Many of my clients ask me which exercises to do in between classes so I thought I'd share my top five.
- SPINE CURL – you will do 1000s of these in your Pilates lifetime as they help to lengthen the spine and strengthen the legs. Lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Keep your head on the floor as you tilt the pelvis backwards, flatten your back, peel your bottom off the mat and lift your spine one vertebra at a time up to about the tips of the shoulder blades. This position is called 'the bridge'. Lower down starting at the top of the spine all the way to your pelvis. The slower, the better – 8 seconds to lift and 8 to lower.
- HIP ROLLS – an exercise to rotate the pelvis and lower spine. Lie on your back, knees bent, legs together or apart and turn the pelvis from one side to another taking both legs to the same side. You can make the exercise harder by lifting your legs and arms off the floor.
- CAT – the cat is usually done in four-point kneeling and is another exercise for your spine as you make the shape of the letter C, either upwards or downwards.
- OYSTER – a great exercise for your legs that also strengthens the lower back. Lie on your side with your knees bent and feet in line with your bottom. Lift and lower the top knee, keeping the feet together. Check that the pelvis is not rolling back each time you lift your leg to ensure you are working the correct muscles. You can make the exercise harder by lifting the feet off the floor.
- COBRA – this exercise develops and improves posture by strengthening the back extensor muscles. Lie on your front with your arms on the floor in a cactus shape with your hands level with your face and your legs turned out. Lift your head and upper chest off the floor, but only as high as your back allows.
10 minutes of Pilates exercise a day will help you to move better for longer. Joseph Pilates encouraged his clients to stay as active as possible by moving every day. His philosophy was to concentrate on performing all the exercises slowly and with precision to work all of the muscles correctly. In addition to being a dedicated teacher, Joseph was a great thinker. He is quoted to have said: “We retire too early and we die too young. Our prime of life should be in our 70’s and old age should not come until we are almost 100.” Practising what he preached, Joseph Pilates exercised almost right up until his death at 83. The longer we live, he believed, the more opportunity we have to improve our health.
