PRO | Side Body Extension Cool Down

Hi. I'm Gia, and today we're doing a cool down on the tower. Just focusing on articulating your spine, opening up your side body, and Gia finding length throughout your body. So I have the push through bar with the one short red spring on, and it's just at the top, little divot on the frame of the tower. You can do a lighter spring if that feels better to you as well. So you're gonna start seated. We're gonna do mermaid. So we're sitting in a z sit.

If this doesn't feel good too, you can always have your, feet flat on the tower if you have one lifted or you can have your legs crisscross applesauce, whatever you need to do for your body. And then you're gonna position yourself. You might need to adjust as you go to find the correct position for where you're seated on the, tower. I have my arm just slightly bent, just holding on to the push through bar. You wanna make sure your thumb is wrapped around as well so you don't let it go while you're moving. So the free arm is just gonna be out to the side.

You're gonna use your back to pull the bar down Gia so it's in line with your shoulder. And then once you get past that little part where you feel the pressure, you're gonna push through and come into a side bend. And then come all the way up, control that bar on the way up, and then reach the arm up. So again, use your back to pull the bar down, and then you're gonna push through Bend over to the side, find length in the side body. Come all the way up.

And then back up. Two more times like this. So you pull down with your back. Push the bar as you reach over, think of the top of your head reaching out through the center of the tower, come all the way up, and then bring the bar. Last one. Again, you're using your back, not just your hand.

You're gonna push the bar over, reach and then come back up. Now we're gonna add a little rotation to that. So kinda like we would on the reformer. So you're gonna push down. You're gonna go into your side bend and hold.

This time, you're gonna turn so you're facing the the mat of the tower, one hand on each side of the bar, again, wrapping your thumb around. From here, you're gonna push forward a little bit more. Think of your tailbone reaching back. So you have a little opposition. From here, you're gonna lengthen your spine, lift your chest up.

And then push back out Gia like you would on the reformer. So you lengthen, arm stay straight. Think of finding nice extension, reaching your sternum forward, pushing back. Two more. Lifting the chest up. Pulling the shoulders back.

You can even think of lifting your sternum up to the ceiling. One more like this, lifting your chest up, and then push back out. Bring your back hand to the center of the foot shoe bar, come back to your side bend, come all the way up, pull that arm up with control, and we'll turn around to the other side. So again, you're in your z sit one hand one leg forward, one leg out to the side. Holding on to the center that pushed your bar with your thumb wrapped around.

Your free arm is out to the side. Can you can see it from the back. You're gonna use your back to pull that bar down, let the bar swivel in your hand as you push over and side bend. And then come all the way up. Make sure you're not hanging on that bar.

You're holding yourself up using your core. So you're gonna pull down. Reach you'll feel when it needs a swivel in your hand. Reach over, find length in your side body, and then come all the way up. And then the bar swivels again as you bring the back up. Two more.

Pull down. Side bend over. And then come all the way up, and bring the bar up. Last one, pull from your back, and reach and then come all the way up. Now we'll add your rotation.

So you're gonna pull down side bend over and hold. Rotate one hand on each side of the bushing bar thumbs wrapped around. Length and a little bit more, reach your tailbone back of the arms reach forward, lift or chest up, arms stay straight, think of your sternum reaching forward or up, and then pull back. Trying to keep your shoulders as square as you can. Lifting up, and then back down.

Yeah. And if you can't get very high up, that's okay. Just go where it feels good to you. You don't wanna feel anything crunching or feeling tweaked in your spine. One more. Just focus on the length and then back out. Bring that backhand back to the center, come back to your side bend, and then come all the way up.

Control that bar up. And we're gonna come on to your knees for a cat. So I'm gonna have my arms straight. You wanna, make sure your hips and shoulders are right over your knees. And then from here, we're gonna try to keep your hips over your knees the whole time.

You're gonna push the bar down, think of diving your head down toward the bar, and then reach your head out as you are choose back. And then pull your tailbone under to roll you up for a little cap. Again, you push the bar down, dive your head down. I'm trying to keep my hips over my knees, not sitting back toward my heels. Once you get as far as you can, you're gonna go into a little extension.

Think of your tailbone coming back. And then round your tailbone under, round your spine to roll you up. So, ideally, the legs are staying still. Just rolling through your upper body, lengthen your spine as you reach your tailbone back, lengthen out through the front of your body. Round, and then roll up one more.

Roll down. Reach your sternum forward, and then round to roll back up. Now from here, you're gonna take off your spring and then just bring your foot push bar down. You're gonna stand up. We're gonna go into spread eagle. So your feet are gonna be right against the frame.

I like to kinda push my toes into it just to give me a little something to push against. And then my hands are in line with my waist. So you want your arms almost at a 90 degree angle. From here, Gia gonna hang back. The arms are gonna be straight.

Sit back into your hips and just hang try to keep your shoulders connected, though, so you're not letting your shoulders come up by your ears. Now your arms and legs stay straight. You're gonna push your hips forward, pull yourself back up. Once your hips get forward, you're gonna keep your hips forward as you let your upper body go back into an extension. Try not to hang into your neck though, stay connected. From here, chin to chest, ring your hips back, arms stay straight.

Leg stay straight, hang. Find that nice traction in your spine. Now from here, arms and legs stay straight as you pull your body forward. Once your hips get over your legs, you're gonna let your body go back into extension. One more. Chin into your chest.

Bring your hips back. Hang. Good. Really let your hips go back. And then last one, pull yourself forward. Once your hips are over your feet, you're gonna go into your extension, and then pull your chin to your chest. Pull yourself forward with your arms, and then come on down.

So it's just a nice cool down to get you feeling length in your body and just feeling good overall. I hope you enjoyed that, and I'll see you next time.