You will be very pleased with how well this exercise engages the back muscles, the abdominal muscles, and the arms.
To get the most out of this exercise you will want to sit up very tall with the shoulders down. Stay out of the shoulders and make the movement come from your back and abdominals. It is going to take some core strength to do this with control and good form.
The challenge level of this exercise will depend somewhat on the firmness of your magic circle. You may want to read,
Before You Buy a Magic Circle.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 5 min
Here's How:
- Sit up straight on your sit bones with your legs just a little more than hip distance apart. For many people, the edges of the mat are a good guide.
Check your posture: your ribs are in, shoulders are down, but your spine is stretched up very tall so that your torso is as long as it gets. Try to put a lot of space between you hip bones and bottom ribs. Send energy up through the top of your head and down through your tail bone. - Rotate your shoulders back so that the chest is open. Place the magic circle between your legs width wise, and so that it is vertical when you place your hands on the top handle with your arms straight. See picture
- Inhale: engage the abs and back muscles, especially the lats which wrap around under your shoulder blades, and slowly press the circle down to the floor.
- Exhale: keep your posture perfect as you slowly release the circle.
- Repeat 6-8 times
Tips:
- If you have tight hamstrings it may make it difficult for you to sit up straight. You may want to bend your knees slightly or sit on a small lift, like a folded towel.
- Perfect posture is what is going to work the abs and back.
- long neck
- dropped shoulders
- tall spine
- ribs in - (they will want to pop forward as you press down)
- You can learn a lot by varying the breath pattern on exercises. Try exhale to push down, inhale to release.
What You Need:
- A Magic Circle aka: exercise ring, fitness circle
- An Exercise Mat
