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Exercise: Hundreds
Let's start at the very beginning with the Hundreds. A trademark Pilates exercise performed on every piece of Pilates apparatus. Aptly named the Hundreds due to the amount of pulses connected with the breath. The Hundreds come in at the beginning of most sessions to warm up the body and coordinate breath & movement.
Setup: Start in a supine position. Stabilize shoulder blades, widening across the front of the chest and connecting the scapulae behind you. Neutral pelvis. Legs parallel in a table top position.
Movement: Contract the abdominals (while maintaining neutral pelvis) and lengthen out through the crown of the head to curl up into a "c-shape". Try to keep the ears aligned over your collar bones as you curl the sternum and rib cage down towards the pelvis. Keeping the shoulder blades stabilized into the mat reach the arms long towards the front of the room. Based on your level either leave the legs in bent knee/table top position, extending to 90 degrees or more advanced to 45 degrees while keeping the belly pulling in and up the spine and the pelvis anchored. Begin pumping the arms as if you are pushing a spring down into the floor.
Breath: Inhale 5 counts through the nose; exhale 5 counts through the mouth. 10 repetitions like this. Wholla!!!...10x10=Hundreds. Try playing around with long, full breaths as well as short, staccato breaths.
Variations: Add a magic circle between the legs for extra adduction. Legs inside the circle for extra abduction. Try it with the legs scissored.
Exercise: The Roll up
Let's roll into the fall rooting down into the earth while branching up towards the sky with some Roll Up.
Setup: Laying supine on your mat with legs squeezing together and extending out towards the front of the mat. Stabilize the shoulder blades down into the mat while extending the arms up to the ceiling (Beg.) or overhead (Adv.). Watch out that the ribcage does not pop upward.
Movement: Lengthen through the crown on the head and back of the neck to bring the ears in line with the elbows directly over the clavicles. Continue to stabilize the shoulder blades onto the spine as you begin to sequentially roll the spine out and up off the mat. Finding opposition in energy through the legs and spine. Continue to peel up until spine is vertical over pelvis and arms/head are parallel to the legs and mat. To roll back initiate by drawing the navel in and up the spine while sending the tail bone/pelvis away towards the heels. Gently pressing one vertebrae at a time down into the mat until you return to your starting position.
Breath: Inhale to connect into kegels/belly and begin to float head/shoulders off the mat. Exhale as you peel the spine off the mat. Inhale to deepen abdominal connection as you begin to roll back. Exhale as you move through the spine to lower the shoulders and head. HINT: The breath can go a long way on this exercise. Try to place your exhalations where you need them the most at those tight spots of your back. Think of a strong, fluid breeze helping to push you forward and back.
Variations: Bent knees. Use your hands on the backs of your hamstrings to help you gently climb up and down without strain. Hook your feet underneath something. Use a ball or yoga block between your legs to help with adduction. Add a weighted pole of magic circle to the arms to increase your awareness of scapular stabilization. Play with the rhythm, force, and timing of the breath.
