Footwork – Bird on a Perch

Equipment:

Mat

Prop:

None

Difficulty (1-5):

3

Repetitions:

10

Main Body Position:

Supine

Spine Position:

Flexion

Part of Series?

Yes

Start Position 🏁

  • Lie on back
  • Feet in bird on a perch (glued together, curved like two crescent moons)
  • Legs together
  • Bend knees and pull in toward chest
  • Hands behind head, fingers interlocked
  • Elbows wide
  • Chest lifted
  • Tips of shoulder blades on mat
  • Look at toes

Cues 💡

  • Should feel abdominals firing
  • Push head back into hands
  • Leading with arches of feet, stretch legs out fully
  • Bend knees and pull them deeply into chest
  • Hips lift a touch off mat as knees pull in the last couple inches
  • Watch tendency to gradually lower upper torso back down onto mat. Maintain chest lift at 100% of where it was in start position.
  • The movement comes from the hip joint extending and flexing

Breathing 🫁

  • Inhale (nose) to stretch legs out
  • Exhale (mouth) to pull knees in

Modifications 🔧

  • Angle legs higher
  • Don’t stretch legs out fully
  • Brings arms beside torso, instead of behind head, and let legs slide back-and-forth on hands
  • Reduce reps