Pilates Neck & Body Roll

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 do Pilates stretches and work to increase your strength, endurance and flexibility. Learn the neck and body roll, side to side, runner’s stretch, hamstring stretch, single leg circle and hamstring sit. Get tips on performing the lower back stretch, glute stretch, center split stretch, child’s pose and swan. Receive helpful instruction for the rocker, inner thigh wall stretch, pelvic lift and shoulder stretch.

Video Transcript

"We're going to start with the neck roll and a body roll. Bring your neck towards the right side, bring it down through the center, bring it over towards the left side, and back behind you. So, you want to keep your naval scooped and then pulled up, and your weight is evenly distributed on both feet, again roll through. Now, you're going to add your shoulders into it, so keeping your upper body straight, roll your shoulders down through the center, bring them back behind you, all the way. Again, one more inhale as you roll down, and exhale as you stretch back. Now, you're going to add your torso all the way in. Roll all the way down through, and left through center, keeping your naval tubed in, and your ribs are closed down through, and slightly bend the knees a full body roll all the way down. Give yourself a good stretch through, exhale to lift, one more, round through, and come all the way up to standing. From here you're going to switch sides. Roll down through the left, bring your head to the left, down through center, right, exhale to lift, keeping your shoulders back, just rotate on that neck, run all the way through, and go through the shoulders. Add your shoulders in, down through center and through one more. Add your waist torso all the way down. Roll a little faster on the side, and then, left side all the way down. Bend the knees, roll through the spine, just to get that body working through, last one, and come all the way to sitting tall. Take a deep inhale. That was the neck and body roll. And, next, we're going to work on our side to side stretches."