hand on heel stretch

[Guest SweetSorrow123]

to stretch well (becuase i am flexible, i have to find some extremes in certain stretches to feel them) my teacher recomended me doing hand on heal stretch and then rotating it to a pencher (at the barre of coure!) and stretching like that. I actually do feel it (good thing) but was wondering if there was anything else like thant to stretch my legs in a similar way. Also, I havea strong back, but weak abs; crunches hurt my neck! I know i should be getting ab muscle from dancing, but is there any other way too? also strengthening my upper legs and ankles, they seam to be weaker on the left. Sorry, a lot of different questions. Thank you!

[Mel Johnson]

Pilates.

[Guest SweetSorrow123]

So i've been told! are there any abs excersizes though that put no strain on the neck?

[Mel Johnson]

Yes, in particular those which use the Reformer. In some of those, you can't use your neck!

[Guest SweetSorrow123]

reformer? Please explain!

[Mel Johnson]

The Reformer is the most prominently used of all Pilates apparatus. What I think you need is more than just mat exercises.

[Guest SweetSorrow123]

what exactly is a reformer though? can you show be a picture or give me a link where i can see it better? I'll research it too.

 

Thanks so much for your help!

[Victoria Leigh]

http://www.pilates-studio.com

 

I also think that you need to spend your stretching time with strengthening exercises, as you don't seem to need the stretching. Don't work on what you already have, work on what you do not yet have.

[Mel Johnson]

This site

 

http://www.sitincomfort.com/pilates.html

 

has quite a few pictures of Pilates machines and devices.

[Guest SweetSorrow123]

Hi. Thanks for your help, i understand what you mean. other then buying a 500$ machine, and pilates is there one specific excercise that will work my abs without strain on my neck? ( I've done the pilates about an hour ago, its actually quite fun!)

Thanks again.

[Mel Johnson]

Ask a Pilates owner/trainer. That's what s/he's there for. I've never had your particular problem, and so don't know what the Pilates remedy is.

[Guest theskysthelimit]

I'm in the same boat as SweetSorrow123. I'm pretty bendy all over, but lack ab strength. This also means I find it really hard to hold my back straight, especially since my back is slightly swayed already Are there any specific excersises that can help with this?

[Mel Johnson]

Be sure to work all the time by making the spine feel as long as it can possibly be. This will strengthen the back muscles and the lower abdominals in front that support them. When performing the hand on heel/detiré/jambe à la main stretch, when you let go of the foot, don't let the leg come crashing down, but try to hold it at the high point of the stretch for a moment, then let it down slowwwly.

[Guest theskysthelimit]

Thanks a million!