Home Beginners Pilates Practice

Now more than ever are we stuck in a digital age. Due to the circumstances we are now working at home and adding on more time sitting and staring at a monitor screen. With this in mind it is a great time to return to your roots and build up a foundation for your Pilates practice. Personally as a teacher I find the more time and hours you learn a foundational movement the better and harder it becomes, in an amazing way! Returning to your foundational movements creates better movements patterns such as breathing, proper muscle engagement, and enhanced muscle coordination. Without these key point there would be only an exercise with no way or reason. So here are my must do fundamental movements to do as often as your body and mind seem fit to do.

Inhale to prepare.

Articulation: exhale while tucking the pelvis towards the ceiling as you slowly peel one vertebra at a time off the mat.

Hamstrings, glutes, quads: Inhale pause at the top getting the heels to drag towards your glutes,

Articulation: exhale as you move down.

Keeping the knees in table top the whole time.

Inhale as the knees move to one side

Obliques: Exhale as the knees move to center

Inhale as the knees move to the other side

Legs to table top. The 90 degree angle in the armpit of the knee never changes.

Inhale as the leg hinges from the hip, tapping lightly

Abdominals: Exhale as the leg hinges up to table top

Keep the 90 degree angle of the armpit of the knee the whole time.

Abdominals: Inhale as one leg lowers

Abdominals: Exhale as the legs switch in center

Legs in table top, arms strong and straight to the ceiling.

Inhale to prepare

Abdominals: Exhale as the hands move towards the hips, neck and head follow as you lift the shoulders off the mat.

Abdominals: Inhale pause at the top, eyes gaxing between the knees.

Exhale reversing the movement as you articulate down and arms return to start

Spine long lying down on your side in a slightly curved shape.

Keep the hips stacked one on top of another.

Engagement through the bottom oblique so that a natural lift occurs.

Legs are strong, toes pointed.

Inhale to prepare.

Obliques: Exhale lifting the legs only as high as you keep the form and hips aligned.

Inhale lower slow and controlled.

Repeat.

Sitting, feet about as wide as your mat. Arms parallel to the ground at shoulder height.

Inhale lengthen grow tall through the spine.

Articulation: Exhale rolling the head down through the spine. Arms staying parallel with the ground

Inhale pause into the stretch

Articulation: Exhale reverse articulation of the spine to roll back, head being the last one restacked until you are seated again.

Repeat.

Laying supine, on your back. Strong arms over the head palms facing each other. Lift the arms if needed to keep the ribs down on the mat, no flaring.

Tuck the pelvis forward to flatten your low back curve.

Legs long and as close together as possible.

Abdominals: Inhale to move the arms to the hips, lifting off the shoulders, neck and head follow. Coming into your chest lift position.

Abdominals: Exhale to curl forward reaching towards the toes in a tall “C” position.

Inhale pause.

Exhale to revers the articulation, slow and controlled, until you return to start.

Practice each exercise safely and modify as needed. There should be no pain, no tension and no aches doing the movements. Regression is better than progressing into injury.

I recommend 10-15 repetitions of each movement, start slow so option to do less to start.

Hope this helps you move a bit more through your days at home. Lots of healthy thoughts and wishes to you!