Class #418

Stretch Out Strap® Mat

55 min - Class
33 likes

Description

Using the Stretch Out Strap® and Theraband, Amy gives a class with more focus on stretching than contracting. With a standing shoulder warm-up and touching on some basics, Amy turns her focus to lengthening and stretching. The Theraband is used for Footwork, Frog, Dolphin, Flex/Releve Calf work, and more. She then focuses on PNF stretching with the green Stretch Out Strap® for your Hamstrings, IT Band, and Piriformis. Amy gives students one on one attention and allows them to sink into the stretches. Just because it's stretching doesn't mean it's easy! You'll leave feeling open and long! If you're in the mood for some lower extremity stretching, this class is for you. Enjoy!
What You'll Need: Mat, Stretch Out Strap®, Theraband

About This Video

Apr 11, 2011
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Transcript

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All right. Let's start today standing and you can face me if you'd like to and we're going to start with our feet aligned right underneath her. Take two. No, that's right. I don't know what you may not want that part on there. Ah, let's start standing with our feet right underneath their hip. So we're going to go a little couple of inches of space today and sometimes they start as all the way in, but change it up a little bit of space in Nice and parallel.

Let's take a good breath in you guys. We're just going to go ahead and let the head start rounding forward. Let your shoulders round forward. I'm going to say maybe we should go only halfway down. This is your opportunity to feel your spine. Feel your back.

Okay. Maybe feel a some legs. What's going on in there? Where is your weight wanting to shift and just kind of tapping into, we want it to be on the arches of the feed or over the arches. Somewhat front of the ankle. Nice loose arms. Let's take a breath here and then again, find any abdominals pulling them up.

Tailbone gets [inaudible] heavier weight still over the arch, forward of the ankle and open up your chest. Open up your shoulders. There we go. Let's take another breath in. Yeah, and again XCL so it's really your chance to check into your body. Ah, alright. Start applying some fundamentals here. Of course, the stomach scooping in and up the neck. Relaxed. No. Right now we really can't contract or lapse.

They should actually not be contracted on this for me today. And then on the exhale as we roll up, they can start to pull down a little. Don't overdo it. Just enough to get the arms to extend by the sides of your body and open up your chest. Another breath in. Good and rolling down, getting some curve. Nice loose arms hanging from your shoulders. Inhale from the bottom. Maybe you're getting a little lower.

Exhale and pulling up. [inaudible]. Ah, let's just take one more. Roll down and breathe. Good. And it feels good to move the spine. I'm saying that to myself. It feels good. I like to feel the curve and the stretch. I see you inhale and the exhale rolling up.

Go ahead. I'm just going to be take your arms forward, open 10 down. Just moving the arms front and open and down and front and really know, you know, extra thinking of what muscles should I be contract and just feel your arms move front and open and and front and open other way and lift, front and down. And so I have our green strap out here, probably some shoulder girdle work. Uh, and I think we're going to use that also for some hamstring stretching and that, that's enough there. And then we've got a theraband also. So do two different kinds of straps today. Let's go down and grab the sturdy strap. This is that green SOS strap and you know, this is the nylon when doesn't stretch.

So we are going to have a contrast of something that doesn't stretch versus the other one that does. And to start out with, let's put our hands second loop from the center. Hmm, that feels wide to me. Today. I'm going to actually, for me, I want to go back in one. Yeah, shoulder width. Thanks. So yeah. Huh? That feels, it's always interesting to me when it feels different. So it's something's either getting more flexible. I hope so. If you wanted to maybe adjust one hand out to the second one. Let me see what that feels like. Nope, see that still feels too wide. Okay.

Weird. All right, so what I want us to do is put your arms down, palms are facing me and just open up the chest and the shoulders. We're going to take a nice easy arm scoop. I know this seems basic but you can make more meaning in it if you've think. Now we want the lats to start firing. So let's take an inhale as we raise the arms forward and exhale down.

So we were finding the rhythm of the shoulder blade as the arms scoops forward and actually slightly before shoulder blade goes down. As the arm scoops forward, chest stays lifted and open. And again, just a basic scoop and down and again just checking where you are on your feet. Still forward of the ankle. Abdominal still engaged. Two more. Inhale, scoop and exhale, open long collarbone.

Good and forward and all the way down. Okay, so just a quarter rotation. If we take our hands this way. So my thumb is facing you now. Yep. And raise your arms forward and down. Let's agree to do five. And so I'm going to say press your hand out in the strap a little bit. That'll wake up some engagement. Good. Samantha, in your shoulders, we want to keep going. We want this nice long line from the ear to the top of your shoulder, that upper trapezius to get longer. Now let's stay right here.

Hold and press out. We're going to do the percussive rhythm rhythm just because we're so familiar with it and we do the [inaudible] so we know not much happens as far as the motion of this nylon, but our muscles and the joints are opening here. Joints are opening for three muscles. Don't, well forget it. Oh, I'm not going to go there. Let's raise the arms up and so can we get the arm higher palm still facing in and relative ease in the neck and shoulders.

So relative means you know, it's, you're working to relax them. They're not just passive. You've got to, yeah. Okay. And this is a good, good challenge for the shoulder girdle. Pull those scapula down. Now let's take an inhale. Exhale all the way down to the leg and we'll inhale. Exhale back up. Ah, [inaudible] so there's really never a feeding down of effort in lifting the sternum up through the top of the head.

I've got a visual these late days I don't not watch or why that I've got an antenna on top of my head is actually something I heard from someone a few weeks ago in a workshop. So maybe that's some chime in into that. Inhale. Exhale, arms up. Inhale, exhale, arms down. And one more time. Inhale, exhale, arms up. And let's just stay there. Okay. Now if we experiment and turn the palms to face an inhale, exhale down, see what it help might feel different in your shoulders to do poems this way. [inaudible] and for me that felt a little easier. I don't know why anybody else, you don't have to answer out loud, harder at the top.

Something has to reorganize or learn a different strategy to find some ease. One more time cause this is getting a little stay right there. Now Front abdominals in more [inaudible] who's feeling their middle back besides me feeling that my mid back is, if my arms are really just stems right off. I'm looking at Lisa's a shirt where her purple stripes are in her back is perfect. So where I feel like my back is working right in the middle and that's go ahead and lower the arms all the way down. Okay. Head, neck stretch. Just quick.

Okay, let's go out one loop. So now I am going two and two. Okay. So should we do two and three maybe if you are on one and to change to two and three it's relative to arm length. Now let's change our stance. So we're going to go into a little [inaudible] v not too much of a turnout. And then again, let's just take our arms, palms down, but arms forward.

We're going to pulse and try to press out. Here we go. [inaudible] [inaudible] trying to press the nylon apart. Not much happening. A lot of work in my arms though. And for three, sternum lifted, Cernan lifted and down. Good arms all the way up. Arms all the way down and up.

So let's make some effort happen in the legs, in her leg. We can stay on taller. Good you guys. This can actually be abs. Also, if you're pulling the effort in and do more rhythmically, roll those shoulders down. Last one, hold. Now let's try to increase the arm extension and or the arm reach and go back.

So posting the arms back a little. What we have to be careful for is that the ribs don't, you know, pop or flow forward. It's actually you have to pull them nice. Pull back more in the front belly, sternum up and four shoulder blades down as much as they can. That's plenty. And lower the arms. I know.

Let's do a standing role down parallel just to ease our back. We'll come back up and round. Just see what it feels like. Now I've got my feet all the way together. It's always a good thing if you want to ease your spine just round forward. Okay. Roll back up.

Arms back up, shoulder level. So if we pull our right elbow back and reach the left arm more forward. There's an a, yeah, so it's asymmetrical. I'm not going to have us rotate our ribs yet, but we will in a minute. So a sh ribs are square, hips are square. And as you pull that, uh, elbow back, scapula down. Yeah.

And actually that shoulder blade can start going a little bit more around the back of the back. Okay. There. And then arm forward. So the other elbow, if this were a bow and Arrow, we'd be maybe pulling back our bow. Anyone do archery? I've never done it. [inaudible] straighten. So when you were eight, while you can, so let's inhale, pull one elbow back, exhale and stretch that elbow forward there and inhale elbow back and exhale, stretch again. Elbow. The other arm still energize this forward and straight and elbow back and straight.

Now if we pull the what first elbow back and add some spinal rotation, what is gonna Happen? Yes, the straight arm now can just come straight in front of the chest there. So adding some thoracic rotation, right, and then come back to your center. Let's inhale, exhale and other elbow. So send that straight arm straight in front of your chest. You're going to look forward. Look right at that arm.

So let your thoracic rotation come my way for Lisa there and your straight arms straight out to me in front and the other elbows back there and square and first elbow. Pull it back. Other arm. There you go. [inaudible] in Helix, seal center, second elbow and the straight. This is awkward. I realize one more. It's almost like you're peddling a kayak last time. Elbow back. Watch your Scapula, lower them down. That's it. And straighten. Let's rest our shoulders down. Okay, I'm going to have this no step bit wider.

Heels in line with the outside of the hips. Now I'm going to go out one more level on both sides for me. So that puts me at three and three. All right. And as you're standing, we've addressed this before and you want your inner thighs activated is if you're pulling them into your center. So that's healthy and supporting of your knees. Let's take some side bend now.

Okay. So we'll start our arms straight up above our shoulders and again, as much down as they can be without locking our elbows also. And I'm going to have us take our heart hands first. Just forward. We'll play with this and we'll play with a different rotation. So let's breathe in and out as we go to the right. You're right. Yeah. [inaudible] so by the time we were over, your right arm is parallel to the floor.

There we go. And then inhale, exhale, come back up to center to your left. [inaudible] subject. Keep feeling the scapula down. Inner thighs activated to the midline. Stra sure. To your left, bend the spine and center. Pull your waist up and again, lift side bend and lift. Coming Center looks good.

One more to the left and over and lift and center. And let's lower the arm. Turn your head to your right. Turn your head to your left center. Tilt your head to your right and tilt your head to your left. Okay. Standing rotation.

So this frame is going to stay the same. This could be a little tricky. I want us to take a rotation of our over spine to your right. Okay. And just go ahead and check into that eye. So what happens sometimes when we, when we're in standing and we twist our waist, our hips want to come with us. We want not to. I don't want you to Torque your, I want you to take your spine and ring yourself out.

Now if you're looking at the center of your strap, you see that little white label that designates it's a stretch out strap. That's where your know should be pointing. Your sternum should be in line with that. Your Navel. Okay? Yeah. And pull those shoulders down a little more. Now let's come back to center. Pelvis looks good. And then over to the left your square. Now twist your spine. And waste more. There you go, Lisa.

So kind of let it happen. Have it happen more from here rather than the hips. Okay. And then come back to center and again, over to your right. That's better because if the pelvis comes along, yes, it's not the aesthetic we're looking for, but it also could torque your knee. That's more when I'm looking at if the pelvis comes with that kind of load, your knee might get a little pressure. We don't want that. Okay. And Center. So that side was fine. It's gonna be the side that's better.

That's better. Okay. And Center. So let's do again. Sure. Center, left and center. Once again, each side twist, chiseling that waste away. [inaudible] center or widdling. That's probably a better idea. Not Chisel and center. And they're okay. Arms above head. Same thing. [inaudible] now let's turn our palms. Turn your palms to face out and feel the hand in the strap and press. Ooh, yeah. Ah, press that strap. Like we could bust those loops out.

Okay, let's pulse that actually. So still activating your inner thighs, guys. Hair and press out. Press out. Talk about shoulder work. Good. And four, three, two, add hole. That's actually side Bin. First we'll come back to the rotation, right. [inaudible] center left. [inaudible] right.

And does it feel different for you with your hand like this than it does forward and left? It may or may not. Now let's take rotation and center and there to your left without the hips center. Here we go again. Each side, twist and center. Last one to the left and whist and center. And let's rest. Roll your shoulders.

Good. And let's walk our feet in two, three in there. Good. Let's come on down to our backs off of that. And you know what? Let's use our strap for this for some. So and to which one to use. Okay, let's put our the balls of our feet. Yeah. Yeah. Right in the center through, I've got a little space between feet and knees.

All that standing. Let's do a little, little left flection for the spine, but the theraband, I really wanted it for feet, so we'll get down into that. Okay, so does your cs sitting, pulled a scapula back and down? Take a good breath in. And then here we go. You can close those sits bones. Pull your tailbone under, but into your body. Pull it in, pull it in, and let's see if you just get the back of your hips are sacred down. Knees still bent a little bit for Sarah back there. Yeah, there you go.

And Inhale, now use your Xcel to come forward. Use your stomach more than your arms and that's come back up to sitting tall and exhale rolling back. So the theraband is kind of Nice to do these. Sing it a little extra, almost like the rollback blower on the Cadillac. Breathe and start as you come up. Lesson your hand grip or diminish some of the pool on the strap two more times. Yeah, next sale and contract. Inhale and exhale. Is there anywhere you can let go of some neck tension?

Anybody just drop out of the neck? All right, one more and let's go back. Exhale and yes, let's go ahead and go all the way down. You can straighten your legs out now. Mm. Okay. Step your right left foot out of the theraband. [inaudible] left foot out.

Okay. It's been a while since we've done the footwork from here. And what I want you to do is make sure you've got a little, uh, I call it a hood. I don't know if that's really the right thing to say about it, but a description, you want a little bit of theraband on this side of your toes. Okay. Yeah, I think you're all there. And that's go ahead and your hands are reaching pretty high up on the band. Pull your elbows to the mat and get that foot inflection.

Your ankle inflection. Yeah. Pelvis levels. You've got our triangle established and you are reaching your right sit bone straight ahead. Getting that stretch in the hamstrings. Okay. So what I want us to work on is really the foot.

So you look at your foot and you see that all your, your toes are straight, you don't want your ankle rolled out nor in, I think more of us are prone to rolling it outward and putting more weight on the outside edge. Okay. So as you press through the ball of the foot all then go all the way to the extension of your toes still in parallel. And then pull the toes back, push the ball of the foot up and push the heel up. And so we can do that. And again, press through the ball and go up through the toes and pull the toes back and reach through the heel. And again, press up and center. Pull the toes back and through your heel. Couple more ball and toes and toes, ball and heel and ball and toes.

Pull the toes back and go through the heel. Okay. Now if we keep the foot inflection, let's add bending at the hip and the knee. So as you flex your hip and your knee, can you still keep your foot in the same angle, your ankle in the same angle, right? And then as you extend from the hip and the knee, it's that idea of you're leading with the heel to the ceiling. This leg is getting the opening out the back of the knee so we can inhale to flex, crease the hip and exhale as you extend up like yeah, as if you had a little cup maybe balanced on your heel and you don't want to spill it. And I've done that with before. People I've done it. And then again, inhale, flex. Exhale, stir ash. Reach that. Sit bone away. Inhale, exhale, reach the Sitz bone out. Two more.

Let's inhale in and exhale, stretch and one more time. Bend and exhale and stretch. Now from here we're going to go kind of putting both things together, starting with the bend, so bending the knee, straighten the knee, press through the foot and flex at the foot, trying to seam it together. Knee and knee through the ankle and the ankle again, and knee and knee and foot and foot. Couple more. Knee and knee and foot.

Feeling some warmth than anyone in the, in the muscles I am. Oh right now come back to flex. This'll be fun. We're going to do 10 quick points and point and flex. And I'm going to have this exhale as we point. So here we go kind of quickly and five, strengthening the foot, strengthening the calf and eight, nine and 10 and release. Okay, other side. Ooh, fill that one today to makes you got a new hood.

It's your organization and your sits bones and your pelvis. Just 90 degrees. If you get there, great. You don't have to go beyond 90 all right? It's not really about that. It's not hip. Flections put an ankle, a positioning to start out. All right? So we began with some slope pointing. So again, looking at the foot press through the ball of that flood, you want to spread the toes if you can.

And then all the way to point and coming down, peel the toes and lead with the heal me to lease. I get adjusted and push through the ball all the way to point, stretching that foot and peel the toes back and lead with the heel and again, ball and toes and toes and through the heel and press and up and pull back. And he a couple more. You can feel the back of your left hip heavy against the mat. I'm really pulling it in. Ball of the foot, toes, toes and heel. Let's call this our last one.

Press and extend. Peel the toes and heel. Okay. Going into moving the hip and the knee. So again, you're flexing those two joints without losing your ankle in a position. And then again, extend hip and knee. We can inhale to come down and exhale as you stretch up. And again, I increasing the hip.

Yeah, this is an interesting thing. I don't know if you could watch this for just one second and watch the difference. I'm going to and you can stay in your stretch. Yes, I'm flexing my hip and my knee and do it this way. But what that is, I'm lowering my thigh toward me. What I want us to do, what if you don't? What if the fire doesn't drop so close to the chest? So it's really almost the foot stays up in the air like there. It's so it's good. Minimize your range of motion.

Maybe deepen the flection of the knee joint and the hip. Really the hip joint. Okay, a couple more times. Think deeper. Hip crease heel higher to the ceiling. That's better. And extend. And last one thing. Hip, hip, hip, hip, hip, hip and extend. All right, so putting them together, we go back to hip, crease and stretch and point the foot and flex, crease the hip. Stretch the hip and point and flex and crease, the hip and stretch and foot and flex to more flex. Send, stretch, press, last pattern.

Bend and stretch and point and flex. Get ready for 10 quick ones. Ready? Annex, sail one. Look in the foot, straighten it and make it straight. Five, four, three, two and one and release. Okay, so take that foot out of the strap. Just put your legs down on the Mat and, and I shake the knees. Just let it go. Right? But I do want to do some additional things here with this, with the theraband. So back in with two feet and let's organize the feed in a Palladio's v again with the little hood over the toes. So it's really the band is across the [inaudible] ball of the foot and elbows on your mat. Knees open about shoulder with the part again. Yeah. Okay.

So you know if we're on the Cadillac or the wall unit and we were underneath the push through bar maybe, and we've got our feet up on the bar, that bar goes up. So let's do that. Now on the reformer, we would be doing a more out this way of course. But if we're underneath the Cadillac, let's go ahead and push the feet up vertical to the ceiling. We are trying to keep the pelvis in level. Yeah, there's an urge to let that tailbone up in the pelvis tuck and maybe the head would respond. So effort keeping your tail out. Okay. And I've got my feet not firmly flex. I'm going to have a little soft ankle extension. Okay, so let's go ahead and bend.

The knees can go a shoulder with the part and then again, exhale and stretch when your legs are up, let those inner thighs squeezed together for a second. And again, I want you to think this is a hip creasing exercise again. Yes, the knees are bending. Crease your hips. This is our frog and oh the ways zip up. Squeeze for a second and coming down and pressing up. Now if your hip flexors are getting tired by going straight up, um, you can lower your legs out on a slight diagonal. I was going to go there anyway. Let's take one more just vertical [inaudible] stretch those legs together. Okay, now come down into your frog.

Let's try five going forward and a slight diagonal. Maybe think of going out where you would for the 100 so exhale, I'd have to loosen your band a bit, squeeze those inner thighs and then coming back in. And again, exhale, squeeze the belly, squeeze the inner thighs, maybe a little bit. Squeeze and coming in. And again, exhale, we [inaudible] feeling okay guys. Okay, and in now let's go one more time. Press out. All right, now go ahead and let your head and chest kind of float up here.

Just look well. Okay. On shrug our shoulders. We're going to take the legs down a few inches. Let's call it an exhale. Shh. And inhale. So try it without resting your elbows on the floor and yeah, low tone and up. So not to get this on your neck, you've got to get enough in your flection. The hundred position and find your lats on this one.

Legs up just two more and legs down. Maybe George toward 45 good. We're going to lower nicely sa and likes up. Okay, let's take it one more time. We'll bring your head down after this one, but I have one more thing I'd like to do with the frog position. Okay, good Sam and come on down. Rest into frog. So legs up. We're going to put it together. We're going to do a little circle. So legs without the head up, legs going out, down. Challenge your point of lowering their, bend the knees and bring it back in through your frog. Like you've got a fin and you're kind of going through water, making a little circle through the water out down frog to come in, lift up, press out.

Down and in and lift. Squeeze those legs together. Reach down and in one more this direction. All on our level. Pelvis [inaudible] down and in, back into frog. So we're going to reverse it. So push from the frog out. Kinda down there.

Up and into frog. [inaudible] yeah, get those shoulders open and flat back on your mat. Sure. Two more times. Parece lift and down into frog. And one more. Press squeeze.

Up and down into frog and rest. Let me see you guys. Okay? Yeah, let's take, I know the hands might've gotten a little overdone. Yeah, just do a little bit of that. Fantastic. So we're still going to be on the mat on their back. Now let's change straps and we're going to go back onto the SOS strap, the nylon for a little bit more of that PNF stretching for the hamstrings and the hip. Okay, so the last loop that's free for your foot.

You're going to put the foot in there and it's on the arch of the foot, right in the center. There we go. We're back on our pelvis level. Long leg on the other side, sitz bone. Reaching forward. Of course. Now if you can get your hand pretty high up on the strap and so we're looking for kind of three points of contact now to mainly the back of the right hip in your mat, on your mat, really firm as well as the foot on the strap. So can you connect to both of those end points? Once something pushes up, something reaches back the hand on the strap is going to help guide the leg closer to the chest. So we do want to start increasing that hip, hip flection range. Okay, so let's stay.

We're going to do three breath cycles right here and remember stretching to increase some change. There's a little discomfort and we want to be able to identify pain versus discomfort. We never go into pain range. Guys know that, but challenging things. There is some slight discomfort, sometimes change. Okay, now we'll go ahead and soften the knee, soften your grip. The idea with this type of stretching is at this next go around, you've got more length in your hamstrings so you can go farther bringing your leg closer to you. Ideally, the knee is still pretty straight. Your sitz bone is still out in your pelvis is still level. Okay. So we've got our end points. One is at the back of the hip.

Second one is the strap. Here we go. Three breaths. [inaudible] really feel your foot push into the strap. [inaudible] okay. And release your effort a little bit and you can bend the knee one more time. Leg Up. Let's see what we're, what we've got. Do you all feel the change?

Do you feel like you're getting your leg farther towards you, Sarah? It looks like it, Sam. It does. It does look like it. Does it feel like little bit Lisa? Okay. You know, a little bit's great. Change comes sometimes in small packages, sometimes in big packages. Um, yes. And I love that you can feel it, you know, I can see it, but it's really up to us. We want to feel the, the, the change and the effort.

So what happens sometimes is the quiver of the muscles may start to happen, you know, that might start happening if the tissue is really lengthening and changing. Okay. So here we go. Three breaths. You want to challenge that stretch, find your endpoint [inaudible] oh right. And then let it go. Okay. Nice work. You guys. Other foot, other leg, I should say. Starting at 90 shoulders. Organized Pelvis. Organized contact points. Foot and hip.

So we know about it. Let's go ahead. Pull, press into the foot. Pull back in the hip. Three breaths. Yeah. And soften. Attempt number two, leg up. Perhaps a little more range and hip flection.

A little more length on the hamstrings. Well, Huh? I see something different. Okay. And point at end point. Here we go. Three breaths. [inaudible] really commit to reaching the sit bone out long, long, long, long, long. Yeah. Really. Third Breath and soften your effort a little bit. Oh yes.

Okay. Third Attempt [inaudible] through three breaths. I see some big changes on this side more than the other side. Inhale in point and point. One more breath. You guys. Okay, Adam, relax. Thank you.

Felt that one your little shaken. Well, as one of my friends says the tremor of truth, tremble or tremor of truth. I love it. Let's go back to the first foot. In fact, I think it was, and she put that one in there first a long time ago when I met her. Okay, so we're going to take this into a hip. I stretch a Piriformis and these kinds of, some out, these um, external rotators here and our external rotators. We have them in the inner thigh also. It's all those muscles that help create the, the leg to be able to turn it outward. Um, what I found with doing this some where I cue it may be I might have to help get off my mat and help you.

I'm going to have this start with pulling the leg across the body. Okay, now take that hip again. We know we want to sit bone down and out. So if you bend your knee, I'm thinking of bending my knee to the right, kind of out off the right edge of my mat. My left foot for me is kind of in line with my left. Sorry. My right foot in line with my left shoulder. Right now if I pull my strap, my foot's coming closer to my body.

Okay. For some people that doesn't do a lot of stretch for them in some it does. Yeah. We got a thumbs up. Sweet. We're in the sweet spot. Okay. So the, if you wanted the a little bit more, you could take your available hand. That'd be the right one. Cause I'm holding with my left hand on that inside knee here and I'm going to push a little, just a little the same time I'm bringing my foot in the line of my left shoulder.

I'm making big commitment of this sit bone reaching out. So your, I have, well I know you, I know what you're feeling. There's, is it a pinch? Yeah. Yeah. Uh, move your, do this Sarah. Move it away a little. There you go. You may have just had a little too much flection in the hip joint. Okay. Now if that's not doing it for you, but I think I've got the thumbs up from you.

It was, um, I'm going to do this a little bit more for this hip. I need a little more right now. So I've been there. I feel like I need a little more. I'm going to take my foot and go farther over to my left. Oh boy. Now I'm really getting it right where your hand is.

Her hand was on her. Yeah. Now I'm going to see it. This weight. I also think you feel it where you need it, but primarily it's going to be in this complex here called the hip. Right. Stay right there. I just have a craving to do this to you. I'm going to really get on you different. Yeah. Okay. So if you wanted more, you could take the sole of your foot towards Sarah, but you'd still want your hip, your sit bone reaching to me. They're Samantha.

Yeah. Breathe, breathe, breathe. It's all on the inside. Okay. In any off here. It's all like a pinch. Yeah. Oh, thank you for now. That's okay. I should've just said figure four. It's kind of a figure four. Sorry, Sara, that hurts in here. Yeah. Cool.

You're so welcome. Hey, someone said thanks for getting a stretch. Yeah. All right. Now, uh, diffuse it a little soften. Soften, soften. We're going to go at it one more time. Okay. Same. All right. So try to find it. Yes, I should have shortcutted that it is a kind of a figure four stretch Mama Mia the second time around. Some things are really different. My wow. We some thinking sit bone out.

I'm taking my foot farther to my left now cause it's, I've gotten it opened up. I think I need more range. Okay. Knowing how far to push yourself to, you know. Yeah. And that's a nice idea.

A couple of deep breaths are probably do as some good. [inaudible] [inaudible] so if you can, you guys tolerate this in Stanford just a little bit longer. Try Your right hand this way on the outside of the knee. Press your outer foot against the strap a lot and press your sit bone out a lot. Two more breaths. Yeah. So those are the deepen. There's the pure formless. We've also got all the glutes. You've got a minimus and medius and a maximus.

Three layers of glutes, lots of stuff. Okay. And some others in there deeper and underneath this it's bone. Okay, let go and just bring your leg down to the mat. Feel that, what does it feel like for you? It feels kinda good for mine. My hip, ah, freed up now the other side. So while we were on the first one for quite a while, so I'll try to get us there little more efficiently. So here's your left leg up. You're, you're taking your leg across your mid line so that actually that's enough to, that's that it band with your legs straight. It's a different sensation than when you bend the knee.

And I want us to do the bend. So you're going to externally rotate the femur. [inaudible] and he is bending. Okay. Foot aligned with shoulder? No, it's left foot with right shoulder. I'm holding with my right hand on the strap near my foot.

Lefthand is going to kind of guide the, the neo way. You do want your hips, both, um, the back of your pelvis on the, on the mat. I think what happened the first time we got a little excited. We started rolling too much. [inaudible] you can't fill it on this side. Let me help you. You loved it so much the last time. Yeah.

Hurts. Okay. I feel it there, but not here like the other one was here. Oh, you're fine. I think that's what's so cool about our bodies is on one side is somewhere in the other side of somewhere that is also part of the external rotator grouping because it's allowing your femur to turn outward. So maybe you favor that. So maybe you use that hip more. Cool. You know, and this one, maybe that's why you felt that hip more, but what if we change the formula a little? If so, if I were to lean my body weight more on you. Yeah. Do you feel that hip? No. No. No. Okay. That's funny. When if you reach your foot more to with climate and then you know it's a puzzle sometimes. So yeah, that's probably why you're right. Thank you. You're welcome. Connecting to this edge. I love your toe Nail Polish. She got sparkles.

How you doing? Do you feel it in the hip? Yeah. Breathing, breathing, breathing. Thank you. How are you doing? Okay. Hello. Just in case. Oh yeah, here's your welcome. Okay, diffuse that a little. We'll go for round two and after a day like this where we're, we're stretching tissue more, we've stretched it with the band. We've stretched it with this green strap.

We've stretched our lateral stuff in all that standing. Um, you know, water hydrate yourself cause there's some stuff moving through and you know, just a little nutritional note. Stay hydrated. Okay. All right, so let's take maybe five breaths. Really commit to pushing the outside edge of the foot into the strap.

Sit bone reaching out. You've got a long waist, you're feeling then opening up of some tissues and stretch and change. Maybe feeling your hip and a new way different way. Two more breaths. Oh Wow. [inaudible] last one. Good.

Okay. And let's go ahead and just release that. And then same thing. Just shake that one out. Good. Okay. So I'd like to have you guys come up off your backs. I know it's tempting to spend the whole hour of down there. Let's use this one more time. This is the, the nylon strap, not the stretchy one. Well I should say it this way.

First region arm up either I'm at, what's your range in putting that hand behind your back? Right. And then the other hand, yeah, this good old test to see [inaudible] if you can get your hands together, not out of the question to think we, you know, be a little, lock the finger, hook the fingers. But then without having the affectations of maybe this cause that, what's the point of getting your fingers hooked if you're head and neck are like that. You're right. So where I was going to go if you need it is holding the strap like this. So this strap is what you're holding onto and then you might be able to walk your hands closer together if you having trouble before.

It's a tricep stretch on the arm that's up and a lat stretch. Yeah. Beautiful Ribs in God. You guys stretching today. Good for us. Now, whichever elbow was up, cause we've, a couple of us have a different elbow, which is fine. We all have our right. Okay. Oh that was me looking at you differently. I'm bent. Whew. Boy. You know, you've been teaching a Lama, Ben to your left.

Can the elbow go up a little bit? You're not going to bend much. I just want you to open up that side. Okay. And then rotate your spine. So you're gonna come this way. Oh, I'm, I'm rotating. I'm looking down on my left thigh. [inaudible] going back to your site then.

Okay. And up to center a couple more. So I'm going to face and we're going to go sideband. And as you rotate going over. Ah, and back to the side bend and up to center.

Let's go one more time and side bend. Good. And rotate. [inaudible] and side Bin and all the way up. Okay. Other side. Good. And if you have lotion on, it's gonna be harder to get those fingers hooked. Yeah. So we're looking at, we want that elbow really high to the ceiling. We want our abdominals in.

Yep. Totally forgotten. That does feel a little kind of, so I'm going to this, I could spend more time on this, but I'm not going to too much for, I'm just bring your ribs more center. Okay. Now we're going to side bend, right? [inaudible] open up your left rib wall, that side on your next exhale, rotate forwards. You're going to look over the right thigh.

Okay, breathe in. Let's come back to the side bend and up to center. [inaudible] and against. I had been to the right, it's not a real, you know, low side bend. And I want you to think about more about lifting the side, the left side up. There we go. And then rotate over. Scoop your belly in and up. Rotating over that right thigh. Okay. And going back to the side bend.

Okay. And all the way up level, the center, the back there and your spine. Good ribs and side. Been to your right and rotate and side bend. Good. And all the way up. And then release that gently. All right, I'm going to move off my map just for one thing. Thanks. Go ahead and keep your legs crossed and one in front of the other.

Walk your hands out and just God just reach. Open up your back. Let's take three breaths here and we'll come up and we'll change feet. [inaudible] stretch that spine forward. Continue to pull the belly back. [inaudible] one more time. [inaudible] roll yourself up and just a quick change over the hips and the feet.

Rounding forward. Three breaths. Last one. [inaudible] the rate roll all the way up. May remember to hydrate. Have a good weekend. Yeah. Thank you.

Comments

Great stretching class. Thank you, Amy.
Loved this class and working with these two props- S.O.S. and Theraband. I have bad feet and the exercises with the thereband were great. My feet felt wonderful afterwards. Also needed that exercise with fingers behind back- need to do it more often. I feel I need more hip stretching exercises. Will repeat this class often. Just what I needed- thanks!!
Unfortunately, this class cut out on me after 7mins of playing.
:(
I even tried playing it on LOW quality
I love , love , love! Fantastic class. Great instruction and pace. I have always had very tight hamstrings but feel relaxed and more elongated after just one class, thank you Amy.
Hi Loretta, glad you enjoyed the stretching. I think it's important to show these too. As we know, most Mat classes don't integrate these types of stretches into them because they're not in the classical rep, however, group Mat classes that take place in studios have such variety of students that it's nice to see some other choreography and ideas to make the class complete! Thanks for watching!
Hi Elaine! So good to hear from you! Yes, keep up that Theraband foot stretching/foot work....it's very helpful. The outter hip/hamstring series too....although I really took my time with it in this particular class, it wouldn't need to take that much time. A few times a week will make a huge difference...and promote happy hips! Talk again soon!
Susan, did you try emailing our Help Center about the problem you had? I know they'd be able to help you through this so you could enjoy the class. Let me know if you got through, hope so.
Hi Patricia! Thank you so much!! I really appreciate your feedback and am happy to hear that you enjoyed the pace, interaction and of course, the material choice for class. Stretching is so important.....we all need it. The PNF stretching is absolutely fabulous and gets results. Keep it up....I'll be curious to hear back from you as you continue to apply these to your workouts. Let me know how your hamstrings feel in a few weeks, would you?! Take Care!
Hello Amy, I plan on taking this class tomorrow morning, I have theraband but not the strap. Can I use a belt or a scarf or something instead? What would you suggest?
How about a towel? A belt would also be a good substitute.
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