Pilates Exercise: Swan Dive | Pilates Anytime

Muscle Focus: Abdominals, back and hip extensors.
Objective: Strengthen the back and hip extensors and stabilize the powerhouse.

Start Position: Lie on your stomach with legs together and hands placed by your head. Lift your abdominals away from the floor while sending your tailbone to the floor.

Movement: Press through your hands into Swan, maintaining a long spine and lengthened neck. Release your arms straight to the side as your body rocks forward. Maintaing the arc position of the body, the legs will lift off the Mat. Rock back onto the thighs, lifting the chest, and maintaining the extension and arc position of the body. Repeat.

Precautions: Avoid lifting the chest and extending the spine so much in Swan that you feel a pinch in the lower back. Maintain the length in the back by lifting the abdominals to spine and sending the tailbone to the Mat. Prevent the legs from releasing the arc shape by engaging the glutes, inner thighs, and back extensors. Swan Dive should not be performed until you have learned and practiced the Swan and Swan Dive Prep.
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[cynthiaott]

I would think this would be bad in the long run for lumbar area discs

[richardworth]

This is an excellent way for many people to ensure they develop a prolapsed disc