Emma’s Exercise
“The Sit-Up!”

It’s sit-up time! This basic (hardly!) move is essential and brings your awareness back to the 2nd basic principle (pelvic placement – neutral vs imprint). Today the sit-up will reinforce what a neutral pelvic placement looks and feels like.

The question is – can you mobilize just the top part of your spine while curling up into a sit up position?

First, find your neutral pelvis. Second, engage your core without moving your bones. Third, flex up to about your mid-back without moving your pelvis. Now the release is just as important as the curling up! Be sure to lower down with as much control as you did on the way up. Use your core in both directions!!

This is fun! I promise!

Muscle recruitment – pf and ta (your core) and your rectus abdominis, serratus to keep your blades in neutral. So, basically all the muscles across the front of your body! 😉

In the video I only demo one rep for the sake of time but please do a set of 10 – or as many as you can do with clean form! Once your form starts to go, then you know you’re done. Take a break.

Learning how to do a sit-up properly means that there’s no reason to do a 100! You couldn’t possibly do that many and keep your form clean.

Your body starts in it’s neutral position. This is everything you worked on last week! Pelvis, Ribcage, shoulder blades, head and neck.

Breath pattern-EXHALE to prepare and set your core (remember your skeleton doesn’t move – all you did was activate your core) INHALE head nod EXHALE float your head neck and shoulders off the mat and curl up to about your bra line HOLD HERE for the INHALE! Breathe into your ribs! Avoid curling both ends of your spine! You’ve only curled the top part of your spine (not your low back or pelvis). The bowl on your belly will let you know how you are doing with stabilizing your pelvis in neutral. EXHALE AND CONTINUE TO FIRE YOUE CORE ON THE WAY DOWN! You’re putting on your breaks! [It is typical here to lose your core connection and flop down.] Place your spine down sequentially. Mid back first, then your upper back and then your head.
Right down the middle of your spine.

Did your tail curl too? Did you move into an imprinted spine? That’s okay if it did! Mine certainly did because I wasn’t even aware I was doing it. That’s part of the fun is developing your body awareness!!

True form is subtle and deep work! Keep practicing!

Neck hurting or straining? Interlace your fingers behind your head and let your head rest in your hands!