Warming Up for the Rollup Pilates Exercise

Video Transcript

" I'm going to be teaching you the preparation for the "Roll Up". To prepare for this exercise, first we have to warm up the shoulder girdle and then the length of the legs. The goal of the exercise is spinal articulation; increasing the strength of the abdominals through a long flowing motion, and keeping the legs on the centerline. And finding that 'reach' out of your pelvis to create the strength in your center. So to prepare first, we're going to find your centerline. From the inner part of your heels, all the way up through your hips. Bring your heels together. And we call that Pilates 'Stance'. Really locking those heels together. Feet just slightly apart. And you want to feel, from the inner part of those heels, all the way up to your hips, as if the energy is shooting out and then pulling back in. Almost like you are pulling water through a straw. So we're going to pull that up and into your body. That?s the leg action, so you want to keep that going on. Now to prepare for the arms, because the arms are going to come up and over your head. Bring your arms straight towards the ceiling. And reach them long. Now, we're going to take those arms, reach them up so that the shoulder blades come off the mat. And now pull the shoulder blades back down onto the mat. Firmly plugging your shoulders into your back, so that they stay there. And take another deep breath, reaching up and then pull those shoulders back down so that you feel them on the mat. Think about bringing your armpits towards your hips, really connecting your arms and your shoulder girdle to your powerhouse. Then the next part of it is articulating the head. Just like we did in the Hundred. Take a deep breath, on the exhale bring you chin to your chest and sink the ribs."