SHAPE.COM JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 1 4 7The perfect
candlestick roll
Stand with feet together
and arms reaching
forward. Squat all the
way down, and when
your butt touches the
floor, roll back, reach-
ing your arms behind
head, rolling onto your
upper back, letting your
straight legs come high
over your hips to create
momentum. Withoutpausing, roll forward,
bringing your heels as
close to your butt as you
can while connecting
your feet to the floor;
reach your arms for-
ward to come back into
a low squat to rise to
standing. “Think of this
movement as a see-
saw,” Widerstrom says.
“Energy transfers from
your feet to your head
back to your feet.” So
if you’re having trouble
making it off the floor,
roll back with a little
more gusto.FIT FASHION
Heroine Sport Cycling Bra
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Getting up is the
hard part, so here
are two ways to help
you. The beginning is
always the same: Stand
with feet together, arms
reaching forward. Squat
all the way down, and
when your butt touches
the floor, roll back onto
upper back, sending
legs up and slightly back.
If you struggle with
mobility, cross your legs
on the roll forward to
come to standing, while
also using your hands
to press into the floor
on both sides of your
hips. If it’s strength you
lack, hold a weight in
your hands on the roll
backward, and push it
forward on the way up
to help power you to
standing. Do 2 to 3 sets
of 8 to 10 reps.