Hips & Glutes

Hi, everyone. I'm Danielle English, and this is lower body class. I have the box ready to go. I have my foot bar all the way down flat. I'm gonna preset on one yellow spring, and we will use a looped band in this class. You are welcome to skip it anytime.

I have the long loops on for the entire class as well. Now, with the footbar all the way down, I'm gonna take my box and lean it on the footbar, not covering the footbar pad, but just nestled right up against it. So my box is centered on those footbar rails, and I can put weight on it. And then I'm just gonna glide the carriage out from underneath. You may hear that box drop just a little bit, but now I know it's really stable. This is gonna take us into our warm up.

One yellow spring. If you like more support for abdominal core support, it's a blue. I like the yellow just to articulate the spine a little bit here. You're gonna tuck the tail around, forearms on the box pressing down. Can we dock the carriage? Scoop the belly up and press the back of the heart to the ceiling.

And then inhale as they start to cal, I'm just gonna shift the carriage out and knees under hips. Can I shine my sternum a little forward? Maybe lift the chin open the throat. And then exhale tuck the tail, dock the carriage, round the spine, ripple through the back. Yes. This is a lower body class, but I will always, always warm up. I I I know no other way.

I can't do it. Inhale, open the throat, chin up, shoulder shrug down. Excellent. I'm pressing my palms together. It helps me keep a nice tight parallel of the elbows. Inhale. Expanding the belly, but not sinking.

Last one, exhale. Gooped up around. Really think of pulling knees to elbows close the carriage. Already, I'm feeling that really nice connection. Last cow. And then as I reset, I'm gonna bring my feet and my knees a little further forward. I like to tuck my toes as I extend.

Think of a kneeling plank, and then I'm gonna exhale scoop the tail round the spine, dock the carriage in. So now I'm going not into full extension. It's like kneeling plank, glutes firm abs up in him. And then again, I'm thinking knees to elbows, elbows to knees round the spine, like a little inch worm. I'm gonna unfurl, extend out, and then exhale.

Draw all the abs up as if that's what's pulling my knees in. Inhale reset, shining that heart a little forward. I'm looking out way beyond my fingertips. Pull it in. This is a great place to stay if you prefer to be on the knees. On this next one, I'm gonna be weight bearing in my feet. I like to walk the feet a little further forward on the carriage.

Now I'm gonna tuck the tail bend the knees. And then push back out strong legs, flex those quads, feel the legs zip up. Now, almost like footwork, I get that nice press for the thighs to activate. As I tuck the tail knees scoop low to the box. So I'm trying not to lift my hips.

It's still that curl. Think like knees to elbows just like we did a moment ago. Two. Last one. And then find your long pike, two straight legs, press down into the box, tummy draws up, head into the cradle of the biceps, long legs, high heels, activate the calves.

We wanna use that lower body. So I'm thinking of pushing down through the arms. Naval up head falls. Can I dock the carriage without dropping those heels? And he'll lower down.

Two more. If you're on the knees, still go for that tuck in round. Last one big exhale, abs, legs, upper back arms. I feel connected. I'm already feeling warm. Come down slow for three. Two, can you just plank and hold? Option to add a little soft forward and back.

Eight seconds. Little shift, squeeze, inner thighs, glutes, hug, little tuck of the tail. Three, two, and one, bend the knees. Catch yourself on the carriage. Gently press out hips to heels, enjoy a really nice child's pose, giving the spine a little length.

Nice and efficient. I'm gonna round through the back, restack the spine, and sit up. Box is gonna come off. I'm gonna prepare for side lying footwork. So we'll come back to the box a little bit later.

You can just set it off to the side. I put mine behind. I'm gonna bring the foot bar up to regular middle height for footwork. I like two reds and a blue, and that's a little on the heavy side. You can always do just two reds.

I'm gonna step into my band, bring it up above my knees. The band is optional. You don't have to use one. This is still really effective even without a looped band. And then meet me on your side. Take the spine and the pelvis back towards the edge of the carriage, bottom hand out from underneath, hold your peg. I like the headrest and the upright position. If you like a ball or something on the headrest to support the neck, that is very welcome here.

Top foot's gonna start ball of the foot on the foot bar, heel lifts, thigh lifts. Give me tension in the band. Reach your top hip long to the foot bar so we find the lift of the bottom waist. And away we go, shoulders shrugged down. I'm gonna push into the shoulder rest.

Cause on heavier springs, it can really shrug those shoulders up. I like the top hand pushing into the shoulder block and then resist back in. High heel. And then a little lift into the band as we come home. Feeling that cinching in my waist. It's like top hip reaches down, bottom waist lifts up, and that's gonna help you center pelvis on spine.

But this top hand can be here, it can be here, whatever you like. Nice and heavy on two reds and a blue. I love that full glute squeeze extending behind the knee. But here, it's like wherever you set the heel, that's where you're trying to keep it. So even if it's a lower heel, that's fine with me, but we're trying to take that movement out of the ankle joint so that it forces the work a little higher up through the leg, keeping it really muscular.

If you're dropping the heel every time, that joint is adjusting for you. On the next one, come in halfway. Little pulses, keeping that parallel. I have tension in my band, finding that little up down. Up down. Now I'm trying not to bounce.

It's really deliberate. Can I push squeeze, and then reset? Little push squeeze, reset. Still keeping a little upward lift in my band. Three, two, and one come in halfway. Can we lower the heel? Pick it up. Push it down, the carriage stays totally stable. Down, and up. Four. Three, two.

And one with a high heel hold, it give me a little lift into your band. Little lift. It's so small. It's not even about the knee. I'm really thinking of working at the source, winging out from that outer edge of the hip, glute medius, this little lateral lift for five. Four three two, and one, push all the way out.

Oh, feel that length, and then come all the way in. Now we hit it home with some rotation, put the heel on, rotate your top leg. It holds almost like a frog leg. I think of it like clamshell. I'm rotating.

Hips are still stacked. Freeage my waist. Start again. Patted the heel only on that foot bar, and then turn it out. Turn it out. Turn it out. Work into that band.

It's like it already hits hard on that first one. Rotate, rotate. This focus now shifts deep external rotators lower outer edge of the seat. It's like a twist to push. And then I'm gonna try and keep that flex in the ankle. Nice heavy lifting here. I love the supportive sideline.

We can take those springs a little heavier. Last two. Top hip wants to fall back. I'm gonna nudge it just a little forward to keep my stack on your next one. Very similar series.

Come in halfway. Little pulse. Try and take the bounce out of it, stretch and bend. Push twist. It's like I'm screwing my leg into my hip socket. Four, three, two, little twist. One, all the way out. As you come in dock the carriage, bring both feet above the foot bar, click the heels together, only bottom foot rests, finish with a little clamshell, re engage the waist, reinvest in that midsection, and then open, close the clamp. I'm gonna take the hand away.

I don't need it as much now. Carriage. It's stationary. Oh, just a little finish here. Just you and the band. But, you know, you feel that clamshell, even if you don't have a looped band on.

Hold it open, make it small. A little exhale. Exail, we've got 87654321, bring it down. Oh, give that seat a little tap, tap, maybe extend the top leg And then I'm gonna take it over to second side, balancing ourselves out right away. Help yourself up and over. Flip, scoot the pelvis and the spine back, making sure you've got plenty of real estate in front of you on that carriage to scoop the bottom knee up. Bottom hand holds the leg, top ball of the foot to the front of that foot bar pad, thigh lifts up, hip reaches to the foot bar, so I lift in that bottom waist. On my exhale, high heel, I'm gonna stretch all the way out just checking that alignment.

It's really helpful to do that when the leg is straight. Settle lift into the band as you come in just so we're tracking parallel. Just that slight abduction from hip and glute. Quad engages calf Danielle. I feel the strength up through my posterior chain.

I love that this gets us all around the leg. Three sixty, perfect lower body focus movement. Felt a little drop in my waist. I'm really gonna think of left waist up, right waist long just to help center myself. Top hand can push into the shoulder rest to shrug the shoulders down, keeping all of this integrity in the neck. It is important.

Two, high heel wherever I set it. That's where it stays. Press it out. High heel. Now come in halfway. Small press and reset.

Don't think of it as a bounce. I think of it as a push stretch and then reset. A little push activate, reset. Four, three, two. And one coming about halfway.

Hold it push the heel down, peel it up. Push it down, try and smooth it out. So instead of plopping, we're gonna think of control and then press return. Press return. 4. 3. 2.

Last one, can you pop it high? Give me a little up into the band. Up just the small little subtle movement, little abduction. My glute medius is firing with this lateral lift. Up down, up, down, five. Four. Three, two, one, press out strong leg, high heel, finish that line, then the knee come all the way in. See if you cannot take a break, put the heel on right away, turn it out. Spiral twist from that hip socket, get the pat of the heel on the foot bar.

Thy rotates back, but I nudge my hip bone slightly forward as I rotate. And already from that first one, I feel that nice, wrap, and squeeze, lower outer edge of the seat. Like grinding gears, can you think of spiraling your thigh back? But subtly twisting your top hip bone forward. So they oppose each other. We get this really satisfying effort from those rotators because of all this resistance from a stable pelvis.

Push and twist four. Nice, heavy heel press, almost like a turned out squat for three. Fine tuning the outer edges of the seat. Coming in halfway deliberate pulse, a little uphold return. I'm thinking twist as I press. Can I open that clamshell shape or think of it like frog, whatever helps?

We've got four. Three, two, and one, push all the way out lengthen lengthen. As we come back in, allow both feet to stack up and over the footbar heels together, try not to linger, go right into that clamshell. Anything you can give me into that band, bottom waist lifted, top waist feels long, abs hug in, trying to keep my pelvis still. I love my top hand on my hip to give it a little pressure.

Just a little nudge. Let's go for it. Hold it open just a little small, exhale. Exale. Six.

Three two, one. Oh, deeper and deeper. And I give that seat a little tap tap. Maybe a little extension of that top leg off the edge. Yep. You can give that seat just like a little knuckle sandwich. There you go. Just so we can carry on our merry way.

Help yourself up, bring your feet to the ground, push away from the carriage. And I'm gonna change my springs to just one red. So take off anything extra And this is fairly heavy for standing skating. If you like to work lighter, one blue still a beautiful choice. One red, it's gonna feel heavy.

I'm already a little fatigued. That's part of the challenge. I'm gonna lower my foot bar. One position, so it's got a nice forward tilt creating space for me on that front platform so I can stand all the way up. I'm gonna hold on to the foot bar, bringing my feet to parallel as I step onto the carriage, 10 to straight forward, and I'm just a few inches from the edge. Now, as I stand up tall, I'm vertical for the first time.

Let me just like, get my bearings. And then I'm gonna start to squat. As I skate the carriage out, I slowly bend pressure through the heels. My knees try and press out a little towards my baby toast. I'm gonna keep the carriage still as I stand back up, feeling that nice straight leg abduction, and then slowly bring yourself in. So on the way down, it can be a little more simultaneous, and then just really hold it.

Weight shift into the heels. Now squeeze, glutes, push the hips a little forward, keep the carriage tension on that spring coil, and then come back in. So I'm going out and down. Nice flow. And then I'm going for stability. Keep the carriage.

Keep carriage. It's like I'm pulling my two heels apart, slight tuck of the tail, and then come back in, out and down. And then slow to stand. Stability in that carriage. Yep. Trying not to slam it. All the way out and down.

Arms are free. I've got a little palm press to chest expansion happening here. It helps me find my height, and then I come in. Last two. Dropping it low. I feel really active through this whole outer edge of this seat. Last one, we're gonna hold it, find your low squat, push into the heels, find a little rise hold, little down hold, a little rise hold, little down hold.

And then hold it low, pulse on your band. Little wiggle. Little wiggle. Now the carriage really wants to move. I'm gonna try and keep it still even as I abduct. Press palms hard a little four tummy hugs up for four.

Three, two, one, I'm gonna stand all the way up. Keep the leg straight, small press here. If it helps think of slightly internally rotating the toes, they don't even really need to move. It's just this little internal twist in the hip socket, Right at the end here, pushing out just a little further. Slightly pizza toes, but really it's about that spiral deep inside the hip.

Three, two, and one more a little wider before we come all the way in. I'm gonna bring the foot on the carriage, the very inside ledge of the carriage pushing that leg straight, but now I've shifted about 80% of my body weight into that standing leg on the platform. Again, hands are free. I'm gonna go hands to hips now, big hinge and a side lunge on that heavy spring. Slow as you stand up, digging through your standing heel, body comes upright. Option two, you can always go high heel, but on this heavy spring, Sometimes my knees don't like it so much. So flat foot, great place to be high heel will give you even more effort through that glute med on your carriage side. Pushing into the foot bar is great for alignment.

It's almost like I'm trying to fan that thigh bone a little out to my footbar as it bends, so I'm active in both legs on that abduction. Nice and heavy. Last two. Heavy through standing heel slow. Don't let that heavy spring stand you up quickly. It's bossy, but you're the boss.

Hold it down. Bring it all the way in, speed skate. I'm gonna press palms together for a little more stability here. I like how it activates my waistline. That pressure as I exhale push. I'm gonna bring it all the way in and try and get all the way straight, heavy skate, high heel or flat foot up to you, but get that leg all the way long. Send energy through that baby toe, stretch rocking a little back into my standing heel.

Five. Four. Three, two. And one, bring it in slow. We're gonna keep this ball of the foot at the edge of the carriage.

Quarter turn, you're gonna face forward in a sprinter start. As we bend both knees, standing foot is on that, gray strip at the front of the machine, but my heel is floating. Shine the heart forward, maybe fingertips for a little extra challenge. Give me a nice low lunge, back leg extends, and then bring it in slow. Heavy spring's gonna wanna push you around.

Try and get all the way out, heart forward long leg, and then slow to bend. Not here long. You can even test that balance. Palm press heart shines forward. Can you stay just as low in that front leg? Keeping the hips totally square.

Three. Two. And one, hold it back there. Little bend, little press. Oh, little bend. Little press. Little bend. Little press. Back glute hamstring front quad. A little unstable in that front leg with our floating heel. Yep.

It gives us a little extra quadrice up effort. You got three. Two. And one, grab the footbar slow to come in. As you dock the carriage, I like both feet to the carriage for a moment forward fold. Ben one knee at a time, just lengthen things out. But this is a short class.

We're gonna keep it moving. Other footsteps forward come back to that sprinter start. Ball up the foot up against the ledge of the carriage. Pressure on the band in the spring. Hands can always stay down.

I'm gonna start fingertips. Big exhale low lunge. Inhale. Heart shines a little forward. No hunchbacks.

Hips are gonna square off, and then maybe I can find my balance, slow stretch, and then fight fight, fight that spring, exhale. Slow stretch, slow, slow, slow, even one finger tip. If it helps you keep the alignment of the pelvis, it's not cheating if it helps you do your best work, alignment matters, posture matters, exhale. Heart shines a little forward. Maybe I can come back to my balance.

Three Slow on the way in. Two Last one, little pump. I'm gonna baby bend. I'm gonna stretch. Whoo. Little bend, stop that spring in its tracks, and then reverse it.

Little inhale, exhale. Maybe you can get a little bit lower right at the end. Four palms press firm up the waist like you're cinching a belt, two, and one stretch it out hands to the footbar slow to come all the way in. Quarter turn, face the other wall. Let's go back to the top.

Parla feet. Inching that carriage foot a little bit out away from the ledge, starting 10 to straightforward. Take that wide skate to squat. And then as we stand up, try and hold the carriage still. Hold it still. Hold it still.

Coming all the way in. Simultaneous flow a little down and out. But then think of pulling your two heels apart, like you're standing on paper towels trying to rip them, and then allow the carriage to come in. Down and out thighs, abduct why do the edges of the room, heavy heels keep the carriage still? Standing back up.

Big breaths. Heart rates a little elevated from that sprinter lunge. It's good stuff. Slow, keep that carriage still. Two more.

Wide squat, thighs go out to the edges of the room. Pull your two heels apart as you stand up, you're trying to stabilize that carriage. One more, hold it low, can we rock into the heels, little up, little down, little up, little down, little up, little down. Three, two, One hold it low, little twist out on the band, out on the band. Little press, little press, four, three, two, and one stand all the way up, tuck the tail slight pressure of hips forward, slight internal rotation, of thigh bones, little press, out, and in little press.

Come right back in standing tall right up between those shoulder blades. And I'm gonna try and stay a little wider, make this a little smaller for five. Four, three. Oh, yeah. Heavy spring. Two.

And one, slowly bring the carriage all the way in. He'll tow that foot to the edge of the carriage. Going into your side lunge, hands are free. I'm gonna press the side of the calf into the foot bar to help my alignment, slow to stand. So it feels like my heel is bearing down, scoop the belly up, fight that heavy spring. It wants to boost you up to stand. The effort's really in the down and out.

And then slow to come up. If you prefer that high heel, please take it, especially if you did it on the first side, match that now. Flat foot's a great place to be. Four. Fiding the push of that spring. Three. Two.

On the next one, chest forward tailback speed, skate, inhale, big exhale, get all the way straight. I'm gonna bring those palms back to press, helps me find my abdominals, that little lift behind my heart. I'm gonna inhale, bring it in slow, exhale all the way straight. Endurance moment for that right leg, shift your weight a little back into the outer edge of that right heel, fanning that thigh a little open to the foot bar. Four, three, two, And last one, bend the knee.

Slowly bring it up to stand. Oh my goodness. Hold on to the footbar carefully dismount. The good news is we get to wiggle out of that band. Last push. Don't know what I was thinking doing long box after that, but the box is going on long ways.

One blue spring. If you prefer to work a little lighter, I don't blame you. I like a high yellow is my lighter option. Last push. Long box on. Neil on that box, hips to heal safely, get one foot in.

Hands come right underneath the shoulders, wrapping the fingers over the edge of the box, knees under hip creases. Slightly tuck the tail and hover that knee right over the box, pump the heel back, really screwing the thigh parallel into the hip. My left hip spirals a little down to the ground, inhale return. A little softness in the elbows, big exhale. And then can I weight shift a little back towards center?

My pelvis wants to fall over towards my support leg. Try and bring it back to center and get heavier in that left palm print. Maybe you even bring the fingers of the right hand up onto the box so you can feel that oblique activation. Two more. And one, hold it back.

Flex foot. It's where off the hips, small dig, heel goes up, down, up, down, up, down, slight tuck in the tail, pushing the heel through the wall that's right behind you. Three, two, one, take that leg down into the side of your wooden rail, drop onto your forearm. Finger tips face towards sidewall. Left hand is still gonna be on that edge of the box to support Arabic suite. Can you turn out the hips, squeeze the glute, lift the leg, inhale slow down into the side? Exhale. We're gonna bring it up. And then slowly down.

I allow my head to follow my foot a little bit on this one. Just so the neck doesn't get paralyzed. And adding in one frog. I'm gonna hold it. One frog, turn it out, knee to the back of the tricep, exhale pump. I look down at my head rest. Slow, point the foot, arabesque, sweet, up, one flex turn out, scrunch the waist, get long, push through the heel, strong, strong, strong, inhale back down two more combos. Up, flex turn out, pump, bring it down.

One more. Find that froggy, like, turn it out. Lift the thigh up and then press it back out. Can you hold it? Little pulse, up down. Up down. Full x foot squeeze in the outer edge of the seat.

Five, four, three, two, one, slow, bring it back to the box, carefully take your foot out of the strap, bring it home. Docking the carriage loop to the peg. If you need a quick reset, you take it. I like to wag the tail, move the hips. Let's finish this clasp.

Bring your foot into your strap on your second side. It's quick. We're in, we're out. Hands and knees, walk it back till you look like a coffee table, knees underneath hip creases, light bending those elbows, hover that right knee, and then pump your footprint back through the wall behind you. So it's a long leg, but it's not a super high leg. Trying to keep that slight tuck of tail, that balanced pelvis may be left fingertips to the box.

So instead of dumping my weight to that support hip, I come a little more centered. One day, maybe it's, whew. Only one hand, obliques fighting for their lives. Something to play with. It's very humbling.

Three. Like a little donkey kick, press the heel back, inner thighs spirals towards that support leg. Last one, hold it. Little up down. Like, my heel is pushing up through mud, long at the back of the knee, but a little tuck in the tail abs and glutes stay really in control. Four, three, two, and one point the foot, take it down into the side of the wooden rail of your reformer frame, drop onto your forearm.

Hips are gonna be a little twisted, but tuck your tail. Find your arabesque and leave the leg a little up and out on the edge of the machine. So the leg's not coming behind you. It's a little out to the English, shrugging the shoulders down. Oh, yeah. Adding in your froggy leg, last push little combo. I like to turn my head froggy leg, exhale pump the heel, look back at the headrest and then point the foot slow, slow, slow fight gravity.

Exale, shoulder shrug down, abs, hug up, arabesque. One frog, I like to turn and look at it, then back to my headrest, giving my neck a little rotation so it doesn't feel so stiff. Two more. Turn it out, pump energy through that heel, press, press, press feel the link. Arabic, turn it out, frog leg, I'm gonna press. I'm gonna stretch.

I'm gonna hold it. Flex foot goes up down. It's okay if the carriage doesn't move. Give me that squeeze into the outer diamond of this seat. Five.

Four. Exhale three. Two, and one, slow to come back to your box. Foot out of the strap, as we come all the way in, you can take one last child's pose hips to heels, arms long, sink the seat back. Inhale into the back ribs, expand, exhale, lengthen a little further arms, just hanging off the front. And then as you exhale tuck the tail.

Let the hands find the box so that you can just crawl the knees a little forward, finishing your work. Big inhale. XL, hands to chest. Thank your body. Thank yourself.

That is a wrap on lower body. Thank you so much.