Blog 31

A short blog this time. I was still sick this week. Coughing and coughing, yes, how nasty this flu is.

I decided to put my focus on recovery and not to bother my fellow students with my flu. So, I skipped the lessons. 

I practice stretches and core exercises to maintain my flexibility and strength. But mind you, if you have problems with your back, don’t do these kinds of exercises without professional coaching.

One of them is the roll-up. The roll-up strengthens the abdominal muscles. 

To begin, you lie on your back with your arms folded across your chest. The hips and knees are bent at 90 degrees angle. Slowly lift your torso while maintaining the elongation of the upper back and neck, to approximately 45 degrees, hold this position for 8 counts, and then slowly roll down. Then repeat this exercise 1 time with a slight twist to the left and repeat with a slight twist to the right. Try to breathe comfortably during this workout. After this first set, repeat 3 to 6 sets. After doing this, you are probably tired!

A few weeks ago, Lyda taught us a back-extension exercise to strengthen the low back muscles. These muscles aid in supporting the torso during dance movements like the arabesque. This exercise balances the effect of the roll-up.

The exercise starts with you lying on your belly, prone, hands beneath the shoulders and the legs in a slight second position. Push off, gently raise your torso, arms loose from the floor, stretch them in front of you and hold this position, as high as your torso can get, 8 counts and then release slowly. Do this 3 to six times. 

You can add a second part to this exercise: while staying with your torso on the floor, gradually raise your legs, hold for 8 counts and slowly release. And third, you can slowly lift both the torso and legs for 8 counts and lower slowly. 

The combination of the roll-up and the back extension is a powerful exercise to strengthen your core.

But now I’ve got the flu, even 3 sets are impossible. Where did my strength and stamina go?