However, the muscles you build may be bulky and a far cry from the graceful limbs that you can attain with regular Pilates practice. Having the confidence to wear sleeveless tops can certainly bring joy to many. If you are a beginner, you have probably already seen the benefits that even a few minutes a day can bring. Find great beginner, intermediate and advanced Pilates exercises at
Easy Vigour.
When are confident that you have mastered the basic moves such as the hundred or single leg circles, it may be time to incorporate some of the intermediate exercises into your program. The exercises detailed below are just some of the more challenging ones that are offered as you advance.
Double Straight Leg
1) Lie on your mat with a neutral spine.
2) Pull in your abs and keep them down for the duration of the exercise. It may help you to visualize a string, yanking your bellybutton to your spine. Concentrate on maintaining this tuck.
3) Engage your buttocks by pulling your ‘sit bones’ together
4) Raise your legs to a 45 degree angle, keeping them glued together as if they were one.
5) Raise your shoulders off the mat, hands behind your head but not clasped, concentrating on lifting from your engaged core, not straining with your neck.
6) Slowly lower your legs and then raise them back to the 45 degree angle. Repeat 5-10 times
Tips and Warning Signs
If you have a space between your thighs or feel any strain in your neck, you’re doing it wrong. Relax and regroup.
Use your core for strength. Imagine your legs and head are weightless
Only your shoulders should be raised. Your lower back remains glued to the mat.
Intermediate side kick
1)Lie on your side with your head supported by a hand or on the ground. Your spine should be in line with the back of your mat.
2)Swing your legs out in front of you so that your toes point to the corner of the mat. Bend the bottom leg and lift the top to hip height.
3)Engage your abdominal muscles and swing the raised leg to the front.
4)Slowly and with control, swing the leg to the back. Do not move your torso or hips.
5)Return to starting position and repeat 10 times on each side.
Tips and Warning Signs
- Be sure your spine is neutral by imagining your head and hips to be in line all the way through the exercise.
- Don’t lift your hips off the mat or allow your leg to rotate toward the ceiling. This will negate the exercise.
Teaser
1)Lie on your back on your mat and engage your abdominal muscles.
2)Tuck your sit bones in together, glue your thighs and lift your legs to a 45 degree angle.
3)Raise your arms over your head, being careful not to raise the shoulders off the mat. This may mean your arms do not fully extend. This is not a problem – just be sure to keep your shoulders down.
4)Leading with your abdominals, NOT your neck, raise yourself up to reach your fingers toward your toes.
5)Hold for a few breaths and slowly bring yourself back down, one vertebra at a time. Repeat 5 times.
Tips and Warning Signs
Do not use your neck for this exercise. Again, imagine your abs are tied to your spine in order to keep them flat.
Visualize a string connecting your fingers to your toes that when pulled, buckles you together like a jackknife.
Your lower back is glued to the mat…don’t move it either as you come up or when you go down.
The harder the exercise, the better the results. Don’t be discouraged if you have trouble initially, with consistency you will find you improve quickly and your confidence grows. Consider purchasing intermediate Pilates DVDs or even joining an intermediate mat work class if you want to know more.
A qualified Pilates instructor can bring even more benefit to your fitness program, helping you to correct small errors that may be impeding your progress. Above all, enjoy your sculpting your ‘pilates’ body and the compliments you’re bound to receive.
Learn the difference between using a Pilates mat vs. an apparatus
here.
