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Pilates Exercises for the Intermediate Level

Welcome to this series of intermediate Pilates exercises for all Pilates practitioners/people who have been exercising regularly and are strong enough to take it to the next level. Remember to keep the basic principles of Pilates active throughout these exercises. Stick with doing just a few reps but in great form instead of many hasty, haphazard, but less than perfect form. Happy Pilates exercise!

Swimming

Lie on your stomach with your legs together and straight. Keeping shoulder blades toward hips, shoulders away from ears, stretch arms overhead. Contract your abs so that you lift your belly button up and away from the floor. Stretching from the center of you, extend your arms and legs so far in opposite directions that they naturally lift off the ground. Achieve length in the spine by lifting your head off the mat while keeping your face facing the mat. Alternate right arm/left leg, then left arm/right leg is raised for a count of 5 inhalations and 5 exhalations. Continuously move in this manner as if you were swimming on the mat.

the plank

Start on your knees and walk your hands across the floor, allowing your legs to stretch out behind you. Place your forearms parallel to each other on the floor, your hands into fists. Your shoulders should be directly over your elbows. Lift your belly up off the floor while extending your spine so that it is very long. It’s important to keep the pressure off your lower back by lifting your lower abs. Keep your shoulders wide and make sure your shoulders are away from your ears. Your neck is a long extension of your spine, so your head is not drooping or tilted up. Take a deep breath while holding the pose for 30 seconds.

winding
Lie on your back with your legs stretched out. Relax your shoulders and keep them away from your ears. Place your arms straight over your head and back so that your fingertips are pointing toward the wall behind you. Inhale as you raise your arms above your ears, allowing your chin to drop toward your chest, your head and upper spine curling up and off the mat. As you exhale, continue in a smooth motion to curve your entire body in an “up and over” motion toward your toes. Tighten your abs and deepen the curve of your spine as you reach toward your toes with your fingertips. To reverse the curvature, inhale as you contract your lower abs, reaching for your tailbone, and uncoil, vertebra by vertebra. About halfway through, exhale to continue placing one vertebra after another onto the mat. Maintain the curve of your upper body as you lower yourself slowly, with control. The arms are still extended and follow the natural movement of the shoulders as you roll down.

open leg rocker

Sit tall on your seat bones with your knees bent so you can grasp your ankles. While balancing between your hamstrings and tailbone, keep your abs engaged as you lift and extend one leg, then the other, shoulder-width apart in front of you. On the inhale, use a deep spoonful of your abs and the fullness of your inhale to drive your roll back over your shoulders. Stay in your C curve as you roll, keeping your head and neck off the mat. Pause before exhaling and return using your abdominal muscles to return to an upright position.

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