Overhead Mat Exercises on the Spine Corrector

Overhead Mat Exercises on the Spine Corrector

If doing Roll Over, Jackknife, Control Balance and other overhead exercises in Pilates gets you feeling like you’re in your neck, then try out this trick using your Pilates Spine Corrector. In Pilates, there is something called a “two-way” stretch. One direction is your “down stretch” and the other is your “up stretch.” This one is really tricky to get in general and even harder when you are doing overhead exercises. All that weight can easily get caught in your neck and shoulders. By using the Spine Corrector it allows you to ground through your shoulder girdle and press your head in for proprioception.

Create a wide back use the arms to widen and connect to your back.

For all variations of overhead exercises lay on your back with your head touching the Spine Corrector and your hands reaching around and overhead to hold the handles of your Spine Corrector. Feel your upper back get wide and your chest soften so your heart and ground between your shoulder blades. Allow for space behind your neck. It’s easy to pull the Spine Corrector into your head. But then that creates a “bicep curl.” What we want is a strong and wide back. Something that you can stand on. So use the handles to widen your back and not “arm it.

Then simply do the exercise the way you would if you were on the mat. For Roll Over lift your legs overhead reach for the Spine Corrector and even use it to get more of a stretch and then open your legs, roll down and squeeze them tight and together 2-3 times before reversing. For Jackknife take the legs over and parallel to the floor. Get a good stretch and then go up to the sky. Use the Spine Corrector to find length. Same with Control Balance. It’s amazing what kind of strength you can have when you have a strong base to reach from.

Be sure to check out more of my Pilates Spine Corrector exercises. I want to help you continue your Pilates Spine Corrector training!