How to Do the Crisscross in Pilates

The "criss cross" is just a fancy name for a twist on a crunch, but it's one of the basic moves in any Pilates workout. The Pilates criss cross helps to tone your abdominal muscles and also works out your hips. You should feel a burn in your abs and a stretch in your pelvic region if you follow these steps and learn how to do the criss cross correctly.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Lie on the mat in the starting position. Pull in your navel and get your spine in the neutral position. Get comfortable. Once you have taken a couple of deep breaths and your shoulder blades are pressed into the mat, you can begin the exercise.

2. Bend your knees and pull them up toward your chest. Your legs should be touching but not pressed together. The upper part of your legs should be parallel to the floor.

3. Place your hands behind your head. Be sure not to cross your hands but put them together gently. Then lift and tuck your head in as if you are lowering it toward your tummy. This move replicates traditional crunches.

4. Bring your left knee toward your right elbow. You can move your arm slightly toward your knee, but the bulk of the movement should come from your leg and not your arm. The criss cross gets its name from this step, which is the main part of the exercise.

5. Return to the beginning position, once they have touched or gone as far as is comfortable for you. Repeat the motion bringing the right knee toward the left elbow.

6. Do as many repetitions as you can on each side. When you have completed repetitions, return to the starting position and slowly lower your legs until you have returned to the starting position in Step 1.

Tips & Warnings

• Make the criss cross more difficult by adding repetitions or challenging yourself to move in a tighter criss cross pattern.
• In Pilates, as in regular crunches, you must be sure you're not straining your neck to do the exercise properly. You could cause injury, and you will not be working out your abdominal muscles.

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