Pilates Exercise - Swan Dive

Today I will introduce you to the Swan Dive.  The exercise is such a lovely way of working the upper back in it's modified form.  There are the advanced versions, but I am giving you the modified version to begin with.  I find that most people miss out the feeling of the small range isolation of the muscles that you can feel between your shoulder blades. So here we go.

1. Start lying down on your front with your arms out to the side.  Create a v-shape between your elbows and have flat palms of your hands on the floor.

2. Pull your tummy into notch 3 of your belt (see previous articles I have written) and have your nose just off the floor as though there was an invisible pea underneath it.  The neck should be relaxed and don't tense the buttocks. Try not to tense the shoulders.  Imagine gravity underneath you dropping your shoulders to the floor - to get you to switch them off.

3. With your eyes looking down and length out of the crown of you head, leave the arms loose on the floor and try to lift the upper body about an inch or two off the floor.  Then check again - the shoulders. Are they tensing?  Have you changed the length in your neck.  To be totally precise, you must switch off the shoulders, relax the arms and if you are feeling the musles between the shoulder blade and a bit higher, you are winning. FANTASTIC.

If you are not feeling the correct place, you may be lifing too high and using your neck and shoulders.  Isolate.  Switch them off.  Keep the neck long.  Allow the muscles of the upper back to gently peel you up and down from the floor, whilst keeping your arms totally relaxed.  IF you feel this in your lower back you can try tilting the pelvis.  This exercise should NOT be felt in the lower back.

If you want to advance a little bit, you can come up the same way.  Then add an extension of the arms, by adding a little support on your flat hands and extending the arms at the elbow.  Make sure you have not let your shoulders come up to your ears.  Lower yourself gently back down.  Get the elbows down first. Switch your arms off and allow your back to lengthen you back down on the floor again.

Ask me questions if you do not understand any of this.  I can help you reach your goals.  Try to do these exercises properly.  In a large group class, you are missing out.

Don't forget, I have 2 spaces left on my retreat in Majorca on March 19th.  You can explore your Pilates exercises further.  Get the most out of your classes.

See you soon for another one.

Sarah x