How to do The Hundred Pilates Exercise

Video Transcript

"The first exercise I am going to demonstrate is called the hundred. You should always start your Pilates program with the hundred. It warms up all the muscles in the body. So go ahead and lie flat on your back on your mat. Your feet are going to come flat on the floor, hands down by your side for now. You are going to bring your feet as close to your hips as possible. Before we start, you are going to pull your navel into your spine but you are going to keep a neutral alignment in your spine. You are not going to press your back to the mat and you are not going to arch your back and lift your hips up toward the ceiling. You are just going to lie flat on your back with a neutral alignment in your spine. Option 1, you can keep your feet on the floor, option 2, for more of a challenge you can bring your feet off of the floor at a 90 degree angle; option 3 you can extend your legs straight up to the ceiling and option 4 which is a little bit more advanced, you can bring your legs at a diagonal angle before you start. Your upper body; if your neck starts to get tired you can always drop your head on the floor and do this exercise. You are going to lift your head, your neck, your shoulders off of the mat using the muscles in the course of your navel to your spine, chin to chest gazing down toward your belly button, hands are going to hover over the floor a couple of inches taking the option with your feet and for 100 breaths you are going to inhale for 5 counts and exhale for 5 counts until you get to 100. Inhale, exhale, inhale and exhale; the only thing moving are the arms. Inhale, this is option 1 exhale. This is option 2, option 3 and option 4. You pick any of the options that are most comfortable for you and inhale for 5 counts, exhale for 5 counts, inhale."