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Return to Life: #11 Saw

 

 

Return to Life: Saw

– It’s a tough nut to crack if you’re a runner, a cyclist or work at a desk for long periods!

This exercise will stretch your hamstrings, glutes and lower back as well as mobilising your spine bringing your body back into balance, ready for more endurance sports.

What’s it good for?

  • Developing a mobile rib cage and spine.
  • Developing abdominal strength.
  • Stretching your back and hamstrings by arms reaching in opposite directions.
  • The saw exercise strengthens the muscles of the spine, and stretches the hamstrings and hips whilst strengthening deep abdominal muscles.
  • It can help improve your posture and promote a more stable body with controlled movement throughout.

 

 

 

The “how to”

Sit up with a tall straight back on your sit bones.
Extend your legs in front of you, feet about mat width apart. Point your feet upwards.
Stretch your arms out to the side in line with your shoulders, palms facing down.
Inhale and rotate to the right.
Exhale: Let your gaze follow your back hand into the turn, rotating your upper torso so that you are almost curling into yourself. 
Allow the stretch to take you forward as you reach the pinky finger of your front hand across the outside of the opposite foot to touch your little toe (if you can).
Reach a little farther. And again.
Inhale.
Exhale and undo your turn, coming back to the starting position.
Repeat this exercise 3 times on each side.

Hints and Tips

💡  Keep your pelvis steady as you move: don’t allow it to tip forwards with your spine nor side to side as you rotate.
💡  Imagine you are wringing the stale air out of your body as you twist.
💡  When reaching further, do it without bouncing in and out of the stretch.
💡  Reach your two arm in opposition: side to side at the start and down and up in the stretch phase. There’s no “rest” period.

 

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