The Neck Pull Exercise for Pilates

Video Transcript

" Next exercise I am going to demonstrate for you is called a neck pull. Go ahead and lie flat on your back with your legs completely extended. Good point or flex your feet; doesn’t mater which way your feet are not going to be important in this exercise so just make sure that your legs are straight. Navel comes to your spine, neutral alignment in your spine. Go ahead and press your hands behind your head and your elbows are not going to come out to the side, they are going to come up the side of your head. Navel to your spine, and your chin is going to come to your chest. If you have a hard time coming all the way up, just come up as high as you possibly can and then come back down. Do in the range of motion so that you can strengthen your abdominals in order to lift yourself all the way up. Inhale, your neck is going to come towards your chest, so exhale as you lift. You are going to come all the way up, around and up to your spine, bringing your elbows to your knees and inhale as you lift, and exhale as you lower one breath rate at a time and as then once you come to the mat, your neck relaxes. You’re not going to relax your neck at the top. You are going to keep your chin to your chest. Inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale. Inhale and lower yourself back down very slow, very controlled. "