Pilates Exercise of the Week

Originally published 6/1/2015

Hello My Friends,

One of the best ways to start a new activity, especially one that may be unfamiliar, or to continue a loved activity after class is over, is to have a simple way to learn and to reference the moves on your own. So I decided that a Pilates Move of the Week would be a good idea to support this philosophy. These weekly exercises will connect together to create a Pilates workout.

Here’s the first:

Abdominal curl/ Abdominal curl with rotation
Target – abdominals including obliques.

Set up – on your back with your knees bent soles of the feet on the floor, hands behind your head, shoulder blades pulling down your back, reference photo 1.

Movement – Exhale, engage your abdominals, lift your chest curling your head, neck and shoulders forward, gaze at your belly button, release by lowering down, reference photo 2. Repeat 6 times.

Ab Curl with Rotation – repeat movement instructions above. At the top of the moment rotate your left armpit toward right thigh, keep lifting the chest and rotate right armpit toward left thigh without moving your hips, return too center and lower down. Repeat 4 – 6 times

Notice what’s happening in your body:

  • Check for abdominal engagement – proper Pilates abdominal engagement happens on an exhale, the belly button pulls into the spine and lifts up to the rib cage, without engaging your glutes or your hip flexors. Imagine you’re moving your lower ribs towards your hip bones as your navel draws up and into the spine.
  • Lift your chest let your head follow, your hands are at the base of your skull to support the head. Be careful not to pull your head forward with hands.
Mind-Body Connection Pilates Studio