Stickie loves to articulate her spine, so she enjoys the Pilates exercise Rolling. She does not technically have bones and so is not at risk for osteopenia or osteoporosis; those of us who have either of those conditions should avoid this exercise.
To begin, Stickie sits with her weight just behind her sit bones. She curls her spine in toward her belly and draws her knees up to her chest. She clasps her hands around her shins to maintain her ball shape and points her toes. As she inhales, she rolls back on to her shoulders, hips in the air. She exhales back up, not letting her feet touch the floor. (Note: those of us who are not imaginary may want a soft surface underneath us.) She continues as long as she is having fun.
Some of us may find that it is pretty challenging to roll all the way back and forth. It is all right to begin by rocking and progress to rolling as we get stronger.
A variation of this exercise is called Seal. Instead of clasping the hands around the legs, Stickie holds her heels or ankles with her arms on the inside side of her legs. She can either put the soles of her feet together or point her toes, whichever feels better. As in Rolling, she will roll back, but in that position she will clap her feet together a few times before rolling up, where she will clap her feet together a few times more. (Seal noises are optional.)
In both variations of the exercise, it is important not to roll back too far and put pressure on the neck.
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