Kiran Sawhney

Bridging

1. Lie down on the floor or mat next to the Bosu. Keep one foot on top of Bosu with knee bent. Raise up the other leg straight up in the air. Contract your naval in towards the spine. Push your lower back towards the floor. The hamstring (back of the thigh) of the straight leg is actively getting stretched.

Place both feet on top of Bosu and lift the pelvis up. Keep the naval contracted and squeeze the glutes. Keep the hands on the floor.

In this position, slowly pick up your one leg off from the Bosu. The pelvis still remains lifted up. You would feel more contraction in the hamstring of the leg which is on top of the Bosu.

Raise this leg straight up and hold. Repeat on the other side.

The same can be done with feet on inverted Bosu. This is an advanced variation and requires more core stabilization.

Bridging

1. Lie down on the floor or mat next to the Bosu. Keep one foot on top of Bosu with knee bent. Raise up the other leg straight up in the air. Contract your naval in towards the spine. Push your lower back towards the floor. The hamstring (back of the thigh) of the straight leg is actively getting stretched.

Place both feet on top of Bosu and lift the pelvis up. Keep the naval contracted and squeeze the glutes. Keep the hands on the floor.

In this position, slowly pick up your one leg off from the Bosu. The pelvis still remains lifted up. You would feel more contraction in the hamstring of the leg which is on top of the Bosu.

Raise this leg straight up and hold. Repeat on the other side.

The same can be done with feet on inverted Bosu. This is an advanced variation and requires more core stabilization.

1. DOUBLE LEG STRETCH

Lie on Bosu on the back with both knees bent and feet off the floor. Place the hands behind the head. Float the head off the Bosu.
Practice 3 sets of breath with hollowing. Feel the belly deflate with the hollow.
Lower leg demands more abdominal control. If you feel the back, bring the leg higher or return to beginner version. This is about the abdominals working!

To start:

Lie on back with both knees bent and feet off the floor. The hands are placed on each knee. Float the head off the Bosu.
Exhale, hollow and extend legs and arms towards opposite walls. *(If back is working, modify the range or go back to beginner version).
Inhale, and circle arms from overhead towards the extended legs.
Exhale, deepen the hollow, touch hands to bent knees and flex upper spine closer to the knees.
Repeat three more sets.

2. Criss Cross

Lie down on Bosu.
Inhale: Your upper body is in a full curve, your abs are pulling your bellybutton down to your spine, and your legs are in tabletop position.

Exhale: Reach your left leg out long, and as you keep the elbows wide, rotate your torso toward the bent right knee so that your left armpit is reaching toward the knee.

Inhale: Inhale as you switch legs and bring the trunk through center

Exhale: Extend the right leg. Rotate your upper body toward the left knee. Keep your chest open and elbows wide the whole time. Resist the urge to hold yourself up with your arms. Make this exercise about the abs.

Repetitions: Start with 6 and work your way up to 10.

Tip: You must keep a stable, neutral pelvis as you rotate the spine. No tucking, tilting, or rocking please!

To Modify Criss Cross:
The higher you work your legs, the easier the exercise will be on your lower back. Keep your legs high until you have enough abdominal strength to maintain a neutral pelvis throughout the exercise.

Try working just the upper body part of the exercise. You can leave your feet flat on the floor, with the knees bent and the legs parallel.

1. DOUBLE LEG STRETCH

Lie on Bosu on the back with both knees bent and feet off the floor. Place the hands behind the head. Float the head off the Bosu.
Practice 3 sets of breath with hollowing. Feel the belly deflate with the hollow.
Lower leg demands more abdominal control. If you feel the back, bring the leg higher or return to beginner version. This is about the abdominals working!

To start:

Lie on back with both knees bent and feet off the floor. The hands are placed on each knee. Float the head off the Bosu.
Exhale, hollow and extend legs and arms towards opposite walls. *(If back is working, modify the range or go back to beginner version).
Inhale, and circle arms from overhead towards the extended legs.
Exhale, deepen the hollow, touch hands to bent knees and flex upper spine closer to the knees.
Repeat three more sets.

2. Criss Cross

Lie down on Bosu.
Inhale: Your upper body is in a full curve, your abs are pulling your bellybutton down to your spine, and your legs are in tabletop position.

Exhale: Reach your left leg out long, and as you keep the elbows wide, rotate your torso toward the bent right knee so that your left armpit is reaching toward the knee.

Inhale: Inhale as you switch legs and bring the trunk through center

Exhale: Extend the right leg. Rotate your upper body toward the left knee. Keep your chest open and elbows wide the whole time. Resist the urge to hold yourself up with your arms. Make this exercise about the abs.

Repetitions: Start with 6 and work your way up to 10.

Tip: You must keep a stable, neutral pelvis as you rotate the spine. No tucking, tilting, or rocking please!

To Modify Criss Cross:
The higher you work your legs, the easier the exercise will be on your lower back. Keep your legs high until you have enough abdominal strength to maintain a neutral pelvis throughout the exercise.

Try working just the upper body part of the exercise. You can leave your feet flat on the floor, with the knees bent and the legs parallel.

1. Hundreds
Lie down on top of Bosu. Keep your legs straight up. Exhale and slowly lift your head and torso up. Raise up your hands also. Now you have to pump your hands as if bouncing the ball. Simultaneously, breathe 5 count inhale through the nose and 5 count exhale through the mouth. This makes it 10 count. Do 10 times and you would complete 100. When you exhale, pull the naval in towards the spine. This works on transverse abdominus muscle. Excellent exercise for core conditioning.
The hundred is a classic Pilates exercise.

The hundred is often used as a dynamic warm-up for the abdominals and lungs. It requires that you coordinate your breath with the movement, and be strong and graceful at the same time. It is challenging.

Take five short breaths in and five short breaths out (like sniffing in and puffing out). While doing so, move your arms in a controlled up and down manner – a small pumping of the arms.

Be sure to keep your shoulders and neck relaxed. It is the abdominal muscles that should be doing all the work.

Do a cycle of 10 full breaths. Each cycle is five short in-breaths and then five short out-breaths.
The arms pump up and down a few inches, in unison with your breath.
Keep your abs scooped, your back flat on the floor, and your head an extension of your spine, with the gaze down. OK – not hard!

To finish: Keep your spine curved as you bring your knees in toward your chest. Grasp your knees and roll up. Take a deep breath in and out.

Tips:

To make the hundred more challenging: Lower your legs. Do not lower your legs past where you can control the movement. Don’t let your spine peel up off the floor as you lower the legs.

To modify the hundred for back or neck problems: Do this exercise with your knees bent and the feet flat on the floor.
You can do this exercise with the legs extended but the head left down on the Bosu. This modification is often used by people who need to protect their necks.

2. Single leg stretch
Lie down on Bosu Your back is resting on the Bose. Slowly bring your head and torso up. Now bring one leg straight up and grab it with both the hands. You should be holding from the calf muscle. Inhale for 2 counts and pull the leg towards yourself, increasing the stretch. Exhale and switch the leg. Both legs should be straight and not bending. They move like scissors.

1. Hundreds
Lie down on top of Bosu. Keep your legs straight up. Exhale and slowly lift your head and torso up. Raise up your hands also. Now you have to pump your hands as if bouncing the ball. Simultaneously, breathe 5 count inhale through the nose and 5 count exhale through the mouth. This makes it 10 count. Do 10 times and you would complete 100. When you exhale, pull the naval in towards the spine. This works on transverse abdominus muscle. Excellent exercise for core conditioning.
The hundred is a classic Pilates exercise.

The hundred is often used as a dynamic warm-up for the abdominals and lungs. It requires that you coordinate your breath with the movement, and be strong and graceful at the same time. It is challenging.

Take five short breaths in and five short breaths out (like sniffing in and puffing out). While doing so, move your arms in a controlled up and down manner – a small pumping of the arms.

Be sure to keep your shoulders and neck relaxed. It is the abdominal muscles that should be doing all the work.

Do a cycle of 10 full breaths. Each cycle is five short in-breaths and then five short out-breaths.
The arms pump up and down a few inches, in unison with your breath.
Keep your abs scooped, your back flat on the floor, and your head an extension of your spine, with the gaze down. OK – not hard!

To finish: Keep your spine curved as you bring your knees in toward your chest. Grasp your knees and roll up. Take a deep breath in and out.

Tips:

To make the hundred more challenging: Lower your legs. Do not lower your legs past where you can control the movement. Don’t let your spine peel up off the floor as you lower the legs.

To modify the hundred for back or neck problems: Do this exercise with your knees bent and the feet flat on the floor.
You can do this exercise with the legs extended but the head left down on the Bosu. This modification is often used by people who need to protect their necks.

2. Single leg stretch
Lie down on Bosu Your back is resting on the Bose. Slowly bring your head and torso up. Now bring one leg straight up and grab it with both the hands. You should be holding from the calf muscle. Inhale for 2 counts and pull the leg towards yourself, increasing the stretch. Exhale and switch the leg. Both legs should be straight and not bending. They move like scissors.