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Day TWENTY-NINE of March Matness!

Day TWENTY-NINE of March MATNESS!
Let’s do some ROCKING!
*The Exercise:
You have just finished the Seal and the Crab (so many aquatic animals, am I right?!) so it’s time for some well-deserved EXTENSION to counter all that flexion! Flip prone onto your stomach, bend your heels to your booty, reach back and hold onto the outsides of your ankles with your hands. Reach your tailbone LONG to keep your lower back protected as you shine your heart forward. Hug your knees/thigh bones midline throughout! Pull your feet towards your bum 3x (like Double Leg Kicks but using your arms/back) to engage upper back and open the front of your legs. PRESS your feet/ankles into your hands to LIFT your legs and chest simultaneously pulling you into a wheel shape. Use your hamstrings to tip forward onto your chest, then press legs actively away from your seat to rock back onto tops of thighs. Continue “rocking” to and fro!
*Reps:
3-5x
*Modifications:
You could just do the 3 leg pulls to your booty and then lift up to get the thigh/chest/shoulder stretch, sans the rocking. Substitute- Single Leg Kicks, Double Leg Kicks or Shoulder Bridge.
*Amanda's Tips:
Much like the Crab, at this point in the workout, you are warm and ready, so as long as you don’t have medical reasons to avoid this (like you are PREGGERS!!!) then just give it a shot and have fun with it!
Hug your knees/thigh bones midline throughout… don’t allow your legs to splay!
BREATHE your way into a rock, and use your hamstrings, don’t throw yourself using your head! I like to inhale to rock chest UP, exhale to rock thighs up.
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Day THIRTY of March MATNESS!

Holy $H!T people we are so close to the end I could cry!!!
Time for CONTROL BALANCE.
*The Exercise:
Lying on your back, roll legs/hips up and overhead (one final time in the series) lifting your powerhouse over your shoulders. Reach toes to floor behind you and circle arms around to reach R ankle with both hands. Extend your L leg to the sky as you continue reaching your R sits bone UP towards the L inner heel (just like your Tree on the Short Box!). “Scissor” legs in the air to switch. Repeat.
**Transition OUT of Control Balance by lowering both feet back to the mat behind your head, and sweeping both arms long on the mat. Roll your spine long into the mat pulling your feet towards your seat, planting them beneath you and standing up!
*Reps: 2-3 sets *Modifications: Can do exercise replacing the leg to the ground before reaching the other one up, so just without the “scissor” action in the air. If no overhead exercises, sub out- Single Straight Leg Stretch, Open Leg Rocker or Boomerang.
*Amanda's Tips:
The ticket here is to LIIIIIFT everything UP and OUT of your neck/shoulders!
Reach your pelvis away from your ribs.
STRETCH your spine LONG!
Keep chin away from chest.
Maintain the “box” of your body, hips and shoulders stay squared off.
Work with legs connected to the seat and keep powerhouse fully engaged without fail!
Day THIRTY-ONE of March MATNESS!

We did it. We are HERE. We end with FRONT SUPPORT/PUSH UPS.
*The Exercise:
Remember your brilliant transition out of Control Balance…? Perfect!
So you rock up to stand and turn to face the length of your mat. Stand tall and strong in a Pilates stance, heels together reaching into the floor, toes slightly apart, legs zipped up the mid-line. Your chest is proud, shoulders on your back, your neck is long. Your abs are lifted IN, BACK and UP. Raise arms up and round body over, like a jackknife diver diving into a tiny pool of water, or like you are doing a Roll Up on the mat. Don’t allow your hips to shoot back past your heels. Walk your hands out in no more than 4 counts without wiggling side to side. Find a Front Support or plank position, shoulders over hands, heels over toes. Holding your plank, bend elbows towards ribs, lowering your chest and spine towards the mat as one unit. Perform 3-5 of these Pilates/tricep push ups before walking hands back into your feet in no more than 4 steps. Let go of the mat right away to ensure you are IN your powerhouse and not hanging back into your heels. Round through your spine to return to vertical and start again.
*Reps:
3 sets of 3-5 Push Ups each time
*Modifications:
Feel free to hold the Front Support and omit the Push Ups. You may also lower to your shins for the Push Ups.
To advance this, perform in releve (heels together and high off the mat).
You may also keep one leg in the air for one entire round of diving down, walking out, push ups, walking in and rounding back up! Repeat 2nd side.
If that’s not enough, do the single leg variation on releve!!!
*Amanda's Tips:
Please people. These are PILATES PUSH UPS… that means they are TRICEP push ups, NOT chest presses. Your elbows should be grazing your ribs with each dip.
Also, please refrain from “pecking corn in the hen yard” whilst doing your push ups. Keep your heads attached to your spines, not dangling or bobbing.
Additionally, it is preferable that you not stick your bum up in the air. Finish that long line of your spine.
This is your moment to feel the culmination of all of the work you have just done on the mat, giving INto gravity… now you are UP, on your feet, defying gravity and taking all of that strength, balance fresh air and goodness with you through the rest of your day! This part is reverent. It’s important that you finish strong and with control.
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