The Pilates exercise, The Saw, is an easy-looking exercise that is beautifully complex. In this exercise we get the abdominals, especially obliques, involved as we twist and flex, stretching the spine upward and then over the leg in length. This is an excellent one to keep in your routine if you’re a golfer, or a runner.
A great pair of exercises that help rebalance the muscles that often become weak from hours of being desk-bound! This move targets all the muscles typically weakened from the sedentary posture, by opening up the hips, chest and shoulders. As with all Pilates exercises, you want an initiation in the core, and then you’ll be working the glutes, hamstrings, and the upper back muscles that help to stabilize your shoulder blades and counter tight pecs.
When I discovered Pilates, I found that the method was excellent cross-training for my running. The focus on core strength, spinal health and flexibility for the hips and legs especially makes it a conditioning program ideal for balancing out the body from hitting the pavement.
In the Pilates world, we love the word “neutral.” Neutral is like the ideal zero point from which we should start our efficient movement. So, when training our clients to achieve their best form, we educate them on the concepts of a neutral spine and neutral pelvis. The ribcage is a major element in the torso that attaches to the spine, and it too, has an ideal neutral placement.
Yes, I’m planning on talking about buns, just not the ones you’ll find at the dinner table. Certainly it is desirable both for aesthetic and functional reasons to have strength and tone in this area, however when a muscle gets into overuse and dysfunction it can create a cascade of issues.
Since Back-to-School season is here, there’s no time like the present to offer up some Pilates Tutoring Tips on how best to achieve the abdominal connection, length through the spine and the proper alignment for this position. It’s one used often in Pilates classes, on the Mat, Reformer, and other pieces of studio equipment.