Standing Pilates Exercise: Posturing & Breathing

Series Summary

Pilates is an exercise system developed by Joseph Pilates. It was designed to strengthen the body core (which consists of the abdominal muscles, the lower back muscles, hip flexors, and gluteus muscles) in order to prevent back pain, and help with spine alignment and breathing control. Pilates can be done almost anywhere and can be learned quite easily especially when you can be taught by a pilates instructor. Learn how to to do standing pilates exercises in this free video series featuring trainer Carol Ann. Carol will teach you standing pilates exercises to help you stay in great shape or get in better shape. She will demonstrate standing pilates exercises such as the rag doll, ply squat, muffin top leg lift, and toe raise.

Video Transcript

"This standing Pilates exercise is posturing and breathing. So, it's very important that before you begin any Pilates exercise that you posture yourself and focus on your breath. So, to posture yourself; you put your legs into a Pilates stand and so you have your heels together, your toes out like a V, squeeze your calves together, your inner thighs, draw your navel into your spine. In other words, you want to imagine that you're being cinched in a corset. And then you want to have your shoulder blades back and down lengthen out through the crown of your head, so you're lengthening through the entire spine. And then let's just focus on the breath. Place your hand right at the rib cage, inhale through your nose and then exhale through your mouth forcefully. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth forcefully. So, as you continue to breathe, you want to inhale completely and as you exhale, it's like you're wringing out a wet cloth, getting every drop of water out of that sponge or that wet cloth. So, that is your breathing and your posturing in Pilates."