The trusty Roll Down spiced up

If there is one exercise, I teach the most in matwork classes it is the Roll Down.

I teach it in many different flavours. It is such a versatile exercise and so easy to create variations on and add flavours to by e.g. adding props or changing the position of your feet.

And todays flavour will be tapping which is an important ingredient from The Franklin Method. We will be tapping our body while we roll up and down.

What is the exercise about?

• For me it is about bringing awareness to your spine and mobilising it.
• By adding tapping during the movement we bring in some proprioceptive input which enhances the movement experience.

What do I like about it?

• It is an exercise which is well-known to which I have added a little something to.
• When you tap your back and your legs/feet during the movement, you stimulate your nervous system. This stimulates the communication between the brain and body and there is therefore more clarity about where the movement happens.
• I use this variation to prepare the body when I have planned more standing exercises because you very often get a change of posture
• I also use this exercise when I have planned more spinal flexion or extension in supine or semi-supine – again to prepare the body with increased awareness of those areas.
• You increase flexibility in your hamstrings.
• The exercise can easily be integrated into a pilates environment or any other training programme.

What prop do you need?

The best prop of them all – your hands … ;o)

Where to place the prop

On your lower back, torso, pelvis, legs & feet.

Which course/workshop is the exercise from?

Body Control Pilates Teacher Trainer Programme.

And here is the video …

Video length: 3:45 minutes