Each month at Move Move we set ourselves a Move of the Month Challenge. Throughout the month we focus on mastering that move. Sometimes our Move of the Month is just one move, other times it maybe a series of moves. But our aim is to progress in some way.
Our Move of the Month for November is Superman (or woman!). We picked this exercise to help all of you that spend more hours than you’d like stuck behind a desk. This move will challenge you to work your entire back chain, an area that gets weakened and lengthened (not in a good way) from spending hours on end sitting.
It’s worth taking a moment to remember that you’ve got tons of muscles in your back and these need to work. All too often when we see clients with back aches and pains the first thing they do is use it less. So the back gets weaker and weaker, and the aches and pains just persist.
Working those muscles in your back is vital. It’s about learning to work them in the right way and to ensure that everything else works with them.
Our move of the month will help with this as it gets everything on the back of your body working, from legs to butt to back to shoulders. Plus it fires up your deep abdominals (the ‘core’).
Start small with this move and work up to it. Our video shows Helen doing an advanced version on the Ladder Barrel but you can start working on the floor. Focus on moving your upper back first – try a diamond press.
The next stage is adding arms – try lifting them in front of you first whilst keeping long through the upper back.
Once you’re ready to try lifting your legs, make sure you engage your butt and check that you’re not doing all the work from your lower back. Remember to keep your deep abdominals engaged to support everything. You can use a rolled up towel under your hips to help support your lower back.
Working into extension can be challenging and even a little scary at first. Persevere and take it slowly and your body will thank you for it in the long run.
