar and just pull the arms down slightly so the arms are directly above your shoulders. Widen and lower the shoulder blades on the mat just below your breastbone at the top of the abdomen.

See if you can imprint that top back part of your waistline towards the mat. So you just got a little more connection of your bottom of your shoulder blades to your abdomen and float up one leg at a time. Heels together knees slightly open. Now just pull the arms to the mat. So and then back up to the start and see if you can maintain that connection all the way through the arm movement.

One more. Now to get to the bottom, slowly open out to a tee and back to the hips. Stay aware of the underside of your shoulders. The abdominal connection. And you're breathing.

At the bottom, come up the middle into a circle. 2 more in that direction. And reverse. That's 2. Last one. Now we're gonna go right into 100 preps.

So take the arm straight up to the ceiling, legs stay in turnout, inhale to repair, and initiating from the head wheel, roll the head forward in print right below the breast fund and reach into a 45. Slowly return. 4 more. Ex sale up. Inhale back to the start, and 3, and 2, and 1. Now as you come in, bend your elbows halfway for coordination, legs together now, shoulders down, elbows in close, arms bent at a 45 or a 90, wrists are straight, inhale to repair, Excel curl up, extend your arms and legs.

Open close the legs. Bend the knees as you bend the arms. Lift the tail a little bit. Reach through the elbows. And, again, exhale out.

Open close, bend, bend, 3 more. Nice and strong, connected, 2 more. And one. And down. Place the straps on the poles. Help yourself up.

And grab your long box. Now we grab the long box. We're gonna do reverse abdominals. So for this one, I recommend that you take your straps and put them on the floor. So they're out of your way.

And then put the box across the back of your reformer. Put your head rest all the way up. It'll give you a little more space, and you wanna have about a foot distance between the end of the head rest in the beginning of the box. So you'll have room for the carriage to move. And then go down to one blue.

If you need to make it lighter, go down to a yellow. Now for this one, your knees will be against the shoulder blocks. And then put your forearms on the box with your palms up. Now you can see I'm a little bit forward with my body. I want my hip, my pelvis a little forward of my shoulders or a little forward of my hips.

Now with your shoulders, set your shoulders low and wide, and then round your lower back, curl your tail towards the box, and lift your waistline. Now keep reaching down into your elbows as you drag the knees forward. Control the return. Feel that connection from under your arms all the way down to the bottom of your pelvis. Next time forward, hold it.

Reach into your elbows, reach one elbow forward back to the box and release, and again, pull reach the second arm forward. 2 more each side. 1 more. Each side. That's working. Now we're gonna go into flat back.

So for flat back, I'm just gonna slide the box just a little closer. And now from here, without rounding your back, set your shoulders and reach one leg straight back to hip height and flex the foot and reach through the heel. Now drag the down knee forward. 6 reps. One more. 2nd side, set your body line.

Reach and pull. 1 more. And down. Now the finish is reverse elephant. So reverse elephant, when you stand up, put the balls of your feet on the headrest, put your hands on the box right onto your shoulders and round your lower back and look up towards your legs.

Now exhales, you press into your arms from the belly wall, drag the legs forward. 6 reps. 1 more. And there we have it. Now from there, we're gonna take the long box and put it on the mat in the traditional long box position. And then put your foot bar down for the first exercise.

So it's out of your way. And for this movement, I recommend put on put on Let's see. We will go after. Put on a red and a yellow. So we'll be ready for the second exercise, but this is for the back of your shoulders.

So when you come on to your belly, I'm gonna put the straps back on the poles too just so they're there. Looks better. So when you come on to your belly facing the bar, this one doesn't require any, and the cart's not gonna move. This is just for your shoulders and your upper spine. So I'm putting on 3 springs so the carriage stays relatively still.

So first thing, just get a sense of reaching back through your legs and right below your breast bone, just feel lift, little lift in your abdomen and take the shoulders back. And then bring your arms out to the side at right angles where they're rotated internally. Now in the exhales, you feel the belly well lift, spin your hands forward. Rotate back down. Do that five more times. Feel how you're using the back of your shoulders, your core, your leg strength.

And 3 more. And one. Now bend the the arms. So the elbows are in tight to the box and set the shoulders low. For breaststroke arms.

So exhales, you slide the shoulders down, reach overhead. Sweep out to the side. And when they get back by your sides, slide the heart forward and up. Back to the start, exhale reach. Open. Extend.

3 more times. Excel reach. Open. Extend. And 2 more. And 1.

And down. Very nice. Now, put your bar in low bar, which is the bottom setting for prone press and swan. And go down to a red and a yellow. If that feels too heavy, just go with a red. Now first thing, just get a sense of when you press your arms long, that you're keeping a long toned body. Your legs are toned.

Do you feeling that upward rotation of your shoulder blades? Keeping the neck long. Just three more. And 1. Now go down just to one red.

Take off the yellow. Press long. Now let the shoulder blades start to slide more down your back as you slide into extension, then lead with the spine back down. And bend nice and smooth. Reach. Let the head lift start to extend.

Lead with the spine on the down. 4 more. Nice and smooth. 3. And 2 and 1.

Now as you get to the bottom, take the arms out to the side. Now take your palms and rotate them forward. Now just let your shoulder blades pull. Actually, first let them open away from the spine and lower the arms a little below the box. Now keep the blades relatively open and using the back of your shoulders, lift the arms up to the height of your body.

Now pull the shoulder blades more in towards the spine to lift the arms higher. Open and lower. 3 more times. Lift. Now pull the shoulder blades in more without arching your back. Open.

Keep the chest open as the arms lower. Just two more. Lift, retract. Open, lower 1 more. Lift, retract, open, and lower. And there we go. Now from there, We're gonna go into kneeling rotations.

So we'll take the box off. And for kneeling rotation, I recommend you use one blue. And we'll kneel sideways to the carriage and take the strap in your hand that's closest to the shoulder block and bring your free hand to your hip. Now we're gonna go half hug a tree. So pull from the underside, pull it to the middle of your body. Now from your waistline up, turn towards the foot bar, and then slowly return.

Pull from that underside core connection. Turn from the rib cage. And spine. Nice and fluid. Pull and turn. And 2 more.

Pull first. Rotate with control. One more, you guys. Pull and turn. And we'll switch.

We'll go to side 2. Put the strap on the pole. Once again, take hold. Now align your posture and tall kneeling. Shoulders wide on the back.

Pull to the middle. Turn from the rib cage up. Control the return. Pull. Add that rotation.

See if you can hold on to that connection from the underside of your shoulder blade into your waistline. And 2 more. Pull and turn. And one more. Pull and turn. Good work. There we go. Now from there, as we step off, we're gonna go into side sit up.

So let's grab your long box and put it in the short box position. Then put your headrest down. Now for me, because of my leg length, I'm gonna put the gear out in 3rd gear. Right now it's in 2nd gear. But I'm just moving it out a little bit just to give my legs a little more room and then put the footbar down so it's out of the way.

I'll take the strap. Put on 3 springs. The carriage doesn't bounce around. Now with the foot under the strap, it's closest to the foot bar. Put your hand on the headrest and bend your bottom leg.

Now have that leg in a straight line from your hip to your shoulder to your ear and put your top hand on your low ribs and pull them away from the floor. So it feels like both sides are the same length, and you'll use your bottom arm for support as much as you need it. Now bring the top hand behind your head. Just lightly press your head back to get a little longer through your body. And as you breathe in, slowly bend that bottom arm to side bend. Now come back up to straight using both sides of the waist. So little by little, you can put less less load into that bottom arm.

One more. Now as you come up, hold cross the arms, now lean and lift 2 more and 1. This time come all the way up and we'll go in just a few of the full Mermaid Now for the full mermaid, you'll start with your foot a little more in front of you so you can drop your hip, and it's okay if the leg is bent in the starting position. So reach out. Now as you go out, let that leg go into parallel. Go out into your side plank.

Now from the torso up, rotate down, back to side, rotate open, back to side. Now reach across the midline and slowly side bend. Lengthen up to straight. Now come up and over towards the foot bar and stretch. And we just gonna do one more. Side plank first.

Side rotation down. Center. Rotate open. Center. Reach across the midline. Straight. Up and over towards the foot bar.

And we'll go into side 2. So put the foot under the strap again on the second side. Start with that that extended leg straight in parallel and put your bottom hand on the headrest. Now take your top hand and put it on your low ribs and pull away from the floor. So you're trying to make both sides of the body equally long.

Top hand behind your head lightly press back. As you breathe in, just bend that Tom elbow control the side bend back up to straight. Take your time. Just feel where you are in space. One more. Either continue with that across the arms across the chest and lean and lift 2 more.

This last one come up Place your hands down. Now we'll go into the full one. Extend that leg under the bar under the strap and go into turn out so you can drop your hip. You can start with a bent leg or straight. Now reach.

As you go into it, let that leg straighten and go into parallel. Rotate down. Center. Rotate open. Center reach across the midline and side bend. Back up to straight.

Now up and over towards the foot bars, you let that leg turn out and one more into your side plank. Spiral down. Center, spiral open, center reach across and over, up and over, and stretch. And there we go. And now from there, we'll take the box off, and we're gonna go into standing leg press.

So for standing leg press, I recommend you put your bar in middle bar, second hole from the Tom. And I recommend going with at least 2 2 red springs or or at least a red in the blue. This is for strength for your hips. These are big muscles, and it's a very strong position. You could even go to 3 springs once you get a feel for it. So I'm gonna go with 2 reds and a yellow for me.

And, get the feeling that you're, you're driving from your hip more than your quad, the front of your thigh. With your I'm gonna put my gear back in second gear because I'm I'm a little out too far right now. Now with the standing foot on the floor in line with the bar, take your free foot against the shoulder block and sit back into an imaginary chair. Without putting the knee on the carriage. Your front leg is bent.

Your knees in the air, your spine's relatively neutral. Your arms are straight. Now press into the standing leg to fully extend the back leg. Control the return every time. Just 3 more.

And one. Now make it lighter. Go to either a red and a yellow or a red and a blue because this one's gonna be done without any arm support. So this time with your standing foot turn their foot out like 10 and 2 o'clock and with the back foot turn it out slightly. Now just do a small leg bent on both, sit back in imaginary chair, and just touch your front low ribs and pull them away from the floor and bring your arms into hug a tree.

Now both legs have to work together. The up leg won't straighten or exhale the press. No change in your spine. Connect to your shoulder blades. Connect into your standing leg.

3 more. And 1. And we'll go to side 2. So as we go to side 2, go back to your heavy setting. Either two reds and an extra are just two reds.

Parallel legs, your front foot's up by the foot bar, back foot against the shoulder block. Now sit back into that imaginary chair and have the back knee in the air. Arms are straight. Feel your body line. Now on the exhale, as you push into the standing leg, drive with the back leg.

Slow on the return. 3 more. And 1. Now as you come in, shift it down to either red in the blue or red in the yellow. This will be with no hand support, standing foot slightly turned out, up leg slightly turned out.

And as you sit back, you'll be a little more vertical with your torso, which pull the front ribs back, widen and lower your shoulder blades like Hugger Tree, now press into both legs to move the carriage. 3 more and 1. Awesome. From there, we're gonna go into feet and the straps. So for feet and the straps, go to 2 outside reds.

Take off your blue. Come on to your back and put the straps on your feet when you're ready. I like to have this strap just a little bit in front of my heels. Which gives you the line of press, like, if you were standing in gravity of where energy flows through the legs. So from here, just press out to a 45 and turn out.

Just take a moment to organize your center, your pelvic position, rib cage just dropped, arms are long. And let's just do simple frog on the inhale bend the knees towards the armpits. Exhale the straight. Feel that connection of inner thighs, back of the legs, belly wall as you press. One more.

Now go into parallel and let the straight legs come up, keeping the pelvis heavy and pull down. Two more. Next Tom, pull down, open out into a circle. Just a little wider than your carriage. Go for an even pull through both sides.

One more in that direction. And reverse. One more. Now if your headrest is currently up, go ahead and put it down. We're gonna go into short spine.

Now nice and slow as you inhale it, let the legs go up to 90. As you exhale, let your tail, chase your feet with heavy arms, inhale the pla. Now roll through the spine with control. Drop your tail. Slide the legs long.

Hip hinge, hip curl. Plea, long heavy arms throughout. Just 3 more. 2 more, everybody. Legs come to 90, peel through, pli a, roll through, and reach, and one more.

At the bottom, bring the soles of your feet together, drop your tail, let the knees open, And just breathe down into your lower back, sides of your ribs. One more. Big breath. And nice and slow. Extend one leg out to the side, keeping the opposite hip weighted. Bend back to the center.

Go right into side 2. Now we're gonna go into a figure 4 stretch. So press out Now take your right foot, bend at the knee, and cross it over the left thigh and bend the left leg so you don't overload the knee joint. Now first, before you go any deeper, see if you can level your pelvis. And on the stretch side, the, the leg that doesn't have any load on it, flex your foot.

And now let the knee that's the leg that's loaded. Let the knee come in a little bit more so you can start to feel that stretch in your right hip. Now start to it's very small movements. Start to drop the tailbone and the sit bones just a little more towards the mat. It's very small, but you'll feel the stretch right away.

And then breathe into it. Now from there, press away with the loaded leg, maybe an inch or 2. Now push away with the stretch side into the thigh. So you activate the muscles that are being stretched. Now in the exhale, let the loaded knee come in further.

Inhale, push both legs away, activating. Excel. Let it come in further. But the coming in piece be a little longer than the activation phase. And one last time push away, both legs. Now a longer release in.

Keep dropping the tail. Push away. Take a moment to switch your legs. Bend the extended leg that has the load on it and just take a moment to square your pelvis, flex your foot on the stretch side, the non loading side, And now just let that loaded knee come in a little bit so you start to feel the stretch in the left hip. Tighter side for me.

So just take your time on the sides that might feel very different. Now start to push both legs away to load and activate the stretch side. And on the exhale phase, let it come in further Tom get that contract release action. And, again, press away, especially with the stretch side, and then let it come in. Just one more time.

Press away. Let it come in. Hold for a little longer. And then carefully press away. Bend the legs help the straps off your feet.

Put them on the poles. Roll with your side to come on up. And now from there, we're gonna do a few pushing movements for the upper body. Select it to grab your long box and put it in the short tall box position across your in front of the shoulder blocks. Now from there, we're just gonna go to 1 red spring, and this you're gonna start sitting on the box.

Now it's light. It's just one red, but because of the box is gonna give you more room It will feel okay. Now if you need to make it heavier, add a add a yellow, but the load's gonna be more in your core and less on your arms for this. So you'll have your heels halfway up on the shoulder blocks. And then shift forward into a knees off position, set your shoulders low. Now with control, just press to a plank.

Return to 4. One more. Now, next time is you press hold it. Now, as you start to retract your shoulder blades, do a push up, come in over the bar. Press away. Bend the knees back to the start.

Just three more. Losing my glasses, press, come in over the bar, press away, and then 2 more. And 1. Press away. Now Pike to plank four times. And 2 and 1.

Bend carefully step off. And there we go. That's a nice progression to work on upper body and full body strength. Take your box off. We just have a few more movements.

So we're gonna do chest expansion. So just keep it on one red and put the straps on your wrist. This way, it'll help you connect to your back a little more cleanly. Now with your straps on your wrist, come into tall kneeling, and just take the head of your armbone without pulling your shoulder blades back. Take the head of your armbone slightly back.

So you're already feeling the back of your shoulders then lengthen up through the crown of your head. Now drag back, feeling your side body, the back of your shoulders in mid back. Sensor body line. 2 more. Next Tom, pull back and hold it. Now turn your head to one side.

Center, second side, losing my glasses, and release. Now I'm gonna just fix. Now, again, drag back. Turn center turn. Center release just two more. They've toned body fluid neck.

And one and release straps on the poles. We're gonna go right into standing. So for standing, put your foot bar down. And go down to 1 red spring. You can always go heavy if you want to, but we'll do it with 1 red from here.

Put one foot on the non moving part of the platform, one foot on the edge of the moving side. Now as you go into your side splits, reach into both feet and reach the arms out, grow tall to come in. Sensor your body line. Reach into your four corners of your feet. And just two more.

And one. Now as you come in, touch the front of your hips, your ASIs, bend your knees a little bit, but stay vertical. Now just from where you're touching from your obliques, lift them up slightly. Use your waistline to lift ups, you feel the muscles get a little more toned. Now, keeping your hands on your hips from your hip muscles, press the legs apart, hips and obliques, and then come in holding that bend.

So you're pushing your legs apart. You're feeling that relationship between your hips and your waistline. Next time, press out and hold it. Keep the waistline. Hug a tree just from your rib cage up.

Turn Lyft, turn, lower center. Come in. Press turn the other way. Lift turn lower, center, and in one more each way. Press from the hip oblique connection.

Turn, lift, turn, lower, center, and in, and one more. Press turn, lift, turn, lower, center, and in. Now from there, as you bring your elbows in tight, do a forty five degree squat. Now press out evenly. Now straighten legs and the torso and come in. Go down into it.

Press out evenly. Straighten with the steel cart and then just two more. Down, out, up, and in, and one more. Up and in. Last one is a forward fold.

So press out. Reach the arms out Tom the straight to the side. Flat back handjarms to the back. Release the head and arms and roll up as you draw the carriage in. Just two more. Reach, flat back handjarms to the back. Release the head in arms.

Roll up through the spine and hips and one more. Release and roll it up. Carefully step off. We'll turn around for side 2. Step up onto the non non moving part of the platform first, right on the edge.

Now as you move into your side split, reach the arms to match the legs. Stay tall through the spine. Connect into your foot points and 2 more. Add 1. Now touch the front of your hips to a small leg bend, but stay vertical.

Now lift the front of the hips up so you feel your oblique muscles. And from your lateral hips and obliques, push the legs apart to move and come in. Feel how it's coming more from your hips and your waistline. Next Tom, I'll press out and hold. Bring your arms in a hug a tree.

Rotate towards the carriage from the rib cage. Lyft, turn towards the footbar, lower center in. Press turn towards the footbar. Lift. Turn lower center in one more each way.

Press. Turn away or towards the towards the carriage. Lift. Lower center in last time. Press turn lift. Turn lower center in.

From there, right into the Tom, the tilt forward on a 45 elbows enclosed, 45 degrees squat. Press out evenly through both. Keep the carriage still as you straighten the legs, straighten the body. Come in. And again, go down, out, up, and then 2 more. And one.

From there, into your side splits, reach the arms out to the side at shoulder height, flat back hinge, arms to the back, release the head and arms, and roll up through the spine. Just two more. Reach hinge arms to the back. Roll it up through the spine in a fluid manner. One more. Reach.

Hinge, release, roll it up. Step off carefully to the back. Put your bar in middle bar to finish with Mermaid. One red spring. Fold one leg back behind the shoulder block.

Now for the start, when you push away, when you reach away, think of instead of just side bending right away, think of taking your spine towards the up arm. So it gets more in your rib cage to open, and you can keep the shoulders away from the ears. Then lets that bring you into the side bend so you can keep both sides of the neck long. And then again, reach up towards that up arm with your spine over and back up. This next time we'll add Now just from the rib cage up, spiral down to the bar. Open up a little wider.

You just go slightly lower with your torso. Now bend and stretch for 3. After that third press, now slide the heart forward and up flex down from the top three times. And one. Bring your hand back to the midline.

Come back to the side bend. Lengthen up and do a counter stretch the other way. And we'll go to side 2. So as you reach into the bar, reach up on that diagonal, now take your spine up towards that arm when you side bend. And lengthen up. It doesn't look dramatic, but it feels very different to get that opening more in the rib cage and the space between your underarm to your waistline.

Next Tom, go into it again. Wrapped down to the bar, open up a little wider with your weight bearing arm, go a little lower, then bend and stretch for 3. After that third press now extends, slide the heart forward and up. Flex down from the top. 2 more.

And one. At the bottom, bring your hand back to the midline, come back to the side bend, lengthen up, and do a counter stretch the other way. And from there, come on up to standing. Take a moment in standing just to lift all ten toes with your feet right under your sit bones. As you lay them down, just soften your knees, let your breathing drop.

Ignourage yourself your good work today, you guys. Thanks for joining. Hope you enjoyed and hope to see you again on Pilates anytime. Be well, everybody.