Pilates Mat Moves To Take With You
Many of us are on the move this summer. Do you have plans for beach weekends, family vacations, trips to see friends, or road trips in the works?
We love to hear it! And hope you enjoy safe and fun travels, wherever you may go.
As much fun and excitement as it brings, travel can be hard on the body and mind. One of the ways to continue feeling your best and fight the ill effects of travel is to find time for your movement practice, wherever you go.
Here are 3 Pilates mat moves you can take with you anywhere you go this summer:
1️⃣ Standing Roll Down: This movement is especially great after sitting for a long time, such as during flight or after a long road trip. It decompresses the spine, improves mobility in the lower back, and loosens up tight hamstrings.
Stand tall against a wall.
Leaving your body on the wall, walk your feet 6 to 10 inches away from the wall.
Keep your arms straight at your sides. your chest wide and your ribs down. Inhale.
Nod your head and begin to slowly roll your spine down and away from the wall, vertebra by vertebra, while exhaling. The abdominals stay lifted and there is a sense of lengthening the spine as you roll down. Your arms track with your body, staying parallel to your ears. As the roll down progresses, you have the opportunity to deepen the scoop of the abs even more. Work slowly, peeling the spine away from the wall. Let your head and neck relax.
Roll down as far as you can go without letting your hips leave the wall. Inhale. Feel the curve evenly along the upper, middle and lower sections of your torso. You could be getting a good hamstring stretch here.
Exhale and begin your return up the wall by initiating the roll up with your lower abs. Continue up, placing each vertebra on the wall, one by one. Stand tall in perfect posture. Repeat.
2️⃣ The Hundred: Fire up your core, activate your breath and body connection, and get a full body flexion with The Hundred. You can do this movement on a mat but in a pinch, lay down a few towels or find a firm spot on the sand and get pumping.
Start lying on your back. Bring both knees into the chest to form a tabletop position. Bring your head, neck, and shoulder off the mat. Arms are long at the sides. Extend legs long and lower as far as possible while keeping the abs engaged and back connected to the mat in a slight imprint. (can modify by bending knees or bringing feet to mat with bent knees)
Pump the arms up and down in a quick, controlled manner while taking five short breaths in and five short breaths out (like sniffing in and puffing out). Be sure to keep your shoulders and neck relaxed and focus on your abdominal muscles doing all the work.
3️⃣ Seated Spinal Twist: Get your obliques going, strengthen your back, and wring out your internal organs with this seated twisting movement that can be done on a mat, the floor, beach, or poolside.
Imagine a line running straight up through the middle of your body. Turn your torso and head on that central axis, getting taller as you twist. The movement is a two-part pulse where you exhale to twist halfway and then exhale again to turn as far as you can.
Inhale and return to center. As you return, continue to extend energy out your fingertips, through your heels, and out the top of your head. Control the motion and make sure that your pelvis does not move.
Exhale and take the twist to the other side. Repeat five times on each side.
Travel can be hard on us, but it’s worth it! Ease the burden on your body by taking your movement practice with you wherever you go.
Happy Summer!