Body Weight Pilates: The Hundred

Series Summary

Pilates is an exercise system developed by a German man named 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 exercises can be done almost anywhere and can be learned quite easily especially when you can be taught by an expert like ours. In this free fitness video series, a professional instructor will teach you how to use your body weight as resistance to increase your strength, endurance and flexibility. Learn the hundred, roll up, single leg stretch, double leg stretch, scissor and double straight leg stretch. Get tips on performing the criss cross, full teaser, plank, around the world push-up and arabesque pull. Receive helpful instruction for the grab and snatch, 90 degrees overhead, butterfly split and Pilates swimming.

Video Transcript

"Hey there. Thanks for joining us. My name is Ashley Orlando and today we're going to do some body resistance Pilates. It's based off of a classic system but you'll be using your whole body as your resistance. And today we have the wonderful Mark Comlos who is going to demonstrate a perfect body. So we're going to start with the hundred today. So go ahead and lay down on your mat. Legs are long. Arms are long by your sides. So in Pilates it's very important that you're breathing correctly. We are going to start breathing so you can take a deep inhale, expand your ribs from east to west and then exhale through your mouth all the way. Again, just the ribs, make sure the navel is scooped in towards the spine. Chest is closed and then exhale, close the ribs down, pull the navel in towards the spine. Keeping the same breathing, you're going to draw your knees in toward your chest and then exhale. So you're going to keep the legs table top. Table top means knees in line with your hips. Keep the toes pointed, the legs are glued together. Continue the breathing. Another deep inhale and exhale. So now we're going to add on to our exercise to complete the hundred. You're going to curl the head, neck and shoulders up. So your arms come two inches above your belly button here. When you pump your arms, you want to make sure that they're only about five inches. So you're like pressing the ground in and out. So you're not moving any of your upper body. See how Mark is completely stable here using that core, yeah. So keep those arms just pumping along and your upper body stays completely straight. Two inches above, long fingers. Three, four, five, exhale. Two, three, four, five, inhale. Two, three, four, relax the neck, exhale. Two, three, four, five, inhale. Two, three, four, five, exhale. Two, three, four, pump harder, inhale. Good and exhale. Four, five, inhale. Two, three, half way there, exhale. Two, three, four, five, inhale. Two, three, four, shoulders down, exhale. Two, three, four, five, inhale. Two, three, four, five, exhale. Two, extend the legs for an added challenge, and exhale. Two, three, three more sets, inhale. Two, three, four, five, and exhale. Two, lower the legs down, inhale. Two, three, last set, and exhale. Two, three, four, five, draw the knees in towards the chest. Relax head, neck and shoulders down. Take your rest for a second. Take a deep inhale again through those ribs. Expand them from east to west and exhale, lower all the way down. Good, one more deep breath. Take a deep breath in. Good work and exhale. Table top those legs. So if you have any injuries or you can't fully extend your legs out enough and your lower back is not pressed to the floor, keep your legs table top the whole time. If your navel's scooped in towards your spine and your lower back is completely pressed, that's when you can extend. Mark, can you show? Extend your legs out. You can bring your legs as low as possible as long as that lower back stays down. So you can test there with your own body, there. Draw those knees back in toward your chest. Good. Place the feet flat down. That was our hundred and now the next is the rollup."