For Luz
Let’s give ourselves an extra dose of Teaser Tuesday this week. I invite you to reap the benefits of daily Spine Corrector and Small Barrel exercises.
More on this – plus an invitation to my Small Barrel Project! – later in this post.
I think the Spine Corrector is the most multitasking of the Pilates barrels.
It’s good for everything.
In the video below you’ll see a few versions of the Teaser done on the Spine Corrector:
- Basic Teaser position: You’ll get support from the Spine Corrector to strengthen your position in the exercise.
- Teaser 1: Legs stay in position as the body reaches up and over the Spine Corrector.
- Teaser 3: Legs reach away as the body opens up over the Spine Corrector for our ultimate Teaser 3.
- Teaser 2: Now facing the hump of the corrector, the legs have support to work on the lower lift of Teaser 2.
- The Teaser Dismount: Challenge yourself to control and balance yourself atop Mt. Spine Corrector.
Maybe you learned lots of exercises on the Spine Corrector. But how do these exercises fit into the greater Pilates system? Who should you bring to the Spine Corrector and why?
The Teaser done on the Spine Corrector has a lot going for it. It’s got all the charm of our Arm Series exercises here and more. Does this look familiar?
#onehumptwoways
Which brings me to my latest focus obsession…
The Small Barrel Project
My neck posture has never been the greatest. We have a bit of the slumpy gene in my family.
Ye olde head forward.
I bend over all day at work and put in major time on my laptop.
My upper back and neck need an intervention.
The neck and upper back are major factors in our posture. And our mothers were right: we should stand up straight.
All of our bodily systems as well as our minds are enlivened by proper upright posture. Organs have space to function optimally, we present a positive persona to the world and we lessen wear and tear on our joints.
Not to mention the need for our daily quota of power positions to feel vigorous and vibrant.
I’ve been a longtime believer of the curative power of the Spine Corrector/Small Barrel exercises so I decided to do a few exercises on the Small Barrel each day for a month and see what happens.
Best case scenario I make it to 5’4″ (When you fight gravity, it’s win-win).
My second thought was that 30 days in a row of anything will be a challenge for me.
So now I come to you, dear readers, with an invitation.
Won’t you join me in this project?
It’s easy and here’s how you can play along:
You’ll need a Spine Corrector and/or Small Barrel. Either one will work, I’ll be using the Small Barrel.
Choose just 3 exercises from each of the following 2 barrel series to do each day at least once.
If you can do your exercises 2-3x/day even better.
So far I’ve been working these exercises once in the morning before work and once at the end of my day. If my day is very long I’ll squeeze in another #posturein10 after lunch.
It won’t take more than 10 minutes each time you do your exercises.
1. Arm Series
In this position choose to do Circles, One Arm Up/Down, Hug, and Breathing.
Use this video if you’re unfamiliar with these exercises.
2. Leg Series
You can choose Circles, Scissors, Bicycle, Shoulder Bridge, Helicopter. Lots of options here. Be sure to finish with the rolling of the back and the rest position. Use this video for help with this series.
Okay, the plan again:
- Choose at least 3 Spine Corrector/Small Barrel exercises in each category.
- You can do more if you have time.
- Do your exercises every day at least once.
- Do your exercises 2-3x/day if when you can.
- Leave a comment below with questions, observations and moments of epiphany…
16 Responses
OMG! 30 days of spine corrector ???? #countmein???????? already started this morning!! Lovely yay! ???? looking forward to comparing notes!!
Also great tutorial on the use of the spine corrector and the teaser. It’s my nemesis ! And I found that both your versions really helped me to find more reach from my waistline (possibly even my upper back) right down the back of my body to my toes!! ie finding my seat ???? and the rolling up and down bit…ugh ???? Of the upper body helped me to focus on the challenging section around my low back….yay!! So thanks !!
#rockon Andrea #unitedinjoeswork #we❤️spineyc
????????????I’m with her!! it’s time to feel-the-barrel-of-love challenge!!
Woo Hoo!!!
Oooh that all sounds like wonderful news about your back connection, Alessandra! Keep up the good work. I did my Small Barrel exercises 2x yesterday and I am about to start my third day today. We can do it!! #30daychallenge #smallbarrelproject Looking forward to seeing you soon! xo
I’m going to try the challenge, I need it! #spinecorrectorlove and I love you great video ????
Hi Angela,
Thank you for taking up the challenge – I am on day 3 today and we can share on Instagram as well using #smallbarrelproject for your posts. I so need these exercises too – and thanks for the kind words on the video 🙂 Keep up the good work!
grrrrl you make those Teasers look soooo ez and they are soooo hard!! but i can confirm after Teasering-out on the Spine Corrector the Mat Teaser suddenly seems…probable (but then you film yourself and realize probability does not always equal success;) great tips and I’m with Alessandra, the.barrel.challenge.is.ON!!! thnx much. #rockonpilatespeeps
Long live the barrel challenge! #smallbarrelproject I did these exercises in a class with Jay a couple weeks ago… he kept asking for more reach from the back as I reached over the barrel and the next day I was so. sore. Amazing…sore and fabulous! ha ha see you soon! xo
SO sore but in a good way, from the REACH…I wonder if EVERYday really does start to manipulate something?? I can’t imagine you being ask to reach more, you seem to grasp the sun with your reeeeeach! x
Corrie,
This is an excellent image you have created: “grasp the sun with your reeeeeach!” Many thanks for that awesome compliment and image! xox
I have been practicing these on the barrel but I want to practice again the last one with you in our next Skype, you make it look so easy and it’s really hard ????????????
Jayne,
Yes of course. These are great exercises for your back and seat! And of course let’s do them first thing in your next lesson. Then they can infiltrate the whole workout – I love when that happens 🙂 xox
A
I just bought a spine corrector so I can try this challenge. Today is Day #1 for me. Thank you, as always, for the wonderful videos and inspiration.
Hi Barbara,
Wow that is getting the job done! Welcome to the challenge and I hope you’ll share your progress, observations and successes here with us. And I thank you so much for your kind words on my posts and videos. #neverstoplearning #pilatesforlife
xo
I am late to the party but this is something I will be doing starting today. Teaser still kicks my butt, so will following your video as well and hoping I will be able to do the teaser finally after all these years on the reformer without feeling like I a “loser”. I will be using my balanced body arc so hopefully it will be ok for the challenge.
That all sounds great Jodie – so glad you are finding this tutorial to be helpful to you. I bet your Teaser will get whipped into shape – LOL no pun intended. Check out my Small Barrel Project posts – the links to the exercises are in this week’s post on the Frog and Scissors – those will teach your body connections it will need for the Teaser as well. Good luck to you – it’s quite an exercise to wrangle 🙂 And thanks again for reading and watching and sharing your thoughts here. xox