PILATES ON THIRD

BRINGS US a Pilates Flow for just for you … do it anytime… anywhere!

“Strengthening your core is one of the best things you can
do for your overall fitness.”

Standing Roll Down

Objective: Decompresses the spine and lengthens the hamstrings, while working the abdominals and promotes good posture.

How to do it: Stand with your feet hip distance apart, keep hips stacked over the ankles while keeping your knees soft and arms relaxed.  Inhale pull your abdominals in and then on your exhale, slightly nod your head forwards as you start to slowly roll your spine down vertebra by vertebra as far as you can while keeping your hips stacked above your ankles.  Inhale, pull your navel in towards the spine and feel the stretch evenly along the upper, middle and lower sections of your torso and feel your hamstrings lengthening.  On your exhale, use your lower abs to bring your pelvis to an upright position while stacking each vertebra one by one, rolling up slowly to your starting position.  Repeat 2-3 times.

Progression: Walk your hands forward out into a plank position and add a push-up☺

Swan Prep:
(back extension) 

Objective: Opens the chest and stretches the abdominals, hip flexors and quadriceps.  It also strengthens the shoulders, back, inner thighs, pelvic floor glutes, and hamstrings.

How to do it: Lie on the mat face down. Keep your arms close to your body as you bend your elbows to bring your hands under your shoulders. Shoulders should be away from the ears. The legs can be together or shoulder width apart.  Press your pubic bone and hips into the mat while drawing your navel in towards your spine.  Inhale and lift your head and chest off the floor by lengthening your spine through the crown of your head and press your forearms and hands into the mat while keeping your neck align with your spine and your hips pressing into mat. Protect your lower back by sending your tail bone down toward the mat.  Make sure the work is coming from your shoulder blades and upper back, not your lower back. Exhale while keeping your abdominals lifted, lengthen your spine as slowly return your torso to the mat beginning with low-belly, mid-belly, low-ribs then chest and head.  Repeat 2-3 more times.

Hundred 

Objective: Strengthens your core and gets blood flowing throughout your body to help promote circulation.

How to do it: Lie on your back. Raise your legs and bend them at the knee into tabletop position, knees stacked above your hips and shins and ankles parallel to the floor.  Inhale to prepare and as you exhale reach the arms long close to the side of your body and begin to curl your head and neck and upper back up off the floor using your abdominals.  Keep the shoulders sliding down the back. Gaze towards your navel as you pull your navel away from your shirt towards your spine.  Stay here, use your lats to pump your arms up and down like your slapping water as you begin to take five short breaths in and five short breaths.  Be sure to keep your shoulders and neck relaxed. It is the abdominal muscles that should be doing all the work.  Repeat this cycle 10 times (100 breaths).  Gently roll the upper and lower body back down to the mat and rest. 

Progression:  Extended your legs out to about a 90-degree angle

Plank

Objective: The plank is simply one of the best exercises for core conditioning as it improves posture, supports a healthy back, enhances overall movement and coordination and, of course, tones your midsection.

How to do it: Begin on your hands and knees with your knees directly under your hips and your hands directly under your shoulders.  Have your fingertips pointing and inner elbow slightly point forward and roll your shoulders back and down as if you were going to slide your shoulder blades into your pockets (you should feel your lats active).   Lift up in your middle as you step one-foot straight back and then the other. Keep your navel to spine and spine long as your legs engaged in supporting the plank position.   You should feel like your body is in one long line from your ankle bone to your ear. Hold for 3 - 5 breaths. Release and repeat 2 – 3 more times.

Plank Variation: 
Side Plank

Bridge 

Objective: 

Strengthens and lengthens your glutes, hamstrings, and quads, as well as your transverse abdominals and the postural muscles in your back.

How to do it: Start by lying on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor slightly in front of the knees and arms by your sides. Inhale to prepare while pressing arms down into floor. Exhale, keep your spine neutral and navel to spine as you raise your hips off the mat. Be sure to activate the glutes as you lift to achieve a straight line from knees to shoulders. Hold for 1-3 seconds. To lower, reverse the movement by rolling down slowly beginning with the upper back and ending with the tailbone.  Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and then return to your starting position.  Complete at least 10 reps.

Progression: Single Leg Bridge extending one leg up.