Just holding a plank is not part of Joseph Pilates Mat sequence but the Leg Pull Front and Leg Pull exercises are basically plank variations that use all your Pilates principles and concepts! The best way to practice being able to do these challenging Pilates exercises would be to start with your basic plank. Watch our video below to get some tips on how to do your best plank!
Swimming is one of the Pilates exercises I have a love/hate relationship for..maybe you can relate? Because it is a challenge for me to lift my body off the mat into an extension from this prone position this exercise is really difficult for me and I feel like I’m not doing it very well because I don’t have a big range of motion with my arms and legs. This is why I don’t like it…it’s hard for me! At the same time I know that it is exactly what my body needs and so I am trying to love the challenge of doing it well and not be so critical of myself as I do it! I’m focusing on strengthening my muscles uniformly while practicing at a working level for my body.
If you, like me and much of the rest of the world live in a world of flexion( slouching at the computer, forward head staring at a screen) you can easily see how strengthening the muscles that help reverse all that slouching and poor posture would help:
The Pilates Swimming exercise will help you do just these things!! These are the things I try to remind myself of every time I do this exercise(and every time I think about skipping it in my workout!!)
In today’s video I’m showing you my favorite version of swimming that I try to do on a regular basis. I’m using a small padded barrel under my hips because it allows me to lift away from the mat and get just a little more range of movement in my arms and legs. I like to start with just lifting into the swimming position and lowering from it. Then I lift into position and hold as I swim- alternating legs and arms lifting.
Combine Teaser and Corkscrew and what do you get? Hip Twist with stretched Arms (sometimes called Hip circles too)! This can be an especially challenging exercise that combines many of the skills from previous exercises. To do the full version of this exercise you not only do you need to be able to hold your Teaser, but you need to be open enough through your chest and shoulders to hold your Teaser with your hands pressing into the mat or mat poles behind you. Bending the arms and propping yourself on your elbows can be a great way to build the flexibility and strength you need to work toward the straight arm version.
The Teaser is one of the most famous Pilates exercises and for good reason- it is a challenging exercise that really embodies all of the Pilates principles into one beautiful exercise! The Teaser exercise can also be found in many of the other Pilates exercises…Hundred(low teaser position), Roll up, Roll over, Open Leg Rocker (just a rocking Teaser!), just to name a few…
So what is the key to being able to do a controlled, effortless looking Teaser?( even though it’s a ton of work!)? Here’s a few tips:
Try practicing your Pilates Teaser with a theraband to help you practice your articulation and breath!!
The Pilates Side Kick exercise is a great whole body strengthening exercise that can be done safely by most bodies. When you first do this exercise you may feel like it is a “leg exercise” (and it it) but the stability and lengthening portion of this exercise really comes from your center and those core muscles. After you get set up in a side lying position that works best for your body, you’ll be working to keep your upper body stable(ie completely still!) as you sweep your top leg front to back trying to challenge your balance and stability!
In his book,Return to Life, Joseph Pilates only includes the Side Kick as part of the traditional Pilates Mat routine. Over the years though there have been lots of variations of this exercise that have made their way into the Pilates Mat sequence and we often call this series of exercises the Side Leg Kick series. These exercises are especially great for strengthening the gluteus muscles of the hips as well as the traditional whole body strengthening you get from every Pilates exercise. Check out the video below that teaches a Side Leg Kick routine you can try at home!
The Jackknife exercise takes articulating through your spine to a whole new level! This challenging exercise has you bring your legs over your head to roll up through your spine to your shoulders, and then you attempt to reach through the back of your legs to pike your legs toward the ceiling. There are lots of benefits to this type of movement in your body but as you may have guessed this is no beginner exercise.
I’m guessing the fact that not a lot of people can do this exercise well without assistance is one of the reasons Joseph Pilates created the Long Spine exercise on his apparatus the Universal Reformer. By putting your feet in straps connected to the moving carriage of the reformer, clients can create the movement of rolling through the spine from your tail up without having to strain and possibly hurt themselves. The Reformer does some of the work of the exercise so that clients can build the whole body strength and flexibility needed to do this movement efficiently and safely.
Rivercity Pilates offers in-studio and virtual classes to fit all your needs and whatever your schedule allows. Get started today.
1210 North Jordan #1
North Liberty, IA
(319)665-2499
Regular Studio Hours: Sessions are available daily by appointment from 5:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
