Description
Objective: Challenge core strength and coordination while maintaining spinal connection to the Mat.
Apparatus: Mat
Start Position: Lie on your back with legs extended in front of you. If needed, bend the knees slightly for comfort. Cradle the head with the hands or keep the arms at your sides. Engage the abdominals to maintain contact between the lower back and the Mat.
Movement: Inhale to prepare. Exhale as you lower both legs toward the Mat in three counts while keeping the spine connected. Inhale to lift the legs back up in one controlled motion. Adjust the leg height to maintain back connection, and repeat 3–5 times. Modify by keeping knees slightly bent or hands at the sides for support.
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Transcript
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This exercise is a double straight leg stretch. Now you may remember this exercise from your ab series or the series of five. We're gonna get into it. So just a couple notes before we go. I'm gonna show you some variations, but I also want you to remember you're only gonna go as far as you can with your legs extended that your back stays connected to the mat.
Let's go and I'll show you what I mean. So go ahead and come down to your mat. Roll down. Extremely carefully. And extend the legs long in front of you. Now I'm telling you this, so I want you to know what you can do with the hands.
Fingerhips can interlace, and you can hold the head and cradle it here. Otherwise, you can stay low. Okay? We got that. Beautiful. Go ahead and bend the knees. Into the chest. Now extend the legs up to a 90 degree angle. Now if this is too much for your body, you can also go to 45. You don't have to take it all the way to the floor. So are we ready? Let's go.
Keeping the legs straight. I'm gonna do it this way with the hands cradling. I'm gonna drop the legs in three counts and then zip it up and bring it up in one. So I lower bracing my abs three, two, one, and bring it back up. Three two one and bring it back up.
I'm gonna go a little bit lower this time. Three two one, zip it up. Go ahead and bring your knees to the chest for just a quick second. So if I take the option where I'm leaving my body down, leaving my head to the mat, I'm still gonna have my hands to the side, and then I'm gonna take the legs just as low as I can keep my back connected to the mat. So I lower down three, two, one, bring it back up.
Three, two. One, bring it back up. And if that's still a lot for you, keep the knees slightly bent and just keep the connection to the mat. Alright. Rolling up, that is your double straight leg stretch. A real challenge for the abs. See you next exercise.
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