How To Do The Half Swan Video

Learn how to do the Half Swan in an exercise routine with this Pilates video lesson.

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Squeeze glutes to protect back
Keep hands next to shoulders
Return to resting position
Keep shoulder blades back

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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 Half Swan. Now, this is a great modification to the swan dive so if you have not yet build up to the swan dive this is a great one to do. So we're going to work pretty much the entire body. We're going to think about working the lower back, the glutes and the upper body. So you want to come to a position such like an upward-dog position in yoga. You want to think about pulling your navel towards your spine, lengthen out through the crown of your head, pull your shoulder blades back and down. Now to protect the back you want to think about squeezing the glutes. Now to get comfortable with this position, all you're going to do is just bend your elbows down, release you hands and put them right next to your shoulders. Put your hands on the mat and lift up. So come down. It's like a little catch. So you inhale as you release, exhale as you push up. Now when you're ready to perform the half swan in its entirety, let go of your hands and keep them next to your shoulders. Now after you rock about six to eight times, come on back to a resting position. And that is the Half Swan exercise. There are three things that you want to keep in mind when you're performing this exercise. Keep that navel pulled in towards your spine, first of all. Number two, keep those shoulder blades back and down when you're in an uplifted position, and number three, breathe properly while you're inhaling forward, exhaling as you're lifting up. And that is the Half Swan.

How to Do the Half Swan Video

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