Simple Pilates Exercises

Pilates was invented by an English medical intern named Joseph Pilates. He designed it to help bedridden patients exercise. In 1926, he came to America and began teaching his exercises. Pilates combines stretching the core muscles of the body and using the muscles to hold stretches for long periods of time. It helps tone your core muscles, align your body, stretches the body, aids in weight loss, increases energy and can even help in the rehabilitation of injuries.

  1. Ballerina Arms

    • Ballerinas have to have excellent posture to perform their dances. This exercise will help improve your posture and strengthen your back muscles. Start by sitting comfortably on the floor with your legs crossed. Sit away from a wall but straighten your back and spine as if you were sitting against a wall. Hold your arms to your side and bend your elbows at a right angle to the ground. Push your arms backwards. Try to touch your shoulder blades. If you can't, avoid forcing your shoulders together. This can cause hyperextension of the muscles and joints. Slide your shoulder blades downwards along the length of your spine. Move your arms upwards into a ballerina pose and hold for five seconds. Bring your arms back to their original position and repeat three times a day.

    The Hundred

    • The hundred is a simple pose that goes through three phases: beginning, vigorous and relaxation. Lie flat on your back. Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the ground. Your arms should reset comfortably at your side. Lift your legs into the air with your knees still bent. Carefully lift your arms and head off of the ground and keep your arms parallel to your body. Pull your knees to your chest and pump your arms up and down by your side. Inhale for five seconds and exhale for five seconds. Keep your belly flat during exhales. Perform this exercise for three cycles of inhaling and exhaling. The vigorous set is essentially the same, but with your legs pointed at a 45-degree angle instead of parallel to the ground. Repeat it three times. The relaxation set requires you to draw your knees to your chest, wrap your arms around your legs and inhale an exhale three times.

    The Roll Up

    • The roll up is one of the most basic yet effective Pilates exercises. Start by lying flat on your back with your legs down on the floor. Move your arms behind your head and lay them flat on the floor. Carefully lift your arms towards the ceilings, breathing in as they move. Breathe out and slowly roll your upper body forward. Slowly peel your spine off the ground as you move one vertebra at a time. Keep your head straight and your stomach firm. Stretch your body out over your legs as you breathe in again. Hold for a few moments and start breathing out. Roll your body back to the floor. Don't stop, but begin to breathe in and roll upward as soon as you touch the ground. Repeat this exercise up to 10 times.