Semi-Circle

Let's talk about the semi circle. The semi circle is a spinal articulation exercise that's combined also with bridging. In addition to those two aspects of the exercise, there's some arm work and some shoulder stabilization challenge. For the spring, personally for me, I like a lighter spring. So I use one red or in this instance, I've chosen one green because the green is in the middle, and I like the middle spring for tracking.

If you're choosing a heavier spring, you could go all the way up to two reds and if you choose the two red springs, a nice idea is to choose the two outside springs. And basically what I've just described with the one spring in the middle or the two outside springs just helps the body kind of feel where it is in space. It's it's it's helpful for tracking is what I'm saying. So let's have a look at it. So we begin on our back And how I have learned to set up the exercise is to take the knees over the foot bar, drape them.

Then the hands come to the shoulder blocks. And as we push with the arms, the body's lifting up, and you kind of just have to wiggle a little to get into position. So once I'm here, what's important is that I am really active in my arms so that they stay very straight. This is what is more challenging on a heavier spring. The feet then come up onto the foot bar in a small v shape position and the hips lift up into maximum hip extension.

We then articulate down through the spine. Now as I'm articulating through the spine, I'm very actively pushing back with my arm. And in doing so, I'm endeavoring to keep the carriage still. The end of the downward movement happens when the pelvis is down near to the spring. The legs then push about three quarters of the way out.

And then once again, I'm endeavoring to hold the reformer still as I lift up into that hip extension where I started. And then the knees bend, and the feeling here is up and in. The exhale is to roll the spine down. What you wanna note is that the heels don't lift up and down instead they just stay still. As the pelvis finds the spring, we try stay on the spring as the legs push.

Hold the carriage still. Keep the elbows straight as the spine lifts back up. And bend the knees and come back in. There's a reverse to that movement, staying lifted, pushing out with the legs articulating from there down and back into the spring. So the spine is in extension, bending the knees back in and holding the carriage still as the spine articulates back up into that maximum bridge shape arms straight, push out, go down all the way, supporting with the front of the body to stabilize the spine.

Bending the knees in and holding the carriage still as the pelvis comes back up. To exit the exercise, you can just go the way you came in. Use drape your knees over the footbar and then we can just pull the carriage in wiggle in and we're back down on the carriage. In relationship to the spring, the light spring is a little bit more challenging for the lakes because it's less stable. For the heavier spring, makes it much more challenging to keep the arms really active and straight.

So the spring choice will really be dependent on the person performing the exercise and your goal for that person. Semi Circle.