Note: All exercises and activities are undertaken at your own risk. Advice is of a general nature and may not be suitable for you as an individual. Please check with your doctor before following this advice if you are unsure, unused to exercise or have medical issues such as a back problem.
Lie on your back, knees bend, feet flat on floor hip distance apart, heels under knees. Find your neutral spine and draw your tummy in as if you are wearing tight jeans as described previously. Keep your breath flowing.
Tilt your pelvis so that your mid spine goes to the floor, the buttocks start to lift just a little. Curl the lower spine away from the floor as you imagine it is a string of pearls you are lifting away from the mat one pearl at a time. Then reverse the process replacingthe spine back down curling it as you return to themat. The last pearl to come off the mat is the first one to go back down and so on. Breath out as you lift the spine, in as you lower it.
Easier – Workonly your lower spine lengthening as you work.
Harder –Start with the lower spine as above, then after about threerepetitions curl and lift futher through the spine until your body is ina straight diagonal line. Change your breath so that you breath out to lift the spine, in as you hold the postion at the top, then out to come down the spine and in at the bottom.
Watchpoints : Ifyou need a cushion or block under your head just work your lowerspine (in case your neck would be cricked by the angle as you lift).
Keep your corset muscles engaged all the time and keep breathing.
When you lift the body, checkyou are in a diagonal line and are not pushing up too much into an arch.
Spine Twist
Note: All exercises and activities are undertaken at your own risk. Advice is of a general nature and may not be suitable for you as an individual. Please check with your doctor before following this advice if you are unsure, unused to exercise or have medical issues such as a back problem.
Pilates exercise for spinal mobility & to tone the waist.
Sit on the floor with your feet together, knees out to the side. ( For a hip, kneeproblem or low bone density keep your legs in parallel, knees bent). Ensure that you are sitting on your sit bones (the bony bits in your bottom) and lengthening up through your spine. Maintain the natural curve to your spine, if this is difficult try sitting on a cushion or fitness block to raise your sit bones. Your eyes should look directly ahead, hands are placed into the prayer position, shoulders are drawn down away from your ears.
Either draw your pelvic floor up a little or draw your tummy in (if you feel both working when youwork one that is fine as they work together naturally, you do not need to do both together deliberately as this can lead to overtightening). Keep your breath flowing.
Gently spiral from the waist to turn to one side breathing out as you do so (for disc issues and low bone density keep these rotations small). Keep lengthening up without tilting to the side or liftingyour sit bones (imagineyou have a £50 note under both your sit bones youdo not wish anyone to take). Return to the centre on the in breath. Repeat to the other side. Repeat up to 10 times.
Need a seated exercise?
Exercise as above sitting on a chair.
Harder.
Crossyour arms and work in the Kossak position, keeping your shoulders drawn down throughout.
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This version of the side bend Pilates exercise has been modified to make it more achievable for beginners.
Please do not attempt the exercise if you have shoulder, knee or back problems.
Instructions:
Lie on your side on a mat with your feet, hips and shoulders stacked one on top of the other. Your knees are bent, your feet, bottom and hips are in a straight line. Use the back edge of your mat as a guide. You are lifted up on the elbow with the elbow aligned under the shoulder and a space between the shoulder and the ear. Keep your head in good posture, do not allow it to come forwards.
Engage your core muscles – draw up your pelvic floor and feel the muscles across your belly working as ifyou were wearing tight jeans. Maintain this feeling of being corested throughout.
Breathe in to prepare, as you breathe out lift your hip up towards the ceiling. Lower with control as you breathe in, keeping your tummy drawn in.
To work a little more intensively, lift your arm taking it across your head overyour ear.
Repeat for between 3 and 5 repetitions on each side.
Stop immediately if you have any medical concerns arising and check with your medical professional.
Pilates Exercises: The Oyster and the Side Kick
Level One Exercises
The Oyster - Beginner and Level 1
Lie on your side with your knees bent. The feet, hips and shoulders are stacked one above the other. Draw the waist away from the mat a little with a feeling of lengthening through the side of your body. Draw your belly muscles in as if you were wearing tight jeans. This will assist in stabilising your spine. Do not pull the belly in really hard as this will tighten other muscle groups.
As you breathe out, keeping the feet together like a hinge, lift the top knee, then lower as you breathe in.
Work for up to ten repetitions on each side.
Modifications - Check with your medical professional if unsure.
If you need to be careful due to problems with theback, hips or bone density, just lift the knee to hip height, keeping the movement within the line of the body. If your lower arm isn’t comfortable lengthened out, pop a bend in the elbow and find a more comfortable position. For a neck issue, you may find a cushion placed between the arm and the ear helpful.
Watchpoints
Keep the hips stacked, do not let the top hip roll forwards or backwards.
Keep as still as you can in the centre of your body.
Try to keep lengthened through the body with the waist drawn away from the mat a little, this is the side lying neutral position.
Keep breathing, don’t hold the breath.
Keep the shoulder drawn away from the ear.
Keep the head from coming forward. Your eyes should look directly ahead.
The Side Kick - Level 1
Lie on your side with straight legs, ensuring that the legs are drawn just a little in front of the lower spine.
Hips, feet and shoulders stacked one on top of the other so you are not rolling forwards or backwards.
Lengthen through your body.
Draw your belly in as if you are wearing tight jeans.
As you breathe out, lift your top leg, lower it as you breath in.
Work for up to ten repetitions on each side.
Modifications - Check with your medical professional if unsure.
The Oyster is a more suitable exercise if you need to be careful as there is less loading on the spine.
If you are wobbly on the side kick, pop a bend in the lower leg to widen your base of support.
Watchpoints
Keep the hips stacked, do not let the top hip roll forwards or backwards.
Keep as still as you can in the centre of your body.
Try to keep lengthened through the body with the waist drawn away from the mat a little, this is the side lying neutral position.
Keep breathing, don’t hold the breath.
Keep the shoulder drawn away from the ear.
Keep the head from coming forward. Your eyes should look directly ahead.
Take care to ensure that your legs do not travel to behind the spine as this can pinch in the back.
