BASIC PILATES EXERCISES
PILATES-Kinesiology #347/Mission College/Carla Lubow, Instructor
1. Chest Lift
Muscular focus: abdominals--especially upper abs
Tips: This is not a crunch. The abdominals must be pulled way down into a deep scoop as you
use them to control a slow, smooth curl up and roll down.
2. The Hundred
Muscular focus: abdominals, breathing
Tips: Your abdominals will be deeply pulled in, so you will have to use your full lung capacity
by breathing into your back and lower ribs. Use your abs to hold yourself up--don't get caught up
in your shoulders and neck.
3. The Roll Up
Muscular focus: abdominals
Tips: Use your abdominals to roll up and down with control. Do not rely on momentum or letting
your legs lift off the mat.
4. Single Leg Circle
Muscular focus: abdominals, thighs, hip flexors
Tips: The abdominals keep the pelvis stable as the leg moves. No rocking and rolling!
5. Rolling Like a Ball
Muscular focus: abdominals
Tips: Stay in your curve for the whole exercise. Initiate the roll back with the abs and not by
throwing the upper body back.
6. Open Leg Balance (&Rocker)
Muscular focus: abdominals, hamstring stretch
Tips: Use you abdominals to control the pose. Try not to pull on your legs for balance.
7. The Side Kick Series
Muscular focus: abdominals, all thigh muscles--especially inner thigh
Tips: The ribs should stay lifted throughout each exercise. Do not let them sink to the mat.
8. Front Support/Plank (& Pushups)
Muscular focus: back extensors, abdominals, shoulders, arms
Tips: Stay in one line from your heels to your ears. Though the focus is somewhat on the upper
body, if you engage the legs and imagine squeezing the sit bones together, the exercise will be
easier.
9. Saw
Muscular focus: hamstrings, inner thigh, oblique abdominals, back stretch
Tips: Keep your hips anchored and level as you turn to the side. Extend energy through the back
arm even as you reach forward.
10. Mermaid
Muscular focus: side stretch
Tips: Keep your body flat as you stretch sideways, as if you are between two sheets of glass.
Keep the hip on your stretching side down.
11. The
Roll Over
Roll over is one of those exercises that Joseph Pilates saw as stimulating the spine. It does
involve a lot of spinal articulation, and the only way to control that is to use your abdominal
muscles. Remember, roll over goes only as far as the shoulders and not roll up on to the neck.
12. Single Leg Stretch
Single leg stretch is often cited as an exercise that helps target the lower abs. Of course it works
the entire core, requiring strength and stamina as one maintains an upper body curve and keeps
the torso stable while switching the leg and arm positions. Modify single leg stretch by leaving
your head down or working with your legs higher.
13. Double Leg Stretch
Going for even more abdominal strength and endurance, we follow single leg stretch with
Double Leg Stretch. Double Leg Stretch is a graphic way to experience working from the center
of the body as the arms and legs reach away and return together.
14. Spine Twist
Spine twist increases the range of motion in the upper body by training the trunk to spiral on the
central vertical axis, while maintaining the support of a stable pelvis. This kind of range of
motion work is very important in sports as well.
15. Jack Knife
An intermediate level classical Pilates exercise that builds on skills learned in the rollover. If
you have neck problems, skip this exercise. Keep your chest open and shoulders down as you
sweep your legs up so that you are a close as you can get to perpendicular to the floor. You are
on your shoulders, not your neck, getting help from the press of your shoulders and arms on the
mat. Suspend at the top of the move.
16. Hip
Twist
Muscular focus: Core/Abdominal. A good intermediate exercise that requires abdominal and back
stabilization while the adductors are engaged in order for the legs to work as a single unit as they circle
around.
17. Leg
Pull Back
Leg pull back builds on back support. It is an intermediate level exercise, and adds stability and
flexibility and build additional back support.
18. Leg Pull Front
Like the plank, leg pull front is a core strength builder that engages every part of the body. Leg
pull front takes plank/front support a step further. By lifting one leg off the floor, you introduce
instability that challenges the abdominals and shoulders to keep the trunk and pelvis stable as
you move.
19. Single Leg Kick
This Pilates exercise focuses on the hamstrings and gluts, but it is also a great way to practice
keeping your abdominals lifted, chest open, and shoulders stable.
20. Double Leg Kick
Double leg kick is a powerful back extension exercise. It targets the back extensors and the
hamstrings, but you will find it requires support from the whole body as well.
21. Teaser
Teaser is a quick trip to flat abs and more importantly, a great core strength builder. Look for
teaser to challenge your balance and symmetry. Full Pilates teaser is even harder - with both legs
extended.
22. Bicycle
In Pilates, the legs move in the opposite way than one would normally to create a pedal action,
and it makes a big difference in the level of the workout. The Bicycle is intermediate. If you have
neck problems you will want to try this exercise with your back on the floor. You can put your
hands under your hips to get a little lift.
ADDITIONAL PILATES EXERCISES
Chest Lift with Rotation
This Pilates exercise strengthens your abdominal muscles and teaches pelvic stability. It is also a great
prep for criss cross, one of the best flat abs exercises ever. On your back with elbows open, feet on the
mat with your knees bent.
Child's Pose
Showing up in both yoga and Pilates classes, child's pose is a wonderful relaxation and stretch exercise.
Tuck your hips onto your feet with a curved and relaxed spine.
Criss Cross
Criss Cross is a popular Pilates mat exercise for targeting the abdominal muscles, especially the obliques.
Working an upper body rotation against a stable pelvis is an excellent workout for all of the abs., but the
rotation involved requires extra work from the obliques. Keep your hands behind the head and elbows
open wide as they reach across towards the opposite bent knee. Working the obliques supports
posture, the ability to flex and rotate the torso, and is a waist whittler!
Corkscrew
A classical Pilates mat exercise, the corkscrew offers a great challenge for shoulder stability and
abdominal work as you rotate the legs opposite a still, calm upper body. It is an especially good exercise
for the oblique muscles.
Inner Thigh Leg Lifts
Inner Thigh Lifts work your legs from your core abdominals. They tone the thighs and abdominals and
stretch the hips. On your side, hook your bent knee over the lower straight leg and lift the lower leg to
work the adductor/inner thigh muscles.
Knee Folds (Toe taps)
Knee folds is a Pilates fundamental exercise. It teaches pelvic stability and efficient movement principles.
This is one of the Pilates exercises that is often used to help relieve back pain.
Pelvic Clock
Pelvic Clock is a basic Pilates exercise. It helps one understand the difference between neutral pelvis and
flat back, and how to move the pelvis with the abdominals. It also reveals imbalances in the back and
abdominal muscles.
Pelvic Curl
A beginner exercise that works the abs, gluts, hamstrings, inner thighs and good spinal articulation, as
well. With knees bent, feet on the floor, imprint your spine and continue to roll the pelvic upward.
Seal
A Pilates exercise similar to Rolling Like a Ball, though the time it takes to clap one’s feet together 3X at
the beginning and middle of the roll demands greater stability and control.
Shoulder Bridge
Pilates shoulder bridge strengthens the powerhouse, works with the coordination of movement and
breath and is an especially good challenge for the inner thigh and hamstrings. Do the pelvic curl
upward, then extend one leg at a time towards the ceiling and lower down.
Side Kick Front/Back
Use Pilates Side Kick Front and Back to work the back extensor muscles, the abdominals, the hamstrings,
and the hip flexors. Side Kick Front/Back tones the thighs, hips and abs.. It is also an excellent balance
challenge, calling forth the ability to use core muscles to stabilize the pelvis, and work the legs
independently.
Side Leg Lifts(Bananas)
Side Leg Lifts done as a Pilates exercise works the entire abdominal region. Lifting the legs together
keeps the inner thighs and buttocks engaged as the powerhouse pulls in and up, developing core
strength and balance.
Single Straight Leg Stretch
This exercise is a very effective abdominal workout, working both the upper and lower abdominals.
Provided that you learn to do it correctly this is an ideal core strength builder. On your back with head
and upper back lifted off the floor, alternate holding one straight leg in your hands as high as it can go
up while the other leg is close to the floor but not touching. Alternate with a pulse in-between.
Spine Stretch Forward
Spine Stretch is a Pilates mat exercise that feels really good. It can show up anywhere in your workout as
a great stretch for the back and the hamstrings, as well as a moment to center oneself before moving on
to more challenging exercises.
Swan (Swan Dive)
The benefits of this Pilates mat exercise are numerous. Swan is an extension exercise so it provides a
great counter to the many flexion exercises in Pilates. Swan stretches the abdominals and hip flexors,
even as it strengthens the abdominals, back and shoulders; as well as inner thighs, pelvic floor and
hamstrings. In prone position, arch upward through the head, shoulders and upper back. The swan
rocker can be added to make this a strength builder, as well.
Swimming
Pilates mat exercise, Swimming, is a fun exercise, yet quite a workout. Swimming, like the activity it is
named after, works every part of the body. This one is perfect for toning the abs. butt, back and
hamstrings. Try Pilates Swimming as a great counter exercise to all the front flexion exercises.