Beginner PilatesExercises

By Marguerite Ogle, About.com GuideUpdated May 09, 2009About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

This list of beginner exercises is designed help you build familiarity with Pilates mat exercises. These exercises develop the core strength, stability, and flexibility that Pilates is famous for.

To help you build a balanced routine, I have noted the muscular focus for each exercise. Please keep in mind that all Pilates exercises engage the core abdominal muscles.

There are modification notes in the full instructions for each exercise. You may want to review the Pilates Fundamentals and the Pilates Exercise Modification Tips before you begin.

1. Pilates Warm-Up Exercisescourtesy of Peak Pilates

The warm-up exercises are very important in teaching the foundations of Pilates movement. They also prepare the body for safely executing more challenging exercises later. I suggest that you choose at least two or three to begin each Pilates routine you do.Go to the Warm-Up Exercises

2. Chest Liftby Peter Kramer, courtesy of Kolesar Studios

Muscular focus: abdominals--especially upper abs

Tips: This is not a crunch. The abdominals must be pulled way down into a deep scoop as you use them to control a slow, smooth curl up and roll down.

Chest Lift may look like the familiar abdominal "crunch", but there are some important differences between this ab exercise and the way most people do a crunch. See the "tips" below Chest Lift instructions for details on the differences.Once you build abdominal strength and understand the lengthening move that chest lift can be, you will have a good basis for working with many of the forward flexion Pilates exercises like the Single Leg Stretch and The Hundred

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 5 min

Here's How:1. Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Make sure that your legs are parallel - lined up so that your hip, knee and ankle are in one line and the toes are pointing directly away from you.You are in neutral spine position with the natural curve of the lower spine creating a slight lift off the mat.

2. Keep your shoulders down as you bring your hands behind your head with the finger tips touching.Your hands will support the base of your skull.Your elbows will stay open throughout the exercise.

3. Take a few deep breaths. Use this time to make a little survey of your body. Be sure your body is balanced side to side. Check that your neck is relaxed and your ribs are dropped.You may want to review the instructions for Imprinting.

4. Exhale: Slowly pull your belly button down toward your spine and keep going, allowing your spine to lengthen out and the lower back to come down to the mat. Simultaneously, tilt you chin slightly down and from the top of the head, with a long neck, slowly lift the upper spine off the mat until the base of the scapula is just brushing the mat.There is a deepening feeling under the bottom ribs as you lift.

*Remember, the work is in your abs, which are in a deep concave position. Your your neck and shoulders stay relaxed, and the movement does not create tension in the legs. 5. Pause at the top and inhale. Draw the abdominals in deeper.

6. Exhale: Keep the abdominals drawn in as you slowly lower back to the mat.

7. Inhale: Release the abdominals and return to neutral spine.

8. Repeat 6 - 8 times

9. Pelvic Curl would be a nice follow up for this exercise.

Tips:1. Chest lift creates a deep curve of the abdominals down toward the mat. The result is flat abs. In most crunches, there is a shortening of the rectus abdominis ( the long superficial muscle that runs down the front of the abdomen) that often causes the abs to pop up on the contraction. This will not create the flat abs people are looking for.

2. Chest Lift is done very slowly with the breath. There is no momentum being used.

3. The tail bone and hips do not start to curl up off the floor as is often seen in crunches.

4. Take this exercise to the next level, do Chest Lift With Rotation

3. The Hundredcourtesy of Peak Pilates

Muscular focus: abdominals, breathing

Tips: Your abdominals will be deeply pulled in, so you will have to use your full lung capacity by breathing into your back and lower ribs. Use your abs to hold yourself up--don't get caught up in your shoulders and neck.

The hundred is a classic Pilates mat exercise. You will be asked to perform it during the beginning of almost any Pilates class you take.

The hundred is a dynamic warm-up for the abdominals and lungs. It requires that you coordinate your breath with the movement, and be strong and graceful at the same time. It is challenging, but the hundred is an easy exercise to modify (make harder or easier). See the tips at the end of the exercise description for modification ideas.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 5 min.

Here's How:1. Lie on your back with your legs bent in tabletop position with your shins and ankles parallel to the floor. Inhale.

2. Exhale: Bring your head up with your chin down and, using your abs, curl your upper spine up off the floor. Keep the shoulders sliding down and engaged in the back. Your gaze is down into the scoop of the abdominal muscles. Stay here and inhale.

3. Exhale: At the same time, deepen the pull of the abs and extend your arms and legs. Your legs reach toward where the wall and ceiling meet in front of you. You can adjust them higher if need be, or lower for more advanced work. They should only be as low as you can go without shaking and without the lower spine pulling up off the mat. Your arms extend straight and low, just a few inches off floor, with the fingertips reaching for the far wall.

4. Hold your position. Take five short breaths in and five short breaths out (like sniffing in and puffing out). While doing so, move your arms in a controlled up and down manner - a small but dynamic pumping of the arms. Be sure to keep your shoulders and neck relaxed. It is the abdominal muscles that should be doing all the work.

5. Do a cycle of 10 full breaths. Each cycle is five short in-breaths and then five short out-breaths.The arms pump up and down -- about a 6-8 inch pump -- in unison with your breath.Keep your abs scooped, your back flat on the floor, and your head an extension of your spine, with the gaze down. OK - not hard!

*Breathing big is important. Breathe into your back and sides. Learn about lateral breathing6. To finish: Keep your spine curved as you bring your knees in toward your chest. Grasp your knees and roll your upper spine and head back to the floor. Take a deep breath in and out.

Tips:1. To modify the hundred: You can keep your legs in tabletop position. You can also do the exercise with your knees bent and the feet flat on the floor, lifting only the upper body. People with upper back and neck issues can do this exercise with the legs extended or tabletop but the head down on the floor. See: Workout with Modifications Neck Pain in Pilates

2. To make the hundred more challenging: Lower your legs. Do not lower your legs past where you can control the movement (the photo is an advanced version with the legs very low). Don't let your spine peel up off the floor as you lower the legs.

3. Watch an online video demonstration of the hundred. See: The Hundred, Pilates Video

Equipment: All you need is an exercise mat.

4. The Roll Up(c)2006 Marguerite Ogle

Muscular focus: abdominals

Tips: Use your abdominals to roll up and down with control. Do not rely on momentum or letting your legs lift off the mat. The roll up is one of the classic Pilates Mat exercises. Roll up is a great challenge for the abdominal muscles, and is well known as one of the Pilates flat abs exercises. It has been said that one Pilates roll up is equal to six regular sit ups, and is much better than crunches for creating a flat stomach.

This is a quick reference for roll up. If you would like more detailed instructions, please see: roll up instructions in detail.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 5 min.

Here's How:1. Lie on the floor with your legs straight. Let your belly drop down toward the floor and make sure your shoulders are relaxed and away from your ears. Take a few deep breaths as you check your alignment and tune in to your body.

When you are ready, leave your scapula anchored in your back and your ribs down, as you bring your arms straight up over your head and back so that your finger tips are pointing to the wall behind you. This will be your beginning position.

See arms over for more on this beginning move.

2. Inhale: Leave your scapula down as you bring your arms up over head. As your arms pass your ears let the chin drop and head and upper spine join the motion to curl up.

3. Exhale: Continue in one smooth motion to curl your body in an "up and over" motion toward your toes. This is the "moment of truth" for many. Pull in your abs in and deepen the curve of the your spine as you exhale. That's what gets you up (not momentum).

Finally, keeping the head tucked, the abdominals deep, and the back rounded, reach for your toes.

Ideally the legs are kept straight throughout this exercise, with energy reaching out through the heels. However, a modification would be to allow the legs to bend, especially as you come up and reach toward the toes.

4. Inhale: Bring the breath fully into your pelvis and back as you pull the lower abs in, reach your tail bone under, and begin to unfurl - vertebrae by vertebrae - down to the floor.

The inhale initiates this motion until you are about half way down.

*Be sure to keep the legs on the floor and don't let them fly up as you roll down. Check that your shoulders are relaxed and not creeping up.5. Exhale: Continue to set one vertebrae after another down on the floor.

Keep your upper body curve as you roll down slowly, with control. The arms are still outstretched and following the natural motion of the shoulders as you roll down.

Once your shoulders come to the floor, the arms go with the head as you continue to roll down to the mat.6. Do up to six repetitions. The roll up is one continuous, controlled, flowing motion. Try to synchronize with the breath. If you do this exercise with full attention, six repetitions will be sufficient.

7. Next, try roll up with magic circle

8. If you have trouble with roll up (you're not alone), please read: Tips for Mastering The Roll Up.

Tips:1. You may find that you don't have enough strength to curl all the way up off the floor without your legs flying up. If this is the case, begin developing your skill and strength with chest lift, wall roll down, and supported roll back

2. There is an ongoing discussion about the roll up in the Pilates Forum here at pilates.about.com.

3. All You Need is an Exercise Mat!

5. One Leg Circlecourtesy of Peak PilatesMuscular focus: abdominals, thighs, hip flexors

Tips: The abdominals keep the pelvis stable as the leg moves. No rocking and rolling!

One leg circle is one of the best pilates exercises for testing your core strength. The abdominal muscles must work hard to keep the shoulders and pelvis stable despite the movement of the leg in the hip socket. One leg circle also tones and stretches the thighs. This is a focus exercise -- meaning, it's a great opportunity to work the abdominals while keeping the Pilates principles of centering, concentration, control, precision, breath and flow, in mind.Difficulty: EasyTime Required: 5 min.Here's How:1. Preparation Lie on your back with legs extended on the floor, arms by your sides. Take a moment to feel the weight of your body on the floor. Try to balance the weight of the shoulders and the hips on each side. You may want to do some sequential breathing to help drop the breath into the body and encourage the weight of the ribs to rest on the floor. 2. Engage Your Abdominals Pull your abdominals in, anchoring the pelvis and shoulders. Extend one leg toward the ceiling. If your hamstrings are stretched, go ahead and lengthen the leg all the way up toward the ceiling. Do not lift your hip in the process. You may leave the knee slightly bent if your hamstrings are tight. It is more important that your hips stay stable and grounded on the mat than it is for your leg to be straight. 3. The Leg Circles Inhale: Cross the extended leg over toward the opposite hip.

Exhale: Drop the leg a few inches. Use control as you open the leg out and then sweep it around in a small circle back to center. Be sure to keep your shoulders and pelvis level. This is more important than extending the leg fully or making big circles. It is in keeping the pelvis stable that your abdominals get their workout. No Rockin' or Rollin'!4. The Breath and Movement Pattern Do five circles in each direction with each leg.

First set of 5:Inhale to cross the body and circle down. Exhale to open the leg and circle up.

Second set of 5:Exhale to open the leg and circle down.Inhale to cross the body and circle and up. Tips:1. Modify this exercise by keeping the non-working leg bent with the foot flat on the floor. This will provide more stability for the pelvis.2. As your core strength increases, you will be able to increase the size of the circle you make with your leg. Start small and work up.3. If you have an exercise band you may want to try One Leg Circle with Exercise Band. What You Need An Exercise Mat

6. Rolling Like a Ballby Peter Kramer, courtesy of Kolesar Studios

Muscular focus: abdominals

Tips: Stay in your curve for the whole exercise. Initiate the roll back with the abs and not by throwing the upper body back.

A classic Pilates exercise, rolling like a ball is is almost always included in Pilates mat classes.Some people can roll up like a pill bug and have lots of fun with this exercise right away. For those of us with low backs that don't round as well, rolling exercises are a little more challenging, though they are worth the effort to develop. Rolling exercises stimulate the spine, deeply work the abdominals, and tune us into the inner flow of movement and breath in the body.

Before You Begin

Supported roll back is an excellent preparation for this exercise. If you have not done rolling before, you might want to do supported roll back first. If you have back or neck problems, stick with supported roll back and not do the full rolling exercises.

See Supported Roll Back

Some things to keep in mind: Keep your rolled position throughout the exercise. Use your breath to keep this exercise controlled and flowing. Never initiate the roll by throwing your upper body backward! This is a very common mistake. Make sure that you are on a surface that is padded. A thin mat on a hard floor is not enough padding for the spine. Read about Pilates mats. For a more in depth look at doing this and other rolling exercises, read Tips for Doing Rolling Exercises.

Instructions for Rolling Like a Ball1. Sit on your mat and clasp your hands over your shins, just above the ankle.

2. Drop your shoulders, widen your back, deepen your abdominals, and make a nice curve of your spine. Don't tuck your head, your neck is part of the long curve.You may want to review the C-Curve.

3. Lift your feet off the mat and balance on, or just behind, your sit bones. (see fig. 1 in image box)

4. Inhale: Pull the lower abs in and up to get yourself going and roll back on your inhale. Roll only to the shoulders. Do not roll onto the neck.Pause. (see fig. 2 in image box)

5. Exhale: Stay deeply scooped with your spine curved. Use your exhale and abdominals to return to upright. Balance

Repeat 5-6 times.

FAQsI'm coming up crooked. Why?

If you are coming up crooked you may be working your abs unevenly, or pulling more on one side than the other with your arms. Try to focus on the center line. This will improve as you practice.

I'm not rolling, I'm bumping and it hurts. What should I do?

First, don't be discouraged. I have seen some top Pilates teachers have trouble with this one (watch for the bump/thump in videos). This exercise calls for a deep release of the lower back into a full curve. The curve is a response to the deepening scoop of the abs. It may take time to learn to let this happen. In the meantime, a tight low back can mean that the roll is more of a thump-thump action. Play with just the first part -- getting a deepening of the low abs and a corresponding fullness of the back. If the bump/thump is very intense, don't do it. Work on exercises like supported roll back and finding your C-curve, as well as the all the other abdominal strengtheners. Eventually you will find the place where the back opens up in response to the depth and support of the abs.

7. Open Leg Balancecourtesy of Kolesar StudiosMuscular focus: abdominals, hamstring stretch

Tips: Use you abdominals to control the pose. Try not to pull on your legs for balance.

Open Leg Balance is one of the best Pilates mat exercises I know testing the strength of the lower abdominals. Core strength is the name of the game here as you will literally lose your balance unless your abdominals are working hard. It is also a good stretch for legs and challenges the back extensors.

Open Leg Balance is a gorgeous exercise when done well. It is a great opportunity to tune in to deep core strength and then use that to allow yourself to radiate long, long, long out of that.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 5 min

Here's How:1. Sit up tall on your sit bones.2. Bring your feet in toward your body, knees open, feet together. Put your arms to the inside of the legs and grasp your ankles.Make sure your shoulders stay dropped as the spine extends long up through the trunk and the head reaches for the sky.

3. Pull in the abdominals, paying special attention to lifting the lower abs.

4. Extend one leg, stabilize, extend the second leg.You may rock back behind your sit bones, but don't go so far that you settle onto your tail bone.

5. BALANCE and hold for a count of 5.

6. With control, fold one leg in, then the next.

7. Check you posture and repeat the exercise 3 - 4 times.

Tips:1. Modify for tight hamstrings: The legs can be slightly bent with the hands behind the thighs.

2. Work your way up to the full balance by extending one leg, bringing it down, and then extending the other.

3. Be sure to keep the shoulders connected in the back the whole time.

4. Think of yourself as radiating out from a strong core. Your legs, spine and arms extend infinitely in both directions.

5. Use Open Leg Balance as a preparation for Open Leg Rocker

What You Need: An exercise mat

8. The Side Kick Seriesphoto: Peter Kramer, courtesy of Kolesar Studios

Muscular focus: abdominals, all thigh muscles--especially inner thigh

Tips: The ribs should stay lifted throughout each exercise. Do not let them sink to the mat.

The exercises in this series are wonderful for toning and strengthening the hips and thighs and abs. They emphasize length and using the powerhouse core muscles to stabilize the trunk as the lower body moves independently.The set up for the side kick series is basically the same for all of the exercises. Setting good alignment and maintaining it throughout the exercises is the key to making them effective. See the set up instructions below.The exercise instructions in this series have cues for doing the exercise, and a link to more extensive instructions. Please do go through the full instructions if you haven't seen them before as doing the exercises precisely will yield the best results.

Side Kick Series Intro and Set Up

Side Kick Series Set Up Lie on your side and line up your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.

Prop your head on your hand, making sure to lift the ribs away from the mat so that your back and neck stay in alignment. You can modify this position by reaching your bottom arm straight out along the mat above your head and resting your head on it. The front hand rests firmly, palm down, on the mat in front of your chest. Use this hand to help stabilize, but don't depend on it -- depend on your abs. Move your legs slightly forward of your hips. This will help your balance and protect your lower back. Rotate the legs out slightly from the hips, in Pilates stance. Double check your line up. The shoulders should be stacked one on top of the other, as should the hips. The ears, shoulders, and hips are in a line, with the knees and ankles a little in front. Kick Front Lift the top leg a few inches. Flex the foot and send energy out through the heel. With the foot flexed, swing the top leg to the front. At the full length of your kick, do a small pulse kick.Lengthen Back Keeping length in your leg and through the whole body, point your toe and sweep the top leg to the back. Pause, but do not do a second kick.

Important: Only reach as far back as you can go without crunching the low back or moving the pelvis. Again, a big part of the challenge of the exercise is to use the core muscles to keep the entire trunk of the body stable. Flex the foot and kick to the front.

Repeat this exercise 5 to 10 times. Kneeling side kick takes the challenge of this exercise a step further. Be sure to try it once you are comfortable with the one.

The article, Kneeling Side Kick - Before and After, offers detailed insight into the mechanics of this move.

Kick Up Double check your line up. Your shoulders should be stacked one on top of the other, as should the hips. Also, your shoulders and hips are in a line with the knees and ankles a little in front. Make sure that your abdominal muscles are pulled in and up. Now, lengthening even more through the top leg, kick up toward the ceiling (smoothly, use your abs for control). Keep the hip bones stacked. Make sure that the pelvis does not tilt back to let the leg go up.Control Down Pull your abdominals up, in opposition to the lengthening of the leg, as you control the descent of the leg.

Side Leg Lifts

While this exercise is not really a kick, the challenge it presents is similar to the other exercises in this series.

Inhale:Bring your breath down the length of your spine, making your entire body very long from tip to toe.

Exhale:Use your abdominals to bring both legs up a few inches off your mat. Focus on keeping your inner legs together, all the way from the sit bones to the heels.

Inhale:Lengthen your legs back down on the mat. Use control.

Do this exercise 5 to 8 times.

See the Full Instructions for Side Leg Lifts for more information, links and tips.

Inner Thigh Lifts

For inner thigh lifts, the top arm and leg are in new positions, but the initial set up is the same as it was for the other exercises in this series.

Bring the foot of your top leg up to rest in front of your hips.

Thread your top hand behind the calf and grasp the outside of your ankle.For more stability, modify it so the foot rests in front of your thigh, and the top hand is flat on the floor in front of your chest.

Inhale: Keeping the bottom leg straight, use your inner thigh to raise it a few inches off the floor. The feeling is that you extend the leg so long that it raises up off the floor.

Exhale: Maintain that sense of length as you slowly lower the leg to the floor.

Do 5 to 8 sets on each side.

See the Full Instructions for Inner Thigh Lifts for more information, links and tips. Bonus Exercise: Pilates Side Scissors

9. Front Support/Plankcourtesy of Peak PilatesMuscular focus: back extensors, abdominals, shoulders, arms

Tips: Stay in one line from your heels to your ears. Though the focus is somewhat on the upper body, if you engage the legs and imagine squeezing the sit bones together, the exercise will be easier. Get the Full Instructions

10. Saw(c)2006, Marguerite OgleMuscular focus: hamstrings, inner thigh, oblique abdominals, back stretch

Tips: Keep your hips anchored and level as you turn to the side. Extend energy through the back arm even as you reach forward. Get the Full Instructions

11. Mermaidby Peter Kramer, courtesy of Kolesar Studios(c)2006Muscular focus: side stretch

Tips: Keep your body flat as you stretch sideways, as if you are between two sheets of glass. Keep the hip on your stretching side down. Get the Full Instructions

12. Swan Prepcourtesy of Peak PilatesMuscular focus: back extensors, abdominal stretch

Tips: Swan provides a wonderful counter stretch to the many forward flexion exercises that we do in Pilates. Get the Full Instructions

13. Wall Roll Down(c)2007, Marguerite OgleMuscular focus: abdominals, back and hamstring stretch

Tips: Use this exercise as a transition from doing your Pilates routine to carrying good posture into your daily life. Get the Full Instructions