Pilates Exercises
8 Principles of Pilates
Alignment – You will build an awareness of the correct alignment of your spine and also the joints in your body. Your posture will improve.
Breathing – In Pilates we use thoracic breathing to help maintain our core stability and to massage our internal organs. Generally we breath in to lengthen the spine and breath out to stabilise. For beginner exercises we always breath in to prepare, breath out as we scoop and hollow our tummy muscles and pelvic floor and then move. Use this method throughout.
Concentration – Focusing on what you are aiming to achieve and feeling the connections in your body.
Relaxation – Relaxing the body and mind to help with wellness and the release of tension.
Co-ordination – Progressing the moves so that you develop your co –ordination and improve the body mind connection.
Flowing movement – Developing the correct movement patterns in the body to progress to flowing movement of one exercise into another.
Stamina and strength – With the constant movement of progressively harder exercises you will build up cardiovascular stamina as well as stamina in your muscles. Strengthening weak muscles using Pilates as a methodology. Your inner core muscles will be strengthened to help your outer muscles do their job properly and not have to overwork.
Flexibility – Lengthening tight muscles will help prevent compensations in the body and also allow the correct alignment of the spine so that muscles are not potentially held constantly taught and can work more effectively.
Neutral Pelvis and Spine – Keeping the natural curves in the spine.
Find your neutral when you are laying on your back with your knees bent. The back of your head, back of your ribcage and tailbone is heavy into the floor. Make a diamond shape between your two hip bones (asis) and your pubic bone. This should be parallel to the floor.
Pregnancy Pilates Exercises for clients coming to class and for 1:1 clients.
For Pregnancy Pilates we aim to not lay on our backs if possible. If we are doing exercises on our backs, it is for no longer than 2 mins max. Your body will tell you if it is happy for you do this this or not. Simply lay on your left hand side if you feel light headed, dizzy or breathless. Many of the exercises in class are done standing, or side lying and adapted for each individual and their needs. Small group classes are run on thursdays. Pregnancy Pilates in Clapham. Also Pregnancy Pilates in Battersea on saturdays 10am. Contact me if you want to book onto the new course.
Aim to do these exercises everyday. These exercises are devised for clients coming to the classes or 1:1 sessions. All exercises are done during the classes or sessions and the exercises are to be used for your reference. Any doubt or uncertainty on an exercise please ask the next time you see me. Everyone, has different needs and if you have any condition such as symphysis Pubis syndrome please reduce the range of movement in the exercises with the legs and hip rolls and listen to your body. If any thing feels uncomfortable do not do it! For pregnancy. When going into the double knee fold (only 1st trimester, in print the lower back into the floor first for safety. You should not feel any strain in the back at all. If you do stick with single knee fold and what I advise you individually in class or your session.
Rib Cage Closure – Aim – To keep the front of the ribcage down as you stretch your arms over your head and maintain neutral pelvis and spine.
Breath in to prepare lifting your arms and breath out as you allow gravity to take your arms up and over past your head towards the floor behind you. Keep the front of the ribcage down and make sure the ribs do not flare. Using your thoracic breathing to knit the ribs together at the front and soften the breast bone down. 8-10 reps
Spine Curls – Aim to mobilise your spine whilst working from a strong center and works deep into the back of the legs and the bottom muscles (glutes).
Breath in to prepare, scoop and hollow and draw up the pelvic floor. Breath out to move. Tilt the pelvis and imprint the lower back into the floor; wheeling the pelvis, continue to lift your spine, bone by bone until you just have the lower border of your shoulder blades on the floor. The front of the ribcage is flat and you have length through your waist from your breastbone down to the pubic bone at the front.
Breath in here and breath out to lower down, bone by bone, from the upper back first, then the lower then the pelvis and tailbone last, increasing your segmental movement of the spine. 8-10 reps
Hip Rolls Aim – Mobilise the lower back whilst working from a strong centre and strengthening the waist muscles.
Start position- Laying on your back, knees bent with your feet on the floor and arms at shoulder height, reaching out to the sides.
Breath in to prepare, breath out as you scoop and hollow your tummy muscles and rotate your knees and pelvis over to one side keeping your shoulder blades grounded on the floor. Keep the ribs closed at the front by softening the breast bone down and keeping the front of the ribcage down. Allow the legs to be heavy and tailbone heavy. Breath in to prepare, scoop and hollow and breath out to bring the back of the ribcage, the lower ribs, lower back, pelvis and then knees back to start position. Alternate sides. 8-10 reps
Knee folds with leg slide – Aim – Working from a strong center to stabilise the muscles surrounding your pelvis and working your pelvic floor muscles. Making sure you maintain neutral pelvis and spine as you knee fold. 8-10reps.
Start position – laying on your back and feet hip width apart with knees bent. Neutral pelvis and spine.
Breath in to prepare. Breath out to stabilise (scoop and hollow tummy muscles and pelvic floor) then slide one leg away. Hold. Breath in, stabilise, breath out to slide the leg back in bringing the leg into a knee fold by peeling the heel and then the toe of the floor bringing your leg at a right angle over your hip joint. Then repeat with the other leg. NB. Make sure there is no shift in the lower back and that the tummy muscles do not bulge.
Chalk Circles – Aim – Working on stretching out chest muscles. Improving posture. Mobilising upper back shoulders and ribcage and reducing tension in lower back.
Start position – side lying with knees bent at right angle and arms in front of your body in line with your chest.
Breath in as you raise your top arm up towards your head and breath out to rotate your head, neck and ribcage as you circle your arm around your body, past your hips back to start position. NB keep your hips stacked and facing forwards. Only upper body moves.
Side lying leg series – Aim. To strengthen your stabilising muscles around the pelvis and hips. Tone your legs and bottom.
Start Position. Laying on your side with your knees bent at right angles and the top leg straightened in line with the rest of the body.
Leg forwards and back – 8 reps. Breath in as you lengthen and bring your leg forwards (make sure your upper body and lower back does not move) Breath out to take the leg back. Everyone’s range is different. When pregnant keep the range small and focus on stability and hug the baby with your abdominals. Working on control.
Leg Lift and Lower – 8 reps. Your top leg is straight in line with the rest of the body and bottom leg bent. Raise your leg up in the air a few inches and lower back so that it is in line with your hip (not below)
Leg Circles – 8 cycles. Start position as above. Circle your top leg clockwise 5xs and then anti clockwise for 8xs. Imagine you are circling your leg around a tennis ball. Work from the hip.
Oyster – 16xs. Start position side lying with your knees bent at 60 degrees and your feet, hips and shoulders in a straight line. Imagine you have a wall in front of you. Lift your top knee so that it raises up against your imaginery wall. Keep your hips stacked and shoulders. Squeeze the soles of your feet together at the top of the movement and slightly squeeze your bottom muscles. Then bring the knee back to start position. You should feel this under the crease of the buttock on that side. Look at your alignment if you do not feel this.
100 – Aim – Works deep into the abdominals as you stabilise your pelvis, increase your circulation by beating the arms working from the back of the shoulder blades whilst being stabilised here too. Variations of this when pregnant, is to do with your upper body on an incline and being supported by cushions. Alternatively, to do with your head down and not in a curled up position (advisable for 3rd trimester)
Double knee fold with the correct breathing! Imprint your lower back when doing this. (Only up to the 2nd trimester. Single knee fold past this stage!) Then go into neutral with your pelvis and spine. Breath in for five as you beat the arms and breath out for five keeping the arms beating. N.B the arms should be straight working from the back of the shoulder blade and keep the front of the ribcage down. Do this working up to 100 beats of the arms. Then stop beating the arms and knee fold down and stretch arms and legs out together and relax. Nb past 3rd trimester I advise to do arms beating with single knee fold for ten beats then swap to other leg. Working on shoulder stability and also pelvic stability
Single leg stretch – Aim to stretch out the back of the leg and work from a strong center. Start position – laying on your back in neutral pelvis and spine. Feet hip width apart.
Pregnancy version – with cushions supporting your upper body and being raised on a incline (up to second trimester only). Alternatively do with your head down and have the leg straighten to the ceiling as your other leg comes into your chest – read below.
Double knee fold with stability. Curl up as you lengthen one leg away(or keep head on the floor and straighten the leg to the ceiling) and hug the other knee in towards the chest maintaining length through the waist and keeping the tail bone heavy. As you hug the knee in reach to the outside ankle with the outside hand and placing the other hand on the inside of the knee. Alternate this movement with arms and legs working on your co –ordination and improving stamina and strength. Do 16 repetitions and then come out of the knee fold with stability and uncurl. N.B look down the whole time at the belly button, keep the shin parallel to the floor as you hug the knee in. Bring the elbows out to the sides to stretch the chest.
Window Arms Aim – Mobilise your shoulders and opens out the chest whilst stretching the upper back. Start position on your back, your knees are bent with your feet on the floor and your arms in the air level with your chest. Palms are facing away from you.
Breath in to prepare, breath out as you bend your elbows at right angles to the side of you, level with your shoulders. Breath in to rotate the arms back from the top of the shoulder maintaining the right angle. Breath out rib cage closure as you send your arms over your head behind you. Breath in to return your arms back to start position. Continuous movement. Repeat 8-10 times.
Diamond Press – Aim Strengthens your deep stabilising muscles of the shoulder blades. This improves posture and aids upper back strength, reducing back pain and tension around the upper shoulders.
Sitting against the wall with cushions behind your back. Have your hands in front of you in a diamond shape on your forehead with your elbows bent. Breath in to prepare and breath out as you slightly push your hands forwards away from your head (keeping length in the back of your neck) and lengthen your elbows out to the sides. As you do this, think of opening up through the collar bones and shining your chest to the ceiling. Hold. Breath in to prepare and pelvic floor draws in and breath out to release and move back to start position. N.B you should feel this between the shoulder blades and it is subtle! Repeat 8-10 times
Side Reach Standing.
Breath in as you float one arm up to the ear and then reach over to the side. Breath out to return. You are aiming to keep the spine in alignment as you reach over and making sure the ribs do not flare at the front as you reach over. Think of more height as opposed to how far over you can go. Lift and lengthen in the waist! 8-10 reps
Waist twist Aim – To increase your rotation in your upper back and works your waist.
Start position – standing with your arms in front of your chest one forearm on top of the other. Stand tall through your spine.
Breath in to prepare and breath out to rotate initiated with your eyes your head, neck and then thorax. Breath in to prepare and breath out as you reverse the movement back to start position. Repeat 8-10 times each side. N.B Keep your hips facing forwards and make sure your arms stay in front of your chest.
The Cat with pelvic floor release.
Aim – To stretch your back and engage your pelvic floor and tummy muscles to support your back. Pelvic floor release in preparation for birth.
Start position – On all fours. Shoulders in line with your hands and hips directly over your knees.
Breath in to prepare and breath out as you pull your pelvic floor in, hug your baby with your tummy muscles and tuck your tail bone under. Keep tucking your tailbone under as you flex your lower back, then your mid back, upper back, neck and head. Hold in a c shape in your spine. Breath in and breath out as you lengthen your head and tailbone simultaneously to start position and release your pelvic floor as you sit back on your heels, with your knees separated and release your pelvic floor. Your arms are stretched in front of you as your head is down and hips to the ceiling. Come back to start position and repeat 8xs.
Sliding down the wall or squats against the wall
Aim – strengthen your leg muscles and also get pelvic floor release for birth.
Start Position standing with your feet a little away from the wall. Pelvis and spine in neutral. If you have a deep curve in your lower back. In print your lower back into the wall.
Breath in to prepare and breath out as you slide down the wall keeping neutral in your spine and pelvis or keeping stability. The legs should be at a right angle. Release the pelvic floor as you slide down the wall. Hold, Breath in and breath out as you pull the pelvic floor in and slide up the wall back to start position. Imagine you are being lifted up from the waist as you return and engage your tummy muscles to help you return to start position.
Any questions please do not hesitate to contact me
Rosa x
Disclaimer : By excepting this routine you are taking full responsibility for your health in doing these exercises unsupervised and pilatespluswellness Rosa Whitehead, is not responsible for any injury occurred when doing these exercises. Please make sure you have attended some of the pregnancy pilates classes before undertaking any of the exercises.
Promotions/articles/tips/whats new plus exercise of the week and weight loss tips!
No comments:
Post a Comment