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Xcel Pilates Instruction |
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Pilates PrinciplesCorrect TechniqueTHE POWERHOUSE: is the area between the hip bones and ribcage and includes all the abdominals, lower and upper back, gluts and upper hamstrings. To engage the powerhouse, you need to pull the navel into spine and up into the ribcage. Hug the midline by pressing the inner thighs together, softening the knees and squeezing the heels together from behind (heels to Buttocks-or zipping up the thighs), and pull shoulder blades together and down and lengthen neck. LENGTHENING and OPPOSITION: Always reach arms, legs and neck as long as possible away from the torso but pull back into your core at all times. Feel like you are being stretched out. This process makes the legs feel lighter. There is a stretch & strength in every exercise. ALIGNMENT OF THE TORSO BOX: Always keep hips and shoulders square in all movements- eg. Arms lift up directly in front of shoulder joint, or leg aligns with hip joint. C-CURVE: spine stretch in certain exercises requires this shape – nose to chest and tail bone tucked under (pelvic tilt). Scoop the belly to maintain this position. For example: Roll like a ball, seal, open leg rocker. OPPOSITION: Focus on the opposite side when you move limbs. For example: Criss cross; rotate right elbow diagonally back and press opposite sit bone into floor as left leg stretches out away from hips. BREATHING: Always use a full breath on each exercise. Breath through the diaphragm and powerhouse, keeping ribs closed in front and pushing out lateral (sidewards and through the back). Inhale fully and exhale fully through the nose and keep abs deep throughout. ARTICULATION: For example: the roll up. Peel the spine off the floor one vertebra at a time and reverse back down to the floor. This enables the vertebra to separate and relieves any stiffness from rigorous exercises. RELAX & TENSE: Some exercises require relaxation as well as tension. Neck, knees, toes and elbows should always be relaxed. Abs or powerhouse should NEVER relax throughout workout. THESE PRINCIPLAS AND TECHNIQUES ARE IMPORTANT, SO BE SURE NOT TO ATTEMPT THE EXERCISES UNLESS YOU ARE ABLE TO APPLY THEM AT ALL TIMES. REMEMBER YOU WILL NEVER ISOLATE ONLY ONE MUSCLE GROUP IN PILATES –YOU WILL USE AS MANY AS YOU CAN IN EACH EXERCISE. Daily exercises(10 min/day)The Hundred: 10 full breaths pumping arms- 5 counts to inhale, 5 counts to exhale. Breath through your diaphragm and push ribs into the mat. Try to keep head and shoulders completely off the mat, push the base of the shoulder blades, ribs all the way down to the sit bones deep into the mat. Keep natural lumbar curve. Roll up: Lying flat, start curling up off the floor one vertebra at a time finishing in a stretch forward pulling back in opposition in the abdominals, head down to knees , arms parallel to floor. Legs & arms active. Reverse back to the floor repeat 8 times Single leg circle: lying on Back, extend one leg to 90%. Keep "BOX" square and without moving pelvis circle leg 5 times one way and reverse. Keep arms, back, opposite leg and back pushing into the floor throughout. Rolling like a Ball: sit up and balance on tailbone with a "Scoop belly" and "C curve" Lock this shape and roll back to the tips of the shoulder blades (inhale) and roll back (exhale)and balance. Open knees with head between and squeeze inner heels together throughout exercise. Repeat 8 times Ab Series: (Same position as Hundred for all these exercises) Your goal
is to maintain the neck and back position throughout and to focus on keeping
the push into the floor from shoulder blade tips to the sit bones. Reach
arms and legs as long as possible(without lifting shoulders and remember
to breath deeply especially in the crisscross). Spine stretch Forward: forward from waist up and back from waist down. C curve Prone exercises: Side kick series: Various movements lying on your side Teaser Preps: Seated Teasers-hinge back, and maintain position with varied arms; Roll up to teaser sit and reverse down again Pushup exercises: |
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