12 Exercises You Can do Every Day To Reduce Back Pain, Lose Weight, and Feel Better!
TWELVE EXERCISES TO PRACTICE EVERY DAY: Pilates Mat Exercises
1) Sit on your mat with a phone book under your seat, soles of the feet on the floor, about hip width apart, and a comfortable distance away. You will feel your inner thighs working slightly, but please direct knees away (not tight and pulled in to the hips) and feet relaxed. Place your hands on the back of the thighs with elbows out to the side. Contract your belly to the spine and allow the pelvis to roll backwards into pelvic tuck. Be sure that the head eases as it nods down, and look at your navel. The spine continues to lengthen, or you will be pulling the neck downward and shortening too much in the front. This should be a long curve for the spine, like a bow. Continue leaving the legs easy and hold the position for a few seconds while breathing in and out. Dive the head forward between the knees, and then straighten back to upright (head leading, coming back onto your sitting bones). Repeat 3-4 times.
2) Roll-Up: Lie down on your back with the feet still grounded and knees up to the ceiling. Bring arms straight over your head all the way to ear level, and stretch the abs, getting a big opposition from the fingers and the toes (stretch the legs in one direction, and the torso and arms in the other direction, which gives your abs a stretch).Gently push the feet into the floor. Breathe in. Now breathe out and bring arms to ceiling, then nod your head and lift head while continuing to pull belly to the spine. Let your legs straighten out in front of you and stretch arms over the feet. Keep pulling back in the abs in order to create the oppositional force, and stay low and curved. (You never come to sitting up, but instead maintain a continuous flow). As you come back, arms go back up toward the ceiling and then overhead to ear level. Repeat 4-5 times. (This exercise can be done with the legs stretched straight out in front of you, which makes it a little more challenging, but also more effective).
3) The Hundred: Bring your legs into Table-top, squeezing the inner thighs together and thighs at a right angle to the floor. Stretch the arms down along the body and raise them to level with the top of the pelvis, keeping the chest wide and the shoulder blades reaching down toward the sitting bones, and sending energy downward toward your fingertips. Don’t allow the wrists to move. (Think of an arrow reaching out from the shoulder joints). Nod your head and raise head up while pulling the belly into the spine, and begin beating the air 100 beats…5 breaths in through the nose, and 5 breaths out through the nose. Then lengthen back down to the floor one vertebrae at a time from the bottom of the spine to the top, still pulling the abs in, then lower one foot to the floor, other foot to the floor, and then release. (Never let your feet come to the floor after you have let go of your abs, or else you will put a strain on the lower back).
4) Leg Circles: Lie on your back with the arms out to your side, palms facing down. Legs are long, then bring one leg straight up to the ceiling while pulling your belly to the spine. Bend your knee slightly if you feel any strain in your hamstring muscles (back of the thigh). Stabilize the pelvis by pulling belly to the spine, and circle the leg across the body (not too far), down, around and up to the ceiling. Repeat 5 times, then reverse the circle. End by drawing your knee to the chest, lengthen it down to the floor, then repeat with the other leg, 5 circles in and then reverse.
5) Rolling Like a Ball: sit up and pull your feet toward you, letting the knees stay out quite wide. Contract and curl forward and wrap your hands around the outside of the lower legs, hands just above the ankles. Keep your shoulders down, pull the belly to the spine, and roll backward to about shoulder level (not to your neck) while keeping everything round and tight. Roll back up. Repeat 8-10 Times.
6) Series of Five: There are five exercises in this sequence, but we think of them as a group.
a) Single Leg Stretch: Lie on your back with the knees into your chest. Nod your head to lift it up and look at your abs. Bring one knee into your chest while stretching your other leg out on a 45-90 degree angle (90 is better is you have any strain). Switch legs, keeping the hand at the ankle when the knee is in, and other hand at the other ankle when that knee is in. The other hand touches the inside of the knee that has come in. Switch legs continuously for 16 repetitions. Bring your head down for a rest.
b) Double Leg Stretch: Nod your head to lift again. Stretch out both legs and arms into a V shape. Legs will go out together to about a 45 degree angle, and arms stretch out straight over your head, to about ear level. Then swing arms around in a circle while bending knees in, to end with hands on your lower legs. Cradle the legs. Repeat 6-8 Times. Lower you head down for a rest.
c) Single Straight Leg Stretch: Stretch your Right leg to the ceiling, and bring the left leg up to a 45 degree angle. Nod your head to lift. Pull your Right leg toward your nose, and give two little pulses, then switch and pull your Left leg toward your nose and give two little pulses. Alternate and repeat 10 Times. Keep your shoulders relaxed and down. Lower you head down for a rest.
d) Double Straight Leg Stretch: Place your hands behind your head, one on top of the other. Nod your head to lift (the hands will be holding the head in a cradle. It should feel good, like a little traction for you neck). Bring your legs straight up to the ceiling, and with an inhale, slowly lower your legs toward the floor. Beginners should only lower about 10-15 inches. Advanced can lower all the way to just above the floor. Slowly bring the legs back up to the ceiling on the exhale. Repeat 5-10 Times. Lower your head down for a rest.
e) Criss-Cross: Keep the hands behind the head, elbows away from one another, and cross the left elbow over to the Right knee when the Right knee is bent in and the Left knee is stretched out at 45 degrees, then switch to the other side. Try to stay up as high as you can, off the shoulder blades if possible. Repeat 10 Times. Then lower your head down for a rest.
7) Spine Stretch Forward: Come up to seated position with legs straight out in front of you, about hip width apart. Reach your arms straight forward, and belly pulled back to the spine. Curl backwards into a pelvic tilt, then move forward from the hip joints in the curl as if you are trying to touch your toes. This is an opposition exercise so keep pulling your belly back to the spine as you reach forward. When you get to the fullest extension forward, lengthen the head and spine back onto the sitting bones, head released upward, sit tall, (crown of the head easing upward toward the ceiling). Keep your shoulders relaxed and wide, your shoulder blades floating down the back. Repeat 6-8 Times.
8) The Seal: Stay sitting, and bring your feet pointed and close to you, toes touching and heels open about 6 inches apart. This is similar to rolling like a ball, only you lift the feet up off the ground and wrap your hands through the lower legs to the outside of the ankles. You are going to clap your feet together three times, then roll back and clap them three times over head. Roll forward and repeat. Do this 5-6 Times, then stand up and you’re finished! Congratulations!
1) Sit on your mat with a phone book under your seat, soles of the feet on the floor, about hip width apart, and a comfortable distance away. You will feel your inner thighs working slightly, but please direct knees away (not tight and pulled in to the hips) and feet relaxed. Place your hands on the back of the thighs with elbows out to the side. Contract your belly to the spine and allow the pelvis to roll backwards into pelvic tuck. Be sure that the head eases as it nods down, and look at your navel. The spine continues to lengthen, or you will be pulling the neck downward and shortening too much in the front. This should be a long curve for the spine, like a bow. Continue leaving the legs easy and hold the position for a few seconds while breathing in and out. Dive the head forward between the knees, and then straighten back to upright (head leading, coming back onto your sitting bones). Repeat 3-4 times.
2) Roll-Up: Lie down on your back with the feet still grounded and knees up to the ceiling. Bring arms straight over your head all the way to ear level, and stretch the abs, getting a big opposition from the fingers and the toes (stretch the legs in one direction, and the torso and arms in the other direction, which gives your abs a stretch).Gently push the feet into the floor. Breathe in. Now breathe out and bring arms to ceiling, then nod your head and lift head while continuing to pull belly to the spine. Let your legs straighten out in front of you and stretch arms over the feet. Keep pulling back in the abs in order to create the oppositional force, and stay low and curved. (You never come to sitting up, but instead maintain a continuous flow). As you come back, arms go back up toward the ceiling and then overhead to ear level. Repeat 4-5 times. (This exercise can be done with the legs stretched straight out in front of you, which makes it a little more challenging, but also more effective).
3) The Hundred: Bring your legs into Table-top, squeezing the inner thighs together and thighs at a right angle to the floor. Stretch the arms down along the body and raise them to level with the top of the pelvis, keeping the chest wide and the shoulder blades reaching down toward the sitting bones, and sending energy downward toward your fingertips. Don’t allow the wrists to move. (Think of an arrow reaching out from the shoulder joints). Nod your head and raise head up while pulling the belly into the spine, and begin beating the air 100 beats…5 breaths in through the nose, and 5 breaths out through the nose. Then lengthen back down to the floor one vertebrae at a time from the bottom of the spine to the top, still pulling the abs in, then lower one foot to the floor, other foot to the floor, and then release. (Never let your feet come to the floor after you have let go of your abs, or else you will put a strain on the lower back).
4) Leg Circles: Lie on your back with the arms out to your side, palms facing down. Legs are long, then bring one leg straight up to the ceiling while pulling your belly to the spine. Bend your knee slightly if you feel any strain in your hamstring muscles (back of the thigh). Stabilize the pelvis by pulling belly to the spine, and circle the leg across the body (not too far), down, around and up to the ceiling. Repeat 5 times, then reverse the circle. End by drawing your knee to the chest, lengthen it down to the floor, then repeat with the other leg, 5 circles in and then reverse.
5) Rolling Like a Ball: sit up and pull your feet toward you, letting the knees stay out quite wide. Contract and curl forward and wrap your hands around the outside of the lower legs, hands just above the ankles. Keep your shoulders down, pull the belly to the spine, and roll backward to about shoulder level (not to your neck) while keeping everything round and tight. Roll back up. Repeat 8-10 Times.
6) Series of Five: There are five exercises in this sequence, but we think of them as a group.
a) Single Leg Stretch: Lie on your back with the knees into your chest. Nod your head to lift it up and look at your abs. Bring one knee into your chest while stretching your other leg out on a 45-90 degree angle (90 is better is you have any strain). Switch legs, keeping the hand at the ankle when the knee is in, and other hand at the other ankle when that knee is in. The other hand touches the inside of the knee that has come in. Switch legs continuously for 16 repetitions. Bring your head down for a rest.
b) Double Leg Stretch: Nod your head to lift again. Stretch out both legs and arms into a V shape. Legs will go out together to about a 45 degree angle, and arms stretch out straight over your head, to about ear level. Then swing arms around in a circle while bending knees in, to end with hands on your lower legs. Cradle the legs. Repeat 6-8 Times. Lower you head down for a rest.
c) Single Straight Leg Stretch: Stretch your Right leg to the ceiling, and bring the left leg up to a 45 degree angle. Nod your head to lift. Pull your Right leg toward your nose, and give two little pulses, then switch and pull your Left leg toward your nose and give two little pulses. Alternate and repeat 10 Times. Keep your shoulders relaxed and down. Lower you head down for a rest.
d) Double Straight Leg Stretch: Place your hands behind your head, one on top of the other. Nod your head to lift (the hands will be holding the head in a cradle. It should feel good, like a little traction for you neck). Bring your legs straight up to the ceiling, and with an inhale, slowly lower your legs toward the floor. Beginners should only lower about 10-15 inches. Advanced can lower all the way to just above the floor. Slowly bring the legs back up to the ceiling on the exhale. Repeat 5-10 Times. Lower your head down for a rest.
e) Criss-Cross: Keep the hands behind the head, elbows away from one another, and cross the left elbow over to the Right knee when the Right knee is bent in and the Left knee is stretched out at 45 degrees, then switch to the other side. Try to stay up as high as you can, off the shoulder blades if possible. Repeat 10 Times. Then lower your head down for a rest.
7) Spine Stretch Forward: Come up to seated position with legs straight out in front of you, about hip width apart. Reach your arms straight forward, and belly pulled back to the spine. Curl backwards into a pelvic tilt, then move forward from the hip joints in the curl as if you are trying to touch your toes. This is an opposition exercise so keep pulling your belly back to the spine as you reach forward. When you get to the fullest extension forward, lengthen the head and spine back onto the sitting bones, head released upward, sit tall, (crown of the head easing upward toward the ceiling). Keep your shoulders relaxed and wide, your shoulder blades floating down the back. Repeat 6-8 Times.
8) The Seal: Stay sitting, and bring your feet pointed and close to you, toes touching and heels open about 6 inches apart. This is similar to rolling like a ball, only you lift the feet up off the ground and wrap your hands through the lower legs to the outside of the ankles. You are going to clap your feet together three times, then roll back and clap them three times over head. Roll forward and repeat. Do this 5-6 Times, then stand up and you’re finished! Congratulations!