Keeping your head down and shoulders tension-free without arching your back is more challenging than bringing your head up and curling forward. Inhale to bend your knee back to the 90-degree position.The hand on the side of the stretched leg will reach toward the opposite ankle. Avoid arching your back, and watch for the abdominals doming. Exhale to stretch one leg out at a 45-degree angle or lower - only as low as you can while keeping your back and pelvis in the same position.Inhale to put your hands on the sides of your knees. Exhale to curl your head, neck, and shoulders off of the floor so you’re looking at your knees.Lie on your back with both legs in tabletop.Muscles worked: abdominals, back, hip extensors.Difficulty level: beginner/intermediate.Avoid arching your back or letting your abdominals dome out. This will help prevent you from cheating and give you tactile feedback. Place one hand just below your belly button and the other hand on your low back. For added difficulty, reach your foot further away from your body. If you’re having trouble keeping your abdominals engaged and feel your back arching, tilt your pelvis back more, so your lower back comes closer to the ground. Exhale with control to return your feet to the floor.Breathe and hold the position for 5 counts.Exhale to lift the second leg into tabletop, without popping your abdominals or arching your back.Imagine you’re gently tightening a belt, and lift one leg up into tabletop without moving your hips, pelvis, or back. Exhale to draw your pelvic floor and abdominals up and in.Inhale to breathe into the back of your ribs.Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet parallel and hip-width apart.Muscles worked: transverse abdominis (your deepest abdominal muscle, felt under the belly button), back.Aim to keep your shoulders and neck relaxed. To add difficulty, on the third rep, hold the position at the top, engage your glutes, and squeeze the ball on your exhale for 5 reps. Exhale, articulate the spine back down to the mat, aiming to lengthen your torso.Start by tilting your pelvis and then peel your lower and then mid-back off of the floor until you’ve created a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Exhale, gently squeeze the mini ball, push your feet into the floor, and articulate your spine off of the mat. Place a pillow, block, or mini ball between your thighs. Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs, pelvic floor, back muscles.It focuses on the smaller and deeper muscles that support your structure and enhance your overall health. Pilates is a low impact exercise comprising controlled movements that enhance your balance, core strength, mobility, flexibility, and even mood. What’s more, Pilates has been shown to improve your quality of life, including exerting positive effects on depression and anxiety ( 3, 4). Maintaining a strong core through Pilates helps relieve low back pain, improves balance, and decreases the risk of falling ( 1, 2). It can involve matwork or low impact bodyweight exercises, or it can be done on specialized equipment. Pilates supports your body’s structure through a balance of strength, mobility, and flexibility, with every exercise engaging your core. It’s known for targeting smaller and deeper stabilization muscles and often explained as working from the inside out. Pilates exercises, in conjunction with your breath, employ all of your body’s muscles. Created by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century and originally called “Contrology,” Pilates is a system of exercises designed to enhance the body’s potential by correcting muscular imbalances, finding optimal alignment, and creating efficient movement patterns.
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