Los Angeles Mission College



BASIC PILATES EXERCISES

PILATES-Kinesiology #347/Mission College/Carla Lubow, Instructor

1. Chest Lift [pic]

Muscular focus: abdominals--especially upper abs

Tips: This is not a crunch. The abdominals must be pulled way down into a deep scoop as you use them to control a slow, smooth curl up and roll down.

2. The Hundred [pic]

Muscular focus: abdominals, breathing

Tips: Your abdominals will be deeply pulled in, so you will have to use your full lung capacity by breathing into your back and lower ribs. Use your abs to hold yourself up--don't get caught up in your shoulders and neck.

3. The Roll Up [pic]

Muscular focus: abdominals

Tips: Use your abdominals to roll up and down with control. Do not rely on momentum or letting your legs lift off the mat.

4. Single Leg Circle [pic]

Muscular focus: abdominals, thighs, hip flexors

Tips: The abdominals keep the pelvis stable as the leg moves. No rocking and rolling!

5. Rolling Like a Ball [pic]

Muscular focus: abdominals

Tips: Stay in your curve for the whole exercise. Initiate the roll back with the abs and not by throwing the upper body back.

6. Open Leg Balance (&Rocker)[pic]

Muscular focus: abdominals, hamstring stretch

Tips: Use you abdominals to control the pose. Try not to pull on your legs for balance.

7. The Side Kick Series [pic]

Muscular focus: abdominals, all thigh muscles--especially inner thigh

Tips: The ribs should stay lifted throughout each exercise. Do not let them sink to the mat.

8. Front Support/Plank (& Pushups) [pic]

Muscular focus: back extensors, abdominals, shoulders, arms

Tips: Stay in one line from your heels to your ears. Though the focus is somewhat on the upper body, if you engage the legs and imagine squeezing the sit bones together, the exercise will be easier.

9. Saw [pic]

Muscular focus: hamstrings, inner thigh, oblique abdominals, back stretch

Tips: Keep your hips anchored and level as you turn to the side. Extend energy through the back arm even as you reach forward.

10. Mermaid [pic]

Muscular focus: side stretch

Tips: Keep your body flat as you stretch sideways, as if you are between two sheets of glass. Keep the hip on your stretching side down.

11. The Roll Over [pic]

Roll over is one of those exercises that Joseph Pilates saw as stimulating the spine. It does involve a lot of spinal articulation, and the only way to control that is to use your abdominal muscles. Remember, roll over goes only as far as the shoulders and not roll up on to the neck.

12. Single Leg Stretch [pic]

Single leg stretch is often cited as an exercise that helps target the lower abs. Of course it works the entire core, requiring strength and stamina as one maintains an upper body curve and keeps the torso stable while switching the leg and arm positions. Modify single leg stretch by leaving your head down or working with your legs higher.

13. Double Leg Stretch [pic]

Going for even more abdominal strength and endurance, we follow single leg stretch with Double Leg Stretch. Double Leg Stretch is a graphic way to experience working from the center of the body as the arms and legs reach away and return together.

14. Spine Twist [pic]

Spine twist increases the range of motion in the upper body by training the trunk to spiral on the central vertical axis, while maintaining the support of a stable pelvis. This kind of range of motion work is very important in sports as well.

15. Jack Knife [pic]

An intermediate level classical Pilates exercise that builds on skills learned in the rollover. If you have neck problems, skip this exercise. Keep your chest open and shoulders down as you sweep your legs up so that you are a close as you can get to perpendicular to the floor. You are on your shoulders, not your neck,  getting help from the press of your shoulders and arms on the mat. Suspend at the top of the move.

16. Hip Twist [pic]

Muscular focus: Core/Abdominal. A good intermediate exercise that requires abdominal and back stabilization while the adductors are engaged in order for the legs to work as a single unit as they circle around.

17. Leg Pull Back [pic]

Leg pull back builds on back support. It is an intermediate level exercise, and adds stability and flexibility and build additional back support.

18. Leg Pull Front [pic]

Like the plank, leg pull front is a core strength builder that engages every part of the body. Leg pull front takes plank/front support a step further. By lifting one leg off the floor, you introduce instability that challenges the abdominals and shoulders to keep the trunk and pelvis stable as you move.

19. Single Leg Kick [pic]

This Pilates exercise focuses on the hamstrings and gluts, but it is also a great way to practice keeping your abdominals lifted, chest open, and shoulders stable.

20. Double Leg Kick [pic]

Double leg kick is a powerful back extension exercise. It targets the back extensors and the hamstrings, but you will find it requires support from the whole body as well.

21. Teaser [pic]

Teaser is a quick trip to flat abs and more importantly, a great core strength builder. Look for teaser to challenge your balance and symmetry. Full Pilates teaser is even harder - with both legs extended.

22. Bicycle [pic]

In Pilates, the legs move in the opposite way than one would normally to create a pedal action, and it makes a big difference in the level of the workout. The Bicycle is intermediate. If you have neck problems you will want to try this exercise with your back on the floor. You can put your hands under your hips to get a little lift.

ADDITIONAL PILATES EXERCISES

Chest Lift with Rotation

This Pilates exercise strengthens your abdominal muscles and teaches pelvic stability. It is also a great prep for criss cross, one of the best flat abs exercises ever. On your back with elbows open, feet on the mat with your knees bent.

Child's Pose

Showing up in both yoga and Pilates classes, child's pose is a wonderful relaxation and stretch exercise. Tuck your hips onto your feet with a curved and relaxed spine.

Criss Cross

Criss Cross is a popular Pilates mat exercise for targeting the abdominal muscles, especially the obliques. Working an upper body rotation against a stable pelvis is an excellent workout for all of the abs., but the rotation involved requires extra work from the obliques. Keep your hands behind the head and elbows open wide as they reach across towards the opposite bent knee. Working the obliques supports posture, the ability to flex and rotate the torso, and is a waist whittler!

Corkscrew

A classical Pilates mat exercise, the corkscrew offers a great challenge for shoulder stability and abdominal work as you rotate the legs opposite a still, calm upper body. It is an especially good exercise for the oblique muscles.

Inner Thigh Leg Lifts

Inner Thigh Lifts work your legs from your core abdominals. They tone the thighs and abdominals and stretch the hips. On your side, hook your bent knee over the lower straight leg and lift the lower leg to work the adductor/inner thigh muscles.

Knee Folds (Toe taps)

Knee folds is a Pilates fundamental exercise. It teaches pelvic stability and efficient movement principles. This is one of the Pilates exercises that is often used to help relieve back pain.

Pelvic Clock

Pelvic Clock is a basic Pilates exercise. It helps one understand the difference between neutral pelvis and flat back, and how to move the pelvis with the abdominals. It also reveals imbalances in the back and abdominal muscles.

Pelvic Curl

A beginner exercise that works the abs, gluts, hamstrings, inner thighs and good spinal articulation, as well. With knees bent, feet on the floor, imprint your spine and continue to roll the pelvic upward.

Seal

A Pilates exercise similar to Rolling Like a Ball, though the time it takes to clap one’s feet together 3X at the beginning and middle of the roll demands greater stability and control.

Shoulder Bridge

Pilates shoulder bridge strengthens the powerhouse, works with the coordination of movement and breath and is an especially good challenge for the inner thigh and hamstrings. Do the pelvic curl upward, then extend one leg at a time towards the ceiling and lower down.

Side Kick Front/Back

Use Pilates Side Kick Front and Back to work the back extensor muscles, the abdominals, the hamstrings, and the hip flexors. Side Kick Front/Back tones the thighs, hips and abs.. It is also an excellent balance challenge, calling forth the ability to use core muscles to stabilize the pelvis, and work the legs independently.

Side Leg Lifts(Bananas)

Side Leg Lifts done as a Pilates exercise works the entire abdominal region. Lifting the legs together keeps the inner thighs and buttocks engaged as the powerhouse pulls in and up, developing core strength and balance.

Single Straight Leg Stretch

This exercise is a very effective abdominal workout, working both the upper and lower abdominals. Provided that you learn to do it correctly this is an ideal core strength builder. On your back with head and upper back lifted off the floor, alternate holding one straight leg in your hands as high as it can go up while the other leg is close to the floor but not touching. Alternate with a pulse in-between.

Spine Stretch Forward [pic]

Spine Stretch is a Pilates mat exercise that feels really good. It can show up anywhere in your workout as a great stretch for the back and the hamstrings, as well as a moment to center oneself before moving on to more challenging exercises.

Swan (Swan Dive) [pic]

The benefits of this Pilates mat exercise are numerous. Swan is an extension exercise so it provides a great counter to the many flexion exercises in Pilates. Swan stretches the abdominals and hip flexors, even as it strengthens the abdominals, back and shoulders; as well as inner thighs, pelvic floor and hamstrings. In prone position, arch upward through the head, shoulders and upper back. The swan rocker can be added to make this a strength builder, as well.

Swimming [pic]

Pilates mat exercise, Swimming, is a fun exercise, yet quite a workout. Swimming, like the activity it is named after, works every part of the body. This one is perfect for toning the abs. butt, back and hamstrings. Try Pilates Swimming as a great counter exercise to all the front flexion exercises.

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