Are you a beginner and have you wondered about Pilates? There are many Pilates exercises, but do they all seem overwhelming and too difficult to master? Here we have prepared for you a series of basic Pilates exercises for beginners for your Pilates trial session. Consider this an introduction to Pilates. The tips are easy to follow and can be done at home. You will need a good mat to lie on while doing your Pilates exercises for beginners. Let’s start:
pelvic curls
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Make sure your feet, ankles, and knees are in a straight line, hip-width apart. Inhale to start. As you exhale, tilt your pelvis by contracting your abdominal muscles and pulling your navel toward your spine before lifting your hips, curling toward the ceiling. The hips lift, then the lower spine, and finally the mid-spine. You are now resting on your shoulder blades while maintaining a straight line from your hips to your shoulders. Inhale at this point. And as you exhale, use abdominal control to roll your spine toward the floor. Start with your upper back and work your way down, vertebra by vertebra, until your lower spine rests on the floor.
chest lift
Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Make sure your legs are parallel, aligned so your hips, knees, and ankles are in one line and your toes point toward you. You are in a neutral spinal position with the natural curve of the lower spine creating a slight rise from the mat. Keep your shoulders down as you bring your hands behind your head with the tips of your fingers touching. Your hands support the back of your head, your elbows remain open throughout the exercise. Inhale to start. As you exhale, bring your chin toward your chest as you slowly pull your navel toward your spine, allowing your spine to lengthen and your upper back to lift off the mat. Inhale to lie back on the mat.
angel arms
Lie on your back with your knees bent, legs parallel, and feet flat on the floor. The arms are down at the sides. As you inhale and keep your shoulders down and planted on the mat, move your arms straight out to the sides and up (like wings). It is important to activate the abdominals so that the ribs remain connected and do not rise when moving the arms. As you exhale, move your arms out to the sides again as you lower them to your sides. Again, the shoulders are down, the rib cage is down, and the abs are engaged.
Back
Begin to sit up tall on your hamstrings. The legs are parallel with the knees bent and the feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on your thighs just above the back of your knee. It engages the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles so that the upper body is easily supported. The shoulders are dropped and the neck is relaxed. Inhale to start. On the exhale, start to roll back from your sit bones as you pull your abs deeper into your spine. Stop at the point just before your feet leave the ground. Remember to lift from the center of your abdominal muscles, with a corresponding lengthening curve of your spine as you move away from your sit bones. Keep the midline of the body stable and the legs parallel with a straight alignment from the ball of the foot to the ankle, from the knee to the hip. Inhale while in this round back position, and then exhale as you begin to straighten up and out of the curve of your spine.