Some people say that you are “as old as your spine”; whatever that means, it is clear that having a strong mobile spine will increase your quality of life and allow you to stay active longer.

In Calistree, you can specifically target your spine in strength and flexibility and see your progress over time. Happy training!

1- Hanging cobra

Set your rings somewhere around chest height (lower=more intense stretch).
Hang from the rings with your legs extended to the back and the toes pointed.
Relax into this position, taking deep breaths and letting your shoulders open.
You should feel a stretch in your chest, abs, or side of the body (Latissimus Dorsi), depending on which area is most tight.

2- Side bow pose

Lying on your belly (prone position), bend your knees and reach back to take the feet with the hands, palms facing inward.
Push the legs up and back to lift into Bow Pose, then rock to the right side and continue pushing the legs away.
Gaze toward the third eye (center of forehead), keeping the head in line with the spine.
Take 5 breaths
Rock back to the center and repeat on the other side.

Form tips

As you roll to the side, try to keep the side body and ribcage grounded.
Most of the effort here comes from the legs pushing back and the hips pushing forward.
Externally rotate the upper arms and grasp the feet and ankles firmly.
Gaze toward the tip of the nose if you feel pinching or hinging in the neck.

3- Wall bridge pushup

Stand a short distance away from a wall, with your back to the wall.
Lean back against the wall then bring your arms back until your palms are beside your head and touching the wall, fingers pointing down.
Extend your arms by pushing on your palms, to push your body away from the wall and give it an arched position.
Pause and then slowly reverse the movement.

Form tips

Over time, try to place your hands lower on the wall.

4- Wall bridge rotation

Stand a short distance away from a wall, back to the wall.
Twist to one side, look at the wall and place the hand on that side on the wall, with the fingers pointing down.
Square your hips and bring the other hand on the wall, to mirror the position of the first hand.
Continue the rotation movement by pushing from the second hand and twisting to that side, until your get back to standing.
Reverse the whole movement.

5- Table top reach back

Start in a relaxed Table Top position, with your fingers pointing back.
While keeping your feet flat on the ground, shift your weight to one arm, lift your hips up and point the other arm back.
Aim to have your hips higher than your knees and your free arm aligned with your torso.

6- Seal rock to tuck

Start in an Upward Dog position, pushing your shoulders down and lifting your chest up.
Bend your knees and push on your hands to lift your hips up and back into Child Pose.
Keep rocking between the two positions.

7- Palm blocked bridge

Lie down on your back, with your hands right by a wall, and your feet flat on the ground near your buttocks.
Place your palms flat on the ground, with the wrists close to the wall and the fingers pointings towards the feet.
Push on your hands to lift your hips up.
Push on your feet to get your chest as close as possible to the wall, or touching the wall.
Get your forearms to press against the wall.

8- Ball bridge

Sit on a Stability Ball, lean back while rolling forward to keep the weight balanced, and reach back with your hands.
Place palms on the ground, not far from the ball, with the fingers pointing towards your feet.
Push on your hands and feet to lift your hips up into a a full Bridge.
Then slowly lower your weight back down on the ball.

Form tips

Push on your legs to move your chest forward and get your shoulders above your hands.
Get your hands close enough to your feet to be able to form a nice Bridge shape.

9- Supported bridge

Place your lower back on a support, lean back untill your palms touch the floor, fingers pointing towards your feet.
Push throught the hands and feet, smoothly straightening at the elbows and knees and arching your back.
Pause in the Bridge position and then slowly reverse the movement.
Start with larger supporting object and move to smaller ones as you progress, thus increasing your range of motion.

Form tips

If you lose strength at the top of the movement, you might fall on your head or on the support, so do not go to failure.

10- Bow pose

From a prone position (lying on belly), bend the knees and reach back with the hands to catch the outside edges of the feet or ankles.
Push the feet into the hands and lift the knees and chest off the floor to form a bow shape.
Gaze straight ahead or toward the forehead.

Form tips

Engage the legs strongly to lift the upper chest.
Rotate the upper arms externally.
Feel as though you are trying to lift the pubic bone off the floor, so you’ll be rocking more forward than back, lifting the legs up more than back, and engaging the Glutes and Hamstrings strongly.

11- Block support camel pose

Kneel with the toes tucked under and your hands places on your hips.
place blocks alongside the ankles.
Inhale to engage the legs, firm the belly, lengthen the spine and lift your head and your chest up.
Exhale to take the head back, keeping the chest lifting, and reach back to place your hands on the blocks with the fingertips facing back.
Take 5 breaths.
Inhale to come back up, firming the legs and lifting the head last.

Form tips

Blocks can be placed at a low (flat), medium (on the long edge) or high (on the short edge) setting.
For tight shoulders and upper back, keep the chin lowered toward the chest.
Press into the hands in order to lift up the chest.
Keep the lower back in a more or less neutral position, focusing on extending the upper back.
Pull the shoulder blades toward each other (Shoulder Retraction) and down the back.

12- Raised ankles camel pose

Kneel on the ground, with the toes tucked under and the hands on your hips.
Inhale, engage the legs, lengthen the spine and lift the head and chest upward.
Exhale, tilt your head backward, lift your chest upward, and reach back to place your hands on the heels with the fingertips facing back.
Inhale and come back up, lifting the head last.

Form tips

For tight shoulders and upper back, keep the chin lowered toward the chest.
Press into the hands in order to lift up the chest.
Keep the lower back in a more or less neutral position, focusing on extending the upper back.
Pull the shoulder blades toward each other and downward.

13- Camel pose

From a kneeling position, lift up to align the hips over the knees and the shoulders over the hips, with your arms to the sides.
Inhale and engage the legs and torso, then exhale, tilt your head back and reach the hands toward the heels.
Rest the hands on the heels with the fingers facing back, and lift the chest upward.

Form tips

Lift the heels and curl the toes under for a slightly easier version.
Try to keep the hips over the knees, avoiding pushing the hips forward or leaning back to reach for the toes.