Tips to Remember (exercises follow) by Nicole Dorsey Pilates-based mat moves are the ultimate at-home method for

strengthening and lengthening your body without machines, says Brooke Siler, certified Pilates instructor and author of The Pilates Body (Broadway Books, 2 !" #$he stomach, hi%s, lower back and buttocks are the %owerhouse of your body and &are' instrumental in maintaining good %osture and alignment,# she says" #(ou will be using and toning these big muscles during every ste% of the mat e)ercises"# *s you move through these sometimes challenging calisthenics, kee% in mind these basic tenets of the Pilates %hiloso%hy+ Breathe dee%ly and naturally to fuel and re%lenish your body" Don,t hold your breath at any %oint, es%ecially during the more ta)ing abdominal e)ercises" *lways do the e)ercises with %recision, concentration and control" *void -uick, .erky movements and kee% all e)ercises fluid and graceful, as a dancer would" /isten to your muscles, es%ecially when you initially start e)ercising" De%ending on your %resent fitness level, some e)ercises may be too demanding to com%lete fully the first few times through" #Don,t give u% if you can,t get the moves right away,# says Siler" #0egular Pilates %ractice takes %atience and %ersistence"# *lso, remember to breathe dee%ly and sto% e)ercising immediately if something causes acute %ain" 1f you have lower-back %roblems, see your %hysician before beginning this regimen" The Exercises by Nicole Dorsey (ou,ll start the mat e)ercises with sim%le, %re%aratory moves and %rogress to more difficult maneuvers2 so when in doubt, do the e)ercises in order" Practice the easier ones until you feel confident in your body,s ability to take the ne)t ste%, and only then move onto the following e)ercise" Brooke Siler, certified instructor and author of The Pilates Body, suggests you read through all the instructions first and visuali3e each movement before you begin the e)ercise" #*lways find your %owerhouse muscles -- abs, butt, lower back and hi%s -- and use them to strengthen and su%%ort you,# she recommends" $o ma)imi3e your form, look for Brooke,s e)%ert ti%s, e)cer%ted from The Pilates Body, at the beginning of each e)ercise"

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The Hundred $his is a warm-u% e)ercise which begins to circulate o)ygen through your blood and %re%ares your body for e)ercise" 9ake sure you breathe with every %um%ing re%etition"

6"

/ie back with knees bent slightly over chest (at < -degree angles with the floor! and bring arms alongside your body, %alms down" 9aintain a flat back and let your belly sink into your s%ine"

2"

/ift head and neck off the mat and begin %um%ing your arms straight u% and down in tandem as if you were sla%%ing water" Pum% your arms and breathe simultaneously for 2 7 breaths, and eventually work your way u% to 6 re%etitions with your head raised"

Rolling Like a Ball 1nhale on the roll-back, e)hale on the roll-u%, and do not use your shoulders to %ro%el your body"

6"

Sit tall with knees into chest and %lace a hand underneath each thigh, bringing knees close to your chest" $uck chin into chest, kee% elbows wide and lift feet slightly off the floor using your midsection muscles to balance"

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2"

:rom your tailbone, roll backwards to your shoulder blades (not your neck!2 then, forcefully but slowly, use those %owerhouse muscles to bring you back to the starting %osition" 0ock back and forth with control si) times"

Single Leg Stretch 1f your neck gets tired during this or any other e)ercise, rest it on the mat for a few seconds" *nd always focus your eyes between your legs -- don,t strain your neck by looking u%"

6"

/ie back with knees into chest, neck and chin u%, and hold onto left shin with both hands" =)tend your right leg u% %er%endicular to floor and e)hale dee%ly, watching your abdominals contract" >old here for a few breaths"

2"

?n the ne)t inhale, switch leg %ositions with control and kee% chin lifted" >old o%%osite (right! shin for a few breaths" Slowly alternate sides for three re%etitions, and %ress your lower back even further into the mat as you move smoothly through the motions"

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Single Leg Circles *s you grow stronger, you,ll gradually make bigger circles" 9aintain control through your hi%s and legs during each %art of the circle"

6"

/ie back with head down to the mat and arms at your sides, %alms down" Press your %alms to the floor to boost stability" =)tend right leg straight u% to ceiling and kee% o%%osite (left leg! cemented down to the floor" Press your s%ine to the mat and make sure your lower back maintains contact at all times"

2"

Slowly make giant clockwise circles with your right heel without letting your lower back arch u% at all" =nvision leading each circle from the inside of your knee instead of your outer thigh" Perform 7-@ %owerful, slow circles with each leg" :inish with your leg %ointing across your o%%osite thigh"

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Straight Leg Stretch (ou,re training all those %owerhouse muscles in this challenging stretch, so use a sense of rhythm to control your momentum as you switch sides -- imagine the rhythm of windshield wi%ers beating to hel% you along"

6"

$o start, lie back and %ull both knees into chest to stretch the s%ine" $hen, e)tend left leg straight u% to ceiling and curl torso u% until you can reach your ankle (or shin! with both hands" Aee% your o%%osite leg (right! about ;-6 inches off the mat and %ress your lower back to the mat" 1nhale dee%ly and %ull straight right leg closer to your head"

2"

?n a dee% e)hale, switch straight legs by scissoring them until you can grab your right ankle with both hands" Aee% eyes focused on your belly and don,t rely on your chest or shoulders to hel%" Perform @-6 re%etitions with each leg without rocking or straining"

Crisscross $here are so many ways to cheat during this e)ercise, so mentally move through this checklist to im%rove your techni-ue+ :eel your waistline twist each time and never rush through the e)ercise" Aee% elbows e)tended wide and do not allow them to touch down" Do not let e)tended leg dro% too low toward the mat or you may .eo%ardi3e your back" Bse only your %owerhouse muscles to initiate the movements2 avoid using neck, shoulders or lower back"

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6"

/ie back with hands behind your head for su%%ort and knees bent into chest" =)tend right leg straight out, and twist u%%er body until right elbow nears left knee" 1nhale as you twist u% and lift torso u% until u%%er back and shoulders are off the mat"

2"

?n a dee% e)hale, switch sides until left elbow nears right knee" 1magine your back and butt anchored to the mat so your body does not rock during the transition" Bsing %recision and slow motion, alternate @-6 times on each side of your body"

Single Leg Kicks $he key to this lower body e)ercise is to remain lifted through your shoulders and remain %erfectly still through your u%%er body as you kick" $ry to lengthen through the crown of your head to maintain a long neck"

6"

/ie on your stomach and %ress %ubic bone firmly to the mat" Come u% to your elbows and stack them directly beneath shoulders" Ball your hands into fists and %ress them into the mat in front of you" S-uee3e your butt and thigh muscles to stabili3e yourself" Aick left heel into left buttock with a double beat (or kick!" Aee% right leg su%er-straight and in contact with the mat while the left leg kicks"

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2"

*lternate sides for five re%etitions, and when youEre done, sit back on your heels to stretch your s%ine"

The Saw Cement your hi%s and butt to the mat and allow all movement to initiate from the waistline" 1f you,re really infle)ible, allow one or both knees to bend slightly through the twisting motion"

6"

Sit u% tall with legs e)tended in front of you2 o%en legs wider than your hi%s2 fle) your feet" Stretch arms out to your sides, %arallel to chest"

2"

$wist torso to the left until right fingers touch (or a%%roach! your left toes" =)hale dee%ly, stretching through your chest as you edge closer to your left toes" 1nhale and %re%are to switch sides" Pull your navel firmly in toward your s%ine to %rotect your back, and twist first to the right side through your waistline" *lternate four very controlled re%etitions as you stretch head and neck to o%%osite sides2 your head should be the last %art to come u%"

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Modified Swan Dive Do not dro% your head back or slum% through the shoulder blades" $o %ro%erly stretch your back, neck and shoulders, you must draw your navel u% to your s%ine and kee% your chest lifted"

6"

/ie on your stomach and bend both arms so your %alms are flat on the mat underneath your shoulders" S-uee3e inner thighs together and %ress the to%s of your feet to the mat" 1nhale and begin to straighten your arms, %ressing your torso u% to the ceiling"

2"

Press arms u% to full e)tension and kee% belly tight to inhale4e)hale dee%ly for a few breaths" Contract your butt muscles to su%%ort your s%ine and gradually lower back to start %osition2 re%eat three times"

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