Return to Life: Scissors
It’s a compound exercise that combines your Roll Over and then starts to prepare you for other challenging exercises in the series: Sidekick and Jackknife.
This exercise will strengthen your shoulders and abdominals whilst stretching your hamstrings and hip flexors.
What’s it good for?
Athletes
- Strengthen your shoulders and abdominals.
- Promotes spinal mobility.
- Stretches the hamstrings and hip flexors.
- And, in order to be in control over your legs (rather than them controlling you), you’ll develop strength in your hamstrings and hip flexors too!
Pilates Geeks
- It builds on your Roll Over and gets you ready for the transition to the Shoulder Bridge.
Difficulty: It’s a tough nut to crack!
Reps: 6
The “how to”
Perform your Roll Over: click here
Then, reach your legs up towards the ceiling. Bend your elbows, and with your fingers pointing towards the ceiling, use your hands to support your pelvis.
Bring your legs to vertical and open then out equidistant from that midline.
Sniffing Breath: pump your legs inwards with a short, sharp and vigorous pump twice over just like scissors.
Exhale: change the positions of your legs.
Hints and Tips
💡 Keep your body quiet, moving your legs only.
💡 Reach your feet and toes away from you. This will help you to lock your knees.
💡 Gradually, over time increase the “split” so that you can extend both legs outside of your range of vision.
💡 Practice consistently.
💡 Use a Step Barrel initially.
Extras: Precautions
☀️ … Master your Roll Over before trying this exercise
