Planning A Pilates Program

More Exercise Categories:


Exercises that strengthen the abdominals and back:

1. One-leg stretch (abdominals and stabilizing back muscles)
2. Side kick (hamstrings, hip flexors, abdominals, abductors and stabilizing back muscles)
3. Leg pull prone (abdominals and hip flexors)
4. Roll-up (abdominals and hip flexors)
5. Side bend (obliques, abdominals, stabilizing back muscles, stretches the latissimus dorsi)
6. Side squeeze (internal and external obliques, abdominals, shoulder stabilizers and abductors)
7. Hundred (abdominals and stabilizing mid-back muscles)
8. Swimming (abdominals, gluteals and erector spinae)

Exercises that promote flexibility:

1. Gluteals stretch (gluteals)
2. Chest stretch (pectorals)
3. Side stretch (latissimus dorsi)
4. Hip flexor stretch (hip flexors)
5. Spine twist (obliques, adductors and hamstrings, promotes thoracic mobility)
6. Abdominal stretch (abdominals)
7. Spine stretch (erector spinae, hamstrings, adductors)
8. Deep chest and shoulder stretch (pectorals and latissimus dorsi)
9. Lower back stretch (erector spinae and gluteals)
10. Spine press (erector spinae)

Exercises that promote mobility:

1. Rolling back (spine)
2. Spine twist and Spine press (spine)
3. Spine stretch (spine)
4. 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