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Joseph Pilates died at the age of 87, but with the body of a much younger man. Up until his death he led a full and active life and was very proud of the Pilates exercise programmes he had developed. Indeed, he never tired of recommending Pilates to one and all.
"I must be right," he said in 1965. "Never an aspirin. Never injured a day in my life. The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises. They'd be happier."
Try this warm up to get you started with a Pilates home practice program and begin to build your knowledge of the basics. Listen to your body and honour any injuries or conditions you may have (our teachers will advise you if necessary). By practicing these exercises every day for a week you’ll notice how your strength and flexibility improve – it doesn’t take long to see results when you put the effort in!
Pilates Exercise - Chest Lift or Sit-up
This exercise can be conducted in sets of 5-10:
1. Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet face-down on the floor so that you are in the preparatory position.
2. While breathing in, draw your shoulder blades down, while keeping your ribcage and pelvis anchored to the floor. You can keep your arms behind your head as support.
3. While breathing out, gently roll your chest forward while dropping your chin gently. Move your lower chest down towards the floor.
4. Breathe in and hold this position. While breathing out, roll back down into the position in step #2.
Pilates Exercise - Double Leg Slides
This exercise can be combined with the sit-up and conducted in sets of 3-5 repetitions:
1. Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet face-down on the floor so that you are in the preparatory position. Place your hands on your hips.
2. While breathing in, draw your abdominals inwards and upwards.
3. While breathing out, slide both feet away from you, while pressing down slightly on your abdomens.
4. While breathing in, maintain your posture and ensure your shoulder blades stay on the floor.
5. While breathing out, slide your heels back towards yourself.
6. The sit-up will now be incorporated into the routine. Position your arms behind your head to use as support. While breathing in, draw your abdominals inwards and upwards.
7. While breathing out, roll forward, while pressing your lower chest towards the floor.
8. While breathing out, slide your feel away as far as you can, without losing your sit-up position.
9. While breathing in, draw your feet back towards you. Roll back down as you exhale.
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