Willow Wellness Studio instructor Allison Walacavage demonstrates step 3 of the half roll back exercise series.

Heather Glidden | Contributor

Today’s exercise is a short series to tone the abdominal muscles: Half Roll Back Series. Choose one step if you are pressed for time, or do all three for a bit more abdominal endurance.

Step 1: Sit on the floor with your legs bent and your feet on the floor. If your hips are tight here, you may want to sit on something — you could even do this exercise sitting in a chair. Begin by reaching your arms forward, sitting with a vertical spine and relaxing your shoulders. As you exhale, curl your low back (feel the lower abdominal muscles) to roll back about halfway to the floor. Your stomach should make a scooped shape here — try not to let it push forward. Inhale to return to sitting vertically. Keep reaching forward the whole time. Do a total of four repetitions.

Step 2: Exhale and curl back halfway like you did in step 1, but this time keep your spine rounded as you come forward so you round forward over your legs at the top, continuing to reach the arms forward throughout. Do a total of 4 repetitions of these.

Step 3: After rounding forward on your last repetition of step 2, bring your spine back to vertical with your arms overhead. As you curl back this time, bring your arms down to one side of your legs. Turn your eyes and shoulders so you look at the hands as they come down (you will be curled back, but your waist will be slightly turned). You spine will return to vertical with your arms overhead between each repetition. Complete a total of eight repetitions of this step (four to each side, alternating sides each time).

Come back tomorrow for a standing exercise that you can do anywhere!

Heather Glidden owns Willow Wellness Studio in downtown Ann Arbor where she teaches Gyrotonic and Pilates and practices massage. She is passionate about helping people to learn more about their bodies. Got a body question? Email her at info@WillowWellnessStudio.com and she will do her best to answer it or find someone who can!