Heather Glidden demonstrates the swimming exercise.

Photo by Matt Wilson

Today’s exercise is another slightly more advanced exercise: swimming.

NOTE: If you have any spine or shoulder injury then this exercise is best practiced at first with professional supervision.

Starting position: Lying on your stomach in an X shape with your arms reaching in front of you and your legs apart. Your arms can be as wide apart as they need to be in order to keep a sense of ease in your shoulders. Your abdominal muscles can be tightened so your stomach lifts slightly off the floor.

Preparation: In order to get the coordination of the exercise, it is useful to practice this prep first. Exhale and lift your right arm and left leg together. Your head can lift slightly with the arm to give the shoulder more freedom of movement. You are only lifting to a low level so your low back won’t arch. Inhale to rest the arm, leg and head. Then exhale and repeat on the other side. Repeat each side several times until it feels automatic to have your opposite arm and leg lift together. If needed, you can stay on this prep exercise without advancing to the full exercise for awhile.

Full exercise: Lift your head, both arms, and both legs off the floor into a low hover. While hovering, begin to do a flutter kick motion with your legs while also paddling your arms up and down. Start slow so you can make sure that the opposite arm and leg work together (i.e. the right arm and left leg lift while the left arm and right leg move down toward the floor). Keep your torso perfectly still while the arms and legs move. Inhale for four counts of swimming, then exhale for four counts of swimming. Continue for a total of five breaths. Then bring the arms and legs to stillness and gently rest them down to the floor. Complete the exercise by sitting back onto your heels and making a ball shape with your body to give your back a nice stretch.

We are nearly there! Tomorrow we’ll practice an exercise that uses full body strength.

Heather Glidden owns Willow Wellness Studio in downtown Ann Arbor where she teaches Gyrotonic and Pilates and practices massage. She is passionate about helping people to learn more about their bodies. Got a body question? Email her at info@WillowWellnessStudio.com and she will do her best to answer it or find someone who can!