Mat Pilates Hip Mobility: Bicycle

Mat Repertoire

Hip Mobility:

Bicycle

Alternate Names

High Bicycle

Derived From

Classical Mat Work: The Bicycle

Primary Element

Mobility

Why for Primary?

To create mobility through the hips in flexion and extension. The leg reaching away is stretching the front of the hip or hip flexors and activating hip extensor muscles (gluteals and hamstrings). The reaching overhead is stretching hamstrings and activating hip flexor muscles.

Secondary Element

Strength

Why for Secondary?

To create abdominal strength to control the spinal movement upwards as well as the decent back to the Mat with control.

Tertiary Element

N/A

Why Tertiary?

N/A

Repetitions

4-6 each side

Plane of Motion

Sagittal

Targeted Muscles

To create pelvis stability and initiate the posterior tilt the targeted muscles are the deep abdominal muscles transversus abdominis.

 

To lift the hips and move the leg backwards or overhead, the primary muscles are the gluteals and hamstrings

  • Gluteus maximus
  • Posterior head of the adductor magnus
  • Hamstrings

 

To move the leg forward the primary muscles are the hip flexors

  • Psoas
  • Illiacus
  • Rectus femoris

Warnings

This exercise may be unsuitable for clients where inversion or spinal articulation is contraindicated or would cause pain. Also, watch for clients going up too high on the neck, aim to stay as high as the back of the shoulders.

Execution

Lie supine on the Mat with the arms anchored to an A-frame position and the legs reaching up towards the ceiling. Exhale to lift the legs up and overhead aiming to keep them parallel to the floor when overhead. Aim to stay on the shoulders, not the neck. Reach the legs back up vertically and use the hands to support the pelvis. Reach the legs upwards then take one leg away from the vertical position and at the same time reach the other leg in towards you. From there aim to keep the thighs completely still and bend at the knees to draw the foot towards the Mat or the ceiling (without moving the thigh bones!) To finish, roll the spine back to the Mat with control.

Observations

Do a body scan of the client taking note of the following points

  • Head and Neck
    • Is the back of the neck long and crease-free? A slight retraction of the neck with the chin tucked can help avoid straining the neck
    • Aim to stay on the shoulders, not the neck
  • Pelvis
    • Are the hip bones even horizontal or is the client leaning to one side?
    • Are the hands helping to support the pelvis position? Note the pelvis might dip forward slightly as the legs reach further forwards
  • Legs
    • Are the legs reaching away in front of the torso rather than above?
    • Is the foot reaching towards the floor? The aim is the bring the front foot to the Mat.

Learning Style Technique Cues

Auditory – word associations that connect mind and body

  • Engage transverse abdominis to initiate the movement then flex the lumbar spine towards the Mat before take-off
  • Keep the ribcage connected towards the hips at the top of the shoulder stand
  • Only bend the knees to create the ‘bicycle’ as opposed to the ‘scissor’ movement
  • Say the client’s name when you’re about to interact with them

 

Visual

  • Image a short scissor of the thighs, then a bend of the knees only to create the bicycle shape
  • Imagine scraping or drawing the toes along the Mat back in towards you before lifting the leg up again and switching leg positions
  • You may demonstrate a part of the movement as a visual representation for the client to see

 

Kinaesthetic

  • Feel the arms pressing actively into the Mat to stabilise the shoulder girdle
  • To return down, feel the back of the ribcage the top connect to the Mat, then the back of the waist, then the hips then the tailbone

Modifications and Variations

Regress the exercise by

Progress the exercise by

  • Working towards Hip Mobility: Control Balance
  • Working towards Inversion: Jack Knife
  • Bending the elbows with the fingers towards the ceiling with the palms inwards to connect in the shoulder girdle but without the assistance of the forearms pressing down into the Mat
  • Adding ankle weights
  • Adding a Magic Circle or Pilates ring between the ankles
  • Adding pace and repetitions

Series and Transitions

This exercise is part of the Hip Mobility series. This series can also be found in the Reformer repertoire, Wunda Chair, Barrel and Cadillac repertoire.

Inspired Academy follows the order below to create stability and mobility before adding strength.