About the sensational exercise - pelvic clock.
Advantages
The pelvic clock is designed to learn to slow down and direct attention inward. Small movements like these provide the basis for understanding how to position the pelvis and use the abs effectively. This exercise will also help to identify the muscular imbalance of the back and abdominal press. During pregnancy, this exercise can be used to develop awareness of your pelvis and prepare for childbirth and contractions. An imbalance in the alignment of the pelvis can develop as a result of prolonged sitting or standing with poor posture, carrying heavy objects on one side or straining the back. This exercise allows you to become aware of such an imbalance.
Step-by-step instructions
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Your legs will be parallel: ankles, knees and hips are on the same line. Make sure your feet are aligned — your toes are pointing straight away from you. You will be in a neutral position of the spine, allowing for a natural bend of the lumbar spine. Relax your neck and shoulders, moving your shoulders away from your ears. Your chest is open and your ribs are lowered. The head can rest on a small pillow, and the neck can be supported by a neck roller.
1. Connect your hands so that the tips of your index fingers and thumbs touch. Place them on the lower part of the abdomen so that the fingertips lightly touch the upper part of the pubic bone, and the thumbs are near the navel. This will help you feel the movement of the pelvis. Take time here to tune in to your body. Breathe deeply, allowing the breath to evenly expand the ribs and reach the lower abdomen.
2. Inhale - exhale. Tighten the abdominal muscles so that they lower the navel to the spine, in response, stretching the spine along the floor. This will create a pelvic tilt in which your watch will no longer be flat, but will be directed down at the 12 o'clock position (navel) and up at the 6 o'clock position (pubic bone).
3. Inhale: Use your abs to turn the clock down to the side so that the hip is 3 hours lower. Continue to move by the clock while inhaling, tilting the pelvis until the position at 6 o'clock becomes the lowest. This will create a small arch in the lower back.
4. Exhale: make the movement so that the hip is at the bottom for 9 hours. Continue exhaling, lowering the navel again (12 o'clock position) to the lower point.
5. Inhale: Repeat another cycle in the opposite direction, moving the hip down for 3 hours.
6. Repeat each direction two or three times, and then vice versa.
When you do this movement often, you may notice that your back is straining from one side or another, or that your abdominal muscles are straining more easily on the right or left. Just keep breathing and moving, trying to make the movement smooth. This is an exercise in which inner attention and stress relief will lead to the biggest changes for you.
Common mistakes
To get the most out of this exercise, avoid these mistakes.
Arch your back
Do not arch your back in the 6 o'clock position.
Using other muscles
Focus on using your abs to start moving. Other muscles will be involved, especially when you tilt your pelvis down for 6 hours, but the press is the main engine.
Modifications and variations
It is the variation of the pelvic clock that is so sensational on the Internet. This is an analog of the exercise, only in the standing position, and at the same time the navel moves only in the up-down direction (from 12 to 6 o'clock).
If you have seen videos with this exercise, then you have definitely noticed that it is performed very energetically. In fact, due to the high speed, the main advantage of the exercise is lost - strengthening the pelvic floor muscles and the concept of the structure of these muscles. You definitely cannot perform this modification if you have problems with the lumbar spine, although any exercise will lead to weight loss with a calorie deficit.
Safety and precautions
This exercise is suitable for most people, unless it is difficult for you to lie horizontally. This is good for early pregnancy, but it may be uncomfortable for you to lie on your back later in pregnancy.
