Seal

Let's talk about the seal puppy. The seal puppy is one of the family of rolling exercises in the Pilates mat work that all build over the foundation that we learned in the rolling like a ball exercise. So just like in the rolling like a ball, we're in a long c curve shape with our spine, which can be somewhat challenging for people who have tight lower spinal extensors. So that would be the population of humans who are the most challenged by this movement because it's such a tight shape that inflexibility in the lower spinal muscles can make it hard to get a smooth rock. It will feel more like a it will feel more flat in that circumstance.

So without all with all that information, let's actually see the shape. So if we're referencing it from the rolling like a ball position, you can see in just like in that exercise, I'm just right behind my pelvis drawing in through the abdominals. The the shape of this exercise, the seal puppy is a little more challenging to maintain and find. So we take the arms. They go underneath of the legs.

And then the hand goes onto the foot. So if you'll note the shape of the spine, it hasn't changed much, but we have opened up the legs. What's helpful for me in this shape to help manage it is to press out into the legs with my arms and at the same time squeeze my arms with my legs. It just helps to feel more stable in the shape. So the actual movement looks like this. We rock back. Hold the balance.

That's where the arms help. Open and close the hips. One, two, three, rock back up to balance and open and close one, two, three. The slower you have to perform it, the more difficult it is. So I'll show it to you in real time rocking. One, two, three, balancing.

One, two, three. Takes a little bit of practice to get the skill of staying back on the shoulders back here. One, two, three, that balance shape. My head is off the ground. And finding your way right back to where you started. One, two, three. A similar modification that we spoke of in the rolling like a ball would be to detighten the shape. So just keep a keep the shape as it is but either open up the arms or get the elbows a little bit more towards the body then all the way underneath the knees, which makes it quite a tight shape.

So a nice way to modify would just be to open up the shape a little bit. Same movement pattern in the hips. Same balancing on the back. But can be more available as people are learning that movement. Seal puppy.

Have fun.