How To Do The Swan-dive Video

The Swan-Dive is one of the most beneficial Pilates moves. Learn how to do the Swan-Dive in an exercise routine with this Pilates video lesson.

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Be careful if you have injuries
Place inner thighs together
Extend arms & rock body
Remember to breathe

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Known as the trainers' trainer, Carol Ann has 19 years of professional fitness training experience, a Master's degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion, and CEC provider status with AFAA and ACE. She holds current fitness certifications including Group X Instructor, Personal Trainer, Pilates, Yoga, Aqua Fitness, Kickboxing, and Lifestyle Fitness Coaching. Carol Ann has traveled nationally and internationally training fitness professionals, presenting certifications and workshops, and sharing her knowledge for specific training techniques and application. Along with various fitness training DVD's, she is the creator and star of the fitness DVD series called The Steel Physique System. She also is a freelance fitness expert writer for several publications. In 2008 she is launching Studio Group X, a premier state-of-the-art group exercise studio in North Tampa, FL. The focus is to engage her clients into leading healthy lifestyles for a lifetime through an educational and fun process.

CAROLANN: This Pilates exercise is called the Swan. Now, this is a very advanced type of exercise, so be very careful as you're performing this exercise. If you have any back issues or neck issues even shoulder or elbow, wrist issues, just be mindful of this. You may even want to start off with the Half Swan. So to perform this, we're going to work that core strength. We're going to strengthen the lower back muscles and the glutes. So you want to come up into a prone position, and this looks very similar to an upward-facing dog position in yoga. So to prepare for this movement, you want to inhale as you lower down. Exhale as you push up and you want to really think about squeezing those glutes. Place those inner thighs together and point those toes. Make sure you keep your shoulder blades back and down, and you're lengthening out through the crown of your head. Inhale down and exhale up. So this is a great prep move for the Swan. Now, when you get comfortable with that, you can start off by just letting yourself go and catch yourself. Roll down and push up, and this is just to get you used to the rocking motion of performing the Swan. Then when you're ready, then you can let those arms go and just extend your arms out in front of you and rock, and you can perform about eight rocks, come back and then stretch. So here are a few things that you want to remember when you're doing the Swan. Just avoid it if you're having any issues with your neck, your lower back, wrist. Number two, you want to make sure that you're nice and lengthened out through the crown of you head, and then as you release yourself, number three, don't forget to breath. And that is the Swan.

How to Do the Swan-Dive Video

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