We love seeing you in the studio, but for those days you just need a quick at-home workout, this yoga block rollback challenge is just what the doctor (or instructor) ordered!
Find length and strength in your curl with this fun variation on a classic Pilates exercise (or two)!
What you'll need:
Two yoga blocks or lightweight books
A mat to sit on
Your body
Repeat each movement three to five times.
As always, take care of your body. If something doesn’t feel good, modify or skip the exercise.
Remember to breathe! Choose when to inhale and exhale, never hold your breath. Play with different breathing patterns. Find the one that works best for you.
Rollback:
Sit on the mat, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, spine tall. Place one yoga block between your knees and the other ON TOP OF YOUR HEAD! Put your hands behind your knees, elbows bent. Imagine you are lifting the yoga block up to the ceiling.
Scoop your belly and roll your upper body back until your arms are straight, still holding on to the back of your legs. Don’t let the yoga block fall off the top of your head!
Roll back up to the starting position, bending elbows as you go.
Extra credit: take a mini back extension here without losing the block!
Add on: Arms Reaching, One At A Time
Roll back until your arms are straight. Keep your upper body still as you reach your right arm forward as if you want to touch the wall in front of you. Reach your left arm forward and hold for a count of 3 with both arms reaching. BREATHE. Place both hands behind your legs and roll up.
Add on: Ams Reaching, Together
Reach both arms forward. Roll back and up without holding on to the backs of your legs.
Did your yoga block fall off the top of your head?? It’s ok, put it back and try again!
Add on: Lift Feet Off Mat
Roll back, arms reaching forward. Hold this position as you slide your feet along the mat toward your body, and, keeping your knees bent, pick your feet up off the mat into a tabletop position. Hold for a count of 3.
Extra credit: Do the full Teaser: straighten your legs after lifting your feet off the mat! (Bend knees and return feet to mat as you roll up.)
Add on: Twist
Roll back, arms reaching forward, and lift feet off mat. Twist! Reach right arm forward and left arm back as you twist to the left. Come back to center and twist to the right, reaching left arm forward. Come to center and roll up.
(Modify: Put right hand behind right knee as you twist left, and vice versa)
Extra, Extra Credit: Hundred
Reach arms forward and roll back. Lift feet off the mat. Keep rolling back until the tips of your shoulder blades touch the mat, head neck and shoulders lifted into your upper body curl. (And yes, the yoga block is still on the top of your head!) Pump your arms 5 times as you inhale and 5 times as you exhale as if you are bouncing tiny basketballs next to your hips. Grab your yoga block and rest your head on the mat.
Well, friends, we hope you enjoyed this challenge! Whether you did the Extra Credit or not, you get a gold star for playing along.