Pilates Mat Exercise – Criss Cross

Criss Cross is the fifth and final exercise in the Ab Series for Pilates Classic mat class.
The obliques and waistline are the target for this exercise.

Layer fingers over fingers and place your hands behind the nape of your neck. Legs are bent in a Pilates tabletop position. Lift up head and shoulders from mat and twist in one direction towards bent knee, lengthen the opposite leg to a high diagonal or no lower than 45 degrees. Switch sides, bending straight leg in and lengthen bent leg. The key here is to not sink down into the mat as you switch sides and legs. Keep your abs engaged.

Its a tough one to finish the Abs Series on! Remember to breath, pull your abs in and up and stretch your leg long. Think of taking your armpit towards your knee to help you from sinking back all the way down into your shoulders as you switch sides.

Start with 5 sets and build up to 10.

A few tips – Criss Cross:

• It’s all about the lift and twist
• Elbows are extended and the focus is on armpit to knee (not the obvious elbow to knee)
• Legs stretches long in front of you and never lower than 45 degrees
• Mentally tell yourself “up and around”, its never a roll from side to side

Video of Criss Cross Stretch

Continue reading ➞ Criss Cross in the Pilates Ab Series

Pilates Mat Exercise – Lower Lift

The fourth exercise in the Ab Series for Pilates Classic mat class is Lower Lift. Transition from Scissors into Lower Lift by diamond shaping your fingers and placing them under your lower back/tailbone (beginner/intermediate level). Lower Lift targets the lower and upper stomach muscle as you stretch your legs long.

Protecting your lower back is crucial in Lower Lift. If I was standing in front of you I would see you wiggling your fingers under your butt. Raise your head, shoulders and elbow off the mat. Lower legs away from the torso for a 3 count in the range of high diagonal to 45 degrees. Pull legs back towards the waist stopping at 90 degrees on 1 count. The focus is on engaging your abs (pull your navel into spine) as your lower and raise legs. Be careful not to go to low. Protect your lower back!

Inhale as you lower legs and exhale to lift legs. Repeat for 5-10 times.

A few tips – Lower Lift:

• Keep your back flat onto the mat (and into your hands). The back never arches off the mat.
• Engage the abs as you move your legs in each direction. The abs drive the action not the momentum of the legs
• Legs are tight together, zipped up and feet in Pilates stance (heels together, slight gap between toes that are turned out)
  

Video of Lower Lift

Continue reading ➞ Lower Lift in the Pilates Ab Series

Pilates Mat Exercise – Scissors

The third exercise in the Ab Series for Pilates Classic mat class is Scissors. Often called Single Straight Leg Stretch as a key focus for this exercise is getting a stretch to the back of the legs.

For Scissors in Pilates start with legs at 90 degrees, lift head and shoulders off the mat and place both hands up near your right ankle. Take your left leg out to a high diagonal or no lower than 45 degrees. Inhale as you pull one leg in a double pulse (the right one with your hands on it) towards your midline and exhale as you switch legs, placing hands on left leg that is pulling in.

Ensure your focus is on using your abs to keep your shoulders and head off the floor and guiding the leg in towards you. It’s the abs and not the momentum of your legs that are working the magic here. A great abs and leg exercise as you flow from Double Leg Stretch into Scissors.

Repeat for 5-10 sets.

A few tips – Scissors in Pilates:

• Your torso remains still
• The pulses are small and hands are soft on to the leg
• The abs pull the leg towards your torso, not your hands
• Draw shoulders away from neck
• Keep knees as straight as possible

Video of Scissors

Continue reading ➞ Scissors in the Pilates Ab Series

Pilates Mat Exercise – Double Leg Stretch

The second exercise in the Ab Series for Pilates Classic mat class is Double Leg Stretch. A great exercise for building your stamina as you flow from one exercise to another.

After single leg stretch hug both knees into your chest and place your hands on each ankle. If not already raised, lift head and shoulders off your mat.

Exhale as you pull both knees in towards you and inhale as you simultaneously stretch both arms long over your head and straighten your legs. Your legs stretch out to no lower than 45 degrees. Ensuring you focus on lengthening your arms and legs in opposition to each others while pulling your abs in and up. The arms sweep around in a circle motion as you hug knees in.

Inhale as you stretch long and Exhale when you hug knees in. Repeat 8-10 times.

A few tips – Double Leg Stretch:

• Keep the trunk or torso of your body stable. Movement is in the arms and legs.
• Focus on stretching in opposition – legs long in front of you and arms long behind you.
• Lower back is glued to the mat – it does not move!
• Remember to breath!
  

Video of Double Leg Stretch

Continue reading ➞ Double Leg Stretch in the Pilates Ab Series

Pilates Mat Exercise – Single Leg Stretch

The first exercise in the Ab series for Pilates Classic mat class is Single Leg Stretch. A great exercise as your transition from Rolling Like a Ball to the Ab Series. A total of five exercises make up the Ab series and as you progress in your Pilates practice you will flow from one exercise into the next.

After holding your balance in Rolling Like a Ball start to tuck your tailbone and articulate your spine on to the mat stopping at the tips of your shoulder blades. Stretch one leg long and the other leg bend and hug in to your torso. You’re now ready for Single Leg Stretch!

Exhale as you pull the bent knee in towards you and inhale as you switch legs. Focus on lengthening your straight leg at a either high diagonal to no lower than 45 degrees. Pull your Abs in and up while breathing and switching legs.

Make sure to keep your head and shoulders off the mat and constantly check in with yourself that you not only engaging your abs but also your breath!

Repeat for 4-6 sets.

A few tips – Single Leg Stretch:

• The straight leg that is stretching long should never be too low that it comprises you from keeping a flat back on the mat
• Check in with your shoulders as they will drift up towards your ears. Draw them back and down.
• Keep your abs constantly engaged throughout Single Leg Stretch.
• Ensure stillness in your torso and upper body – no rocking side to side!
  

Video of Single Leg Stretch

Continue reading ➞ Single Leg Stretch in the Pilates Ab Series

Pilates Mat Exercise – Rolling like a Ball

Time to warm up the spin and get yourself rolling like a ball. My teacher often says during this exercise “you should look like a little ball and feel like a little ball”.

After single leg circles rock up to a seated position with heels on the mat for rolling like a ball.

Make sure you are up towards the front of your mat and place your hands on your ankles with heels together. Head is between the slightly open knees with your chin to chest. Your spine is in a C curve, looking into abs as you scoop your navel towards your spine to initiate the movement.

Roll back to the tips of your shoulder blades to rock back up. Feet do not touch the mat Repeat for 4-6 times.

A few tips – Rolling Like a Ball:

• Keep yourself tucked in the ball shape as tightly as you can
• Momentum is needed. too slow and you won’t be able to rock back up!
• Your head stays between your knees
• When you rock back stop at the bottom of your shoulder blades, don’t go back any further!
  

Video of Rolling Like a Ball

Continue reading ➞ Rolling Like a Ball

Pilates Mat Exercise – One Leg Circles

One of my favorite exercises. A great warm up for the hip joint and leg. Start off by lying on your back to prepare for singe leg circles on the mat.
Keep your legs long and place your arms by your side with your palms pressing down.

Keep one leg straight out on the mat with the foot flexed. Hug your other knee into your chest. Straighten the leg up to the ceiling at 90 degrees.. Arms are back long and pressing into the mat.

The leg that is up in the air circles around in a smooth motion. Think to yourself “around, across the body, and back up”. For a total of five rotations in one direction, keeping the single leg circles in proximity of your hip joint (this is not a wide or wild out of control large circle). After five rotations stop at the top and reverse the circle. This time think to yourself “across the body, around, and back up”. Bend leg and hug into chest.

Switch legs and repeat for 5 times in each direction. Bend both knees into the chest, place hands under knee creases and rock up to a sitting position.

A few tips – Single Leg Circles on the Mat:

• Focus on keeping the hips stable
• Keep the movement fluid and in control
• The upper body remains still while you are circling the leg, with a neutral neck (no tilting of the head)
• Make sure your lower back stays on the mat and does not arch
• As your circle make sure your knee is not turned in

Click video below to see the Single Leg Circles

Video of Single Leg Circles on the Mat

Continue reading ➞ Single Leg Circles on the Mat

Pilates Mat Exercise – The Roll Up

The Roll Up will test your abs and give you immediate feedback in how you’re progressing in your Pilates practice. It’s an exercise that is taught in every classic Pilates mat class either after the Hundred or the Half roll down.

Start off by lying down on your mat with your legs long and ideally “glued” together. Flex your feet. Legs can be straight or for anyone knew to Pilates (or needing to modify due to injury) slightly bend your knees (think soft knees!)

At a 90 degree angle take your arms straight up to the ceiling. Inhale as you lift your head, with your chin to your chest, roll up reaching your arms forward, just as far as your toes, as you take an exhale. Your spine is in a C curve and your are scooping your abs in towards your spine.

Inhale as your start to articulate the spine down on the mat, taking your time to imprint every vertebra. Once you get to your shoulder blades exhale and low neck and head on to the mat. Repeat for 3-5 times.

A few tips with the Roll up Pilates mat exercise.
Keep legs on the floor and chin to chest.
Draw your shoulders down on to your back and away from your ears (no hunching!)
When you lower down on to the mat do it with control thinking to yourself lower back, middle back and then upper back.
Click video below to see the Roll up exercise.

Video of the Roll up Pilates exercise

Continue reading ➞ Warming up with the Roll Up Pilates exercise

Pilates Mat Exercise – Half Roll Down

Classic Pilates mat classes sometimes skip the Half Roll Down as it’s thought or as a beginner exercise. I like to teach it regardless of the level of the student as its an excellent warm up and bridge exercise for the spin before teaching the more challenging Roll up. In addition it gets you to engage your abs and breath.

After the Hundred place your hands under your knee creases and come up to a seated position with feet on the mat and knees bent. Sit up tall with knees hip distance apart, hands remain under your knees or move to under thighs. Feet stay on the mat throughout the Half Roll Down.

(highly recommend you invest in a thicker yoga mat for Pilates exercises – see picture!).

Curl you chin towards your chest, tuck your tailbone and c curve your lower back. You’re looking into your abs and scooping them in and up. Shoulders are drawing down away from the ears – no hunching allowed!

Inhale your breath as you roll back towards the mat until your arms softly straighten. Hold position and then exhale as you move forward taking the head towards the knees and keeping the c curve of the lower spine. As you round back you inhale and use the exhale when you come forward. Keep going for 5 repetitions. Click video below to see the Half Roll Down exercise.

Video of the Half Roll Down Pilates mat exercise

Continue reading ➞ Half Roll Down Pilates mat exercise

Pilates Mat Exercise – The Hundred

Classic Pilates mat classes always start with the Hundred. It’s an exercise that immediately warms up the body, getting the heart pumping and increasing your circulation.

Start off by lying down on your mat (highly recommend you invest in a thicker yoga mat for Pilates exercises).

Hug your knees in and lift your head and shoulders up off the mat, Take your legs to table top position (knees are bent in a 90 degree angle above the hips/toes are above knees). Hover arms off the mat.

Vigorously pump your arms up and down by the hips and use your breath to inhale for 5 counts and exhale for 5 counts. Extend your legs to a high diagonal (no lower than 45 degrees). Keep going for 9 more repetitions for a total of hundred (yes, that’s where the exercise gets its name!). Look into your abdominals while pulling your abs in and up, drawing your shoulders away from your ears, and your legs are pressing together. Click video below to see the hundred exercise.

Video of the Hundred Pilates mat exercise

Continue reading ➞ Breaking down the Hundred Pilates mat exercise