March MATness Day 12: The Swan-Dive

[ChannelRunner2]

On March 12th, we’re turning around onto our stomachs to also target our back muscles more directly and stretch out the front of our bodies. We’ll stay there for 3 days! (Okay, at least when we’re doing the MATness exercises… no need to stay there for 72 hours...).

The full Swan Dive is really hard. I have yet to do it! So, check out the modifications listed below, including in the Pilates for runners video. If you’re following along with Joe’s instructions, just go to Pose 2 as high as you can get without crunching your lower back. The movement is supposed to come more from your back than your arms. Yea, I know. That’s hard already!

Andrea Maida writes about these three exercises: “Now we have arrived at the extension exercises – a lot of tough work for the back – but now it’s all ready to go, thanks to the previous 11-14 exercises. The Swan Dive is a big full move to get the juices flowing, followed by the Single Leg Kicks and Double Leg Kicks which aid in the stretching of the front of the lower body – and furthermore strengthen the buttocks and hamstrings for the tasks ahead.” (via pilatesandrea.com/on-the-or... ).

As always, if you need to warm-up, do at least The Hundred, maybe all of the previous 11 exercises. Then repeat this exercise 6 times.

Instructions from Online Pilates Classes – with suggestions on how to make the exercise easier starting at about 02:21: youtu.be/zZALQtVflhQ(Not working as expected?)

Or go directly to the Swan Prep video: youtube.com/watch?v=ausClnV...(Not working as expected?)

You can read more about the exercise and written instructions at the OPC page for it: onlinepilatesclasses.com/pi...

Another set of instructions from the Pilates Lesson Plan, including a video, are here:georgewatts.org/lesson-plan... (via pilateslessonplans.co.uk/fr... )

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Instructions for Swan Prep, especially for us runners, cued to this exercise: youtu.be/KLlgx2e41_0?t=485(Not working as expected?)

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Watch Christina Gadar perform the advanced version of this exercise – it’s amazing! youtu.be/eP51ptTRm1Q(Not working as expected?)

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Standing variations for exercises 11-15: instagram.com/reel/CYri3yEB...

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Photo from Return to Life as published by Presentation Dynamics. Photos are far better reproduced in the paperback published by the Pilates Method Alliance in 2010, which isn’t available electronically. (See this post for the title page: healthunlocked.com/strength... )

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★ Our March MATness summary page: healthunlocked.com/strength... ★

[TheTabbyCat Graduate]

I 💖 the flying swans!

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to TheTabbyCat]

swan dive !!! Love the looks, too. If it only would feel like it looks on the video! 🤣🤣🤣

[ChannelRunner2 in reply to CBDB]

I can't even get as high as Lesley in the Swan prep 🤣 And flying?! In my dreams! 🙃 Still, I think I can get an inch or two higher now than I used to, so there's hope...

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to ChannelRunner2]

yeah, for me I definitely need an empty stomach for this one! 😂😂