The Essentials of Pilates

If you'd like to begin learning the basics of Pilates, you'll have to discover what you need to get started, and how to perform the essential Pilates exercises that you'll find in a typical routine, such as the Basic Cat and the Rising Swan.

What You Need to Start Doing Pilates

Although some forms of Pilates use complicated machines such as the Cadillac and the Reformer, you can get a terrific Pilates workout at home with a simple exercise mat. [more…]

How to Do the Pilates Basic Cat Exercise

The Basic Cat exercise in Pilates is one of the gentlest and simplest ways to stretch out the back. You see cats making this movement in the morning when they wake, and you can do it too! [more…]

How to Do the Pilates Bridge Exercise

The Bridge is an excellent Pilates torso stability exercise. This means that one of your goals is to keep your torso really still during the exercise. This exercise strengthens the butt and the back of [more…]

How to Do Pilates Upper Abdominal Curls

The Upper Abdominal Curls movement is a fundamental exercise in Pilates, generally used as a warm-up for your upper back and neck and to get you to feel your Pilates Abdominal Position. This exercise may [more…]

How to Do Pilates Coccyx Curls

The Coccyx Curls exercise is a great way to start your Pilates workout because it warms up your lower back and get you connected to your deep abdominals. By performing Pilates Coccyx Curls, you learn through [more…]

How to Do the Pilates Hundred Exercise

The Hundred exercise in Pilates got its name because you hold the exercise for 100 beats. It is a great exercise to come early in a series because it gets your whole body warm, possibly even breaking a [more…]

How to Do the Pilates Roll Down Exercise

The Roll Down exercise in Pilates is a beginning variation of the classic Pilates Roll Up. The Roll Down increases abdominal strength and articulation of the spine. [more…]

How to Do the Pilates Rolling Like a Ball Exercise

The Rolling Like a Ball exercise in Pilates is a combination of Hip-Up and Balance Point. Requiring both strength and control, Rolling Like a Ball is a fun way to massage your own back, find out how to [more…]

How to Do the Pilates Rising Swan Exercise

The Rising Swan exercise in Pilates strengthens your neck, back, and butt muscles. You should include the Rising Swan in your daily routine to counteract the negative effects of forward bending on your [more…]

How to Do Pilates Side Kicks

Pilates Side Kicks is a side-lying stability exercise. Side kicks focuses on control from the belly and strengthens your thighs and your butt. This exercise is not about how far you can kick your leg; [more…]

How to Do the Pilates Swimming Exercise

The Swimming exercise in Pilates works the muscles of the back. It’s okay to feel the back working, but not straining. The Pilates Swimming exercise strengthens the muscles on the back of your body: the [more…]

How to Do the Pilates Spine Stretch Forward Exercise

The Spine Stretch Forward exercise in Pilates is exactly that — a stretch for the whole spine, especially the neck and upper back. In addition to the mat method described below, you can also do the Spine [more…]