Warning!

PIlaTeS

These exercises can seriously

improve your body... By Caroline Sandry

P
ilates is often considered a ‘soft
option’, but as this workout Pilates 100
shows, it’s a precise and Perhaps the best known Pilates exercise. Warms up the body and improves breath
measured form of exercise that control. Strengthens the rectus abdominus, obliques, hip flexors, neck flexors and
can enhance athletic shoulder blade stabilisers.
performance, help prevent injury and help you ✱ Lie on your back, contract your abs and bring both knees up to a right angle
develop a toned and lean physique. ✱ Exhale and lift head, shoulders and arms off the floor
Having taught Pilates to both groups and ✱ Straighten legs and begin to beat your arms as if pressing down on springs
individuals including athletes for over 10 ✱ Inhale for 5 arm beats and exhale for 5 arm beats, building up to 100 beats.
years, I am almost evangelical about its ✱ Keep abdominals contracted throughout and do not arch back. (Beginners keep knees bent,
benefits. One client, a strapping 20-year old advanced lower straight legs towards floor)
male rower said that Pilates was the most
transformational exercise he had ever Training tips: keep your stomach flat and your spine in neutral throughout. Start with 50 breaths
experienced! and build up. Keep your shoulders away from your ears and stay wide across the front of the chest.
Men often assume that Pilates is for girls
and are more than surprised by the strength
required for many of the exercises. Why is it
so great? Pilates works on all of the small
stabilising muscles, as well as the larger
better known global muscles and focuses
strongly on the core. Unlike weight lifting,
which often focuses on one muscle at a time,
Pilates works your body as a unit, with all
movements beginning at your core and
radiating outwards. Pilates is known for
‘lengthening’ the body - this is because
muscles are worked over their full range of
motion and are strengthened as they
lengthen (rather than just contracting a
muscle by bringing the two ends closer
together, as with a biceps curl). Many of the
exercises work on flexibility and strength
simultaneously. For example, in ‘The Rollover’
(see below) the hamstrings are stretched and
the abs and hip flexors are strengthened.
The following exercises have been
selected to strengthen the core whilst Men often assume that Pilates is
enhancing joint and spinal mobility. For more
great Pilates exercises to work your whole
body, try: ‘Pilates with Caroline Sandry’ the
for girls and are more than surprised
new DVD with 3 Pilates workouts available
from www.carolinesandry.com and the
by the strength required for many
ultra-FIT shop www.ultra-
FITmagazine.co.uk/shop of the exercises
26 ultra-FIT NOV 2010

Hip Circles
Works the deep and superficial abdominals, hips, thighs and
shoulder girdle.
✱ From sitting, lean back onto your elbows, keep your chest elevated
and take your shoulders away from your ears
✱ Lift your legs straight towards the ceiling and ensure your back is in
neutral (not arched)
Rollover
This exercise lengthens the spine, improving
PIlaTeS
flexibility, whilst deeply contracting the abs. The
hamstrings are also stretched and the shoulder
flexors strengthened.
✱ Lie flat on the floor with your arms by your side
✱ Engage your abs and press your lower back
into the floor
✱ Exhale and lift your legs off the mat taking them
over head until you touch the floor with your toes
(or until your legs are parallel to the floor if you
are too tight)
✱ Inhale and take your feet to shoulder-width apart
✱ Exhale as you lower your legs back towards the floor
using your abs as brakes, and pressing your hands
into the floor
✱ Before your feet touch the floor, bring your feet back
together and begin the second rep. Repeat 8 times.
Training tips: use slow, controlled movements
concentrating on working your abs throughout. Stay
long in the neck and keep your head on the floor. Do
not roll too far onto your neck.
✱ Inhale to prepare
✱ Exhale and circle your legs down and around without allowing the
spine to move, inhale and pause as the legs reach the start again
✱ Repeat 6 – 8 circles each way.
Training tips: keep a neutral spine throughout and use controlled
movements. Your ab strength will dictate the size of your circles.
NOV 2010 ultra-FIT 27
 The Pilates Criss – Cross
This is my favourite exercise. It strongly works the obliques,
deep and superficial abs, deep spinal and hip flexor muscles,
as well as improving rotational control through the spine.
✱ Lie on your back and bring your knees up above your hips bent to a
right angle
PIlaTeS

✱ Place fingers behind ears, keep elbows wide and lift head from the floor
✱ Exhale and peel left shoulder across towards right hip as you extend
the left leg out – (as low as you can keep stomach flat and spine flat)
✱ Inhale back to centre and exhale in opposite direction.
✱ Repeat 10 slow repetitions (3 count) followed by 12 fast, but
controlled repetitions.

Training tips: Try to keep stomach flat throughout, and move in a

controlled way – don’t let hips rock as you move. Imagine you are
folding your shoulder towards the opposite hip. Try to keep your
shoulder blades off the floor throughout to work the abs.

Oblique roll back

Works the rectus abdominus and obliques strongly.
also works shoulders and upper back whilst
mobilising the spine.
✱ Sit tall with knees bent and gently squeezed together with
arms out in front at shoulder-height
✱ Inhale to prepare
✱ Exhale and gently draw navel to spine as you roll backwards
bringing your lower ribs towards your hips and twist to the right.
As you turn, sweep your right arm down and back, finishing with
it behind you at shoulder-height, both palms face forward
✱ Inhale sit up tall
✱ Exhale and repeat to the left
✱ Continue on alternate sides

If you have any issues with your back avoid this exercise.

Training tips: Turn your eyes to where you want to go – this will
help engage the correct muscles and keep squeezing your core
drawing your abs in throughout. Do not let your back flatten but
stay ‘c’ shaped.

The Cobra
Finish with the cobra, which works the entire spine,
counters round shoulders and gently stretches abs
and ribs.
✱ Lie face down, legs together, forehead on the floor and hands
palm down directly beneath shoulders.
✱ Inhale and slowly raise forehead, then nose, then chin from
the floor
✱ Continue to roll the shoulders up off the floor, lifting your chin
and keeping your shoulders away form your ears
✱ Take a couple of breaths in the up position before rolling
slowly back to the floor.
✱ Gradually increase the number of breaths, or repeat sequence
a couple of times.

Training tips: Do not push your hands into the floor to lift your
head and shoulders, use the muscles of the back. Keep
shoulders away from your ears and stretch your chin forward and
up keeping the neck long.

Rest in the Shell Stretch

✱ Press your bottom back onto your heels , with your hairline resting on the floor, fingertips by your toes and relax completely. Take several
deep breaths into your back and ribs.

28 ultra-FIT NOV 2010