Sporty Touches: exercise for backs
This spring/summer look out for racer backs on dresses, including mesh inserts and the sandal-shoe from a peek-a-boo mesh Marios Schwab and an androgynous sense of sportswear at Aquascutum.
The exercise: Upper back extension with arm lift.
Lie on your front with a folded towel under your forehead, arms by your sides. First set your lower back so that you don’t extend it during the movement. To do this, tuck in your tailbone, squeeze your bum and you should feel the front of your hips lift away from the floor. Now hover your hands one inch from the floor, reach your fingers towards your heels and rotate them so your thumbs point out away from you. Now keeping your chin slightly tucked towards your chest, slowly lift your chest away from the floor until you feel the area between your shoulder blades begin to tense. Hold for a second and then release. Repeat until you fatigue, ensuring that you never allow your hip bones to collapse to the floor as you lift your chest.
Luke Meessmann is a trainer at TenPilates; www.tenpilates.com; info@tenpilates.com; 020 8969 9677
