Hello All Together! Do you know how liberating it feels when we make our arms really long? How freeing it feels when we use our arms to support our movement in Pilates exercises like the Roll Up, Double Leg Stretch or Spine Stretch Forward? Even if you don’t believe it, stretching our arms really allows us to express ourselves completely freely.
How to stretch our arms to positively influence how we feel and perceive ourself and the world around us?
Shoulder girdle stabilisation is key!
Proper arm extension depends on our shoulder girdle being able to press down and rotate outwards. We need a certain degree of internal and external mobility of our shoulder joints to achieve shoulder girdle stability and our functionally extended arm.
Today we’ll learn to understand kinaesthetically what an extended arm feels like. I’ll show you a very simple but effective learning tool. Let’s go!
First, watch the video right below and get to know our learning tool for our functionally extended arm. Then we’ll go to the exercise description in detail. Click and enjoy now;)
Starting position
Lie on your back with your legs bent, turn your head to the right and move your knees to the left. Extend your right arm diagonally upwards away from your body and place your left hand on your right shoulder blade.
The procedure
Activate your DMCS – your powerhouse – to flatten the right side of your belly and lift your ribs. At the same time lift your right shoulder towards your cheek and turn it inwards. Then relax your right ribcage to release it and use this release to turn your shoulder outwards away from your right cheek.
Do this a few times. Feel the difference with your left arm. Repeat the sequence with your left shoulder.
Coaching keys
Use our coaching keys to get more out of the shoulder girdle mobilisation exercise. Say them and visualise them …
- When I turn my shoulder inwards, I allow my upper abdominal muscles to retract.
- Before I turn my shoulders outwards, I relax the area above my shoulders.
I optimize my shoulder girdle mobilisation
For even better shoulder girdle mobilisation, integrate a breathing sequence into the exercise. Inhale when you turn your right shoulder inwards. Exhale and turn your right shoulder outwards. Hold your breath as long as you can. Inhale and hold your breath again but this time only for 10 seconds. Breathe out. Repeat this sequence 10 times. Cross your arms over your chest, feel and rest. Repeat the sequence to the other side.
I create awareness for my arm-shoulder girdle-connection
The purpose of this shoulder mobilisation tool is to give us a clear kinaesthetic (muscle-sensory) feedback of what
- what a functionally stretched arm is
- what a functionally stretched arm feels like and
- how the connection from the functionally stretched arm to the shoulder girdle (shoulder blade) and chest feels.
This is expanded consciousness in just a few minutes!
And this is it again. I am confident that this tool will make your arm more mobile, agile and at the same time more stable.
For arms that can stretch out and express themselves freely and effortlessly.
Try it & literally fly with it!
Now that you can stretch your arms freely and effortlessly, you’ll want to know how to get arms that carry you like the wings of an eagle, won’t you? Then read Part 2 Arms Like the Wings of an Eagle.
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