Part 2: The Roll Up
Hello! I’m back with PART TWO of the Roll Up Mat Exercise. Each of us will have a unique experience from the mere fact that our bodies are shaped differently from one another. Injuries, age, and posture types are some of the other factors that also play a big role in how our experience will differ from each other. You may run into this page during a time that your doctor restricted certain physical activities. If so, follow your physician’s indications, and start out with The Roll Up - Part 1 video where I break down the exercises not because they are easier, but to also help you understand the moving pieces of your body, which will guide you up to a successful Roll Up. Version 1 in this video is the easiest modification, and Version 3 is the ultimate and most advance from. Follow this video according to your physical abilities, and if you have any questions please consult your doctor and/or avoid any exercises that feel unsafe.
THREE VERSIONS
Version 1
Fists stay in line with tops of shoulders and your spine curls (flexes) through the window of your arms. The most common challenge that comes up for most people is unplugging the arm bones from your trunk! So keep your shoulder blades like wings on your back - don’t let them slide up to your ears and/or widen around towards your side body.
Version 2
Here we add arm flexion before curling up - arm bone reaches towards your mat without letting your front ribcage poke up toward your belly skin. Then fists travel back up to the beginning position and in line with the shoulders. Curl through your stable arms like in version 1.
Version 3
Take your arms in flexion like in version 2. This time the arms stay back towards the mat and over head as you curl your entire spine up and over your toes. This one is challenging because, as I said in the video, since the arms are up over head it is more challenging to connect the arms to side body and into your core.
BONUS - Props!
Doing the Roll Up at home can be challenging without hooking the strap around your feet. Just because there is no strap though, it doesn't mean we skip the valuable and fundamental exercise. Here are my favorite props to use:
1. Gertie/Fit Ball,
2. Home Made Pilates Roll Up Bar,
3. Or Hand Towel (pull taught as if trying to rip it apart at every moment!)
