Moving on from Hula we have Elephant, an exercise typically done on the reformer.
This is good for
Developing trunk stability (teaching the legs to move without the torso needing to help too), developing core strength, and to improve hamstring flexibility and activation.
How to do Elephant
- Make sure your bottom is above heels to start
- Inhale to press carriage away from stoppers, pressing through heels. Your pelvis/bottom should stay still as legs move.
- Exhale to return to stoppers – use your abs to pull feet back under you
- Maintain shoulder and pelvic stability throughout
Things to focus on
Maintain the pyramid shape through your body throughout. The line from your head to tailbone doesn’t change as the legs move.
Before you start, make sure that your bottom is over your heels – this takes some pressure out of the wrists and shoulders, and allows a little extra stretch through the hamstrings.
Ensure you keep the weight of your legs through your heels. This will help you activate the back of the legs as you push the carriage backwards.
Challenges
- Keep the range small. This will allow you to maintain the pyramid shape through the body throughout.
- Make sure you are using the abs to draw the carriage all the way back in to the stoppers, it can be tempting to cheat a little and not come all the way in!
If you would like some expert direction from highly experienced instructors, try our Semi-private Equipment sessions.
Our Manuka studio is within easy access of Forrest, Kingston, Barton, Griffith, Red Hill, Narrabundah, Garran, Hughes, Curtin, Phillip, Mawson, Farrer, Pearce, and Torrens.
