Planning A Pilates Program More Exercise Categories:
 Exercises that strengthen the abdominals and back:
- One-leg stretch (abdominals and stabilizing back muscles)
- Side kick (hamstrings, hip flexors, abdominals, abductors and stabilizing back muscles)
- Leg pull prone (abdominals and hip flexors)
- Roll-up (abdominals and hip flexors)
- Side bend (obliques, abdominals, stabilizing back muscles, stretches the latissimus dorsi)
- Side squeeze (internal and external obliques, abdominals, shoulder stabilizers and abductors)
- Hundred (abdominals and stabilizing mid-back muscles)
- Swimming (abdominals, gluteals and erector spinae)
Exercises that promote flexibility:- Gluteals stretch (gluteals)
- Chest stretch (pectorals)
- Side stretch (latissimus dorsi)
- Hip flexor stretch (hip flexors)
- Spine twist (obliques, adductors and hamstrings, promotes thoracic mobility)
- Abdominal stretch (abdominals)
- Spine stretch (erector spinae, hamstrings, adductors)
- Deep chest and shoulder stretch (pectorals and latissimus dorsi)
- Lower back stretch (erector spinae and gluteals)
- Spine press (erector spinae)
Exercises that promote mobility:- Rolling back (spine)
- Spine twist and Spine press (spine)
- Spine stretch (spine)
- Rolling back (spine)
Core exercises:
These are marked with a star and you will get the best results if you choose a few "core" exercises - movements that are considered pure Pilate exercises - and concentrate on these for a period of time, say four to six weeks, giving your muscles a chance to adapt to the work. Start with these, and once you have mastered them (not necessarily advancing to a higher level, just feeling comfortable and confident about the movement) add on a few more.
Tip: Shoulder circles are a useful warm up exercise and a good way to relieve tension in the shoulders and upper back. Make the movement slow and controlled, keeping the spine in neutral. Assessing Common Postural Faults  |
