Another holiday season is coming to an end, with Christmas behind us and the New Year’s celebration a day away, this examiner thought it would be a good idea to provide some basic Pilates based techniques and exercises that will help readers relax, rejuvenate and mentally reconnect with your body.
Breathing is one of the basic principles of Pilates that is not only vital to life but is important to the proper execution of Pilates exercises. In the practice of Pilates, breathing helps to:
- “Insure efficient oxygenation of the blood.”
- “Relax muscles and relieve tension.”
- “Increase mental focus and connection to the task or exercise at hand.”
Below are a few techniques that will help you achieve some of these benefits.
1. Lie on your back (in supine position) breathe smoothly and focus on your natural breath pattern and your body’s response to your breathing.
2. Completely relax your body let your back, your ribs, your shoulders, your head rest fully on the mat.
3. Continue breathing and place your hands on the sides of your rib cage notice the rib cage expand outward as you inhale and pull in and down as you exhale.
4. Continue to focus on your breathing until you feel relaxed and at ease.
Performing this small portion of Pilates breathing exercises is a great way to reduce tension and connect and refresh.
To further assist with holiday recovery there are three very good exercises that will increase your relaxation while loosening tight muscles.
Traveling for long periods of time, attending numerous sit down functions or just plain sitting down can cause many muscular imbalances especially tight hip flexors which if left unchecked can result in back pain. To alleviate hip joint tightness two exercises called the hip release and hip rolls are ideal to keep the hips stretched and functioning through full range of motion.
Hip Release
An exercise designed to produce fluid movement of the hip joint. The instructions below will help you to perform the exercise.
1. Start by lying on your back (in supine position), with both knees bent (knees facing the ceiling).
2. Inhale through the nose as you drop your bent knee toward the floor, this is referred to as releasing or opening the hip joint. Extend the knee, lengthening the leg as the foot slides away from the torso.
3. Exhale through the mouth while medially rotating the knee (slightly turning the knee toward the midline of the body), fully flex (bend) the knee and return the foot to the starting position.
Repeat three times on each leg.
Hip Rolls
An exercise designed to slowly lift the spine from the mat, engaging the gluteus Maximus muscles to extend and stretch the hips. The instructions below will help you to perform the exercise.
1. Start by lying on your back (in supine position), with both knees bent (knees facing the ceiling).
2. Inhale to prepare for the exercise
3. Exhale slowly lift your back (low back to mid back) from the mat (as if you are lifting one vertebra at a time from the mat). Extend your hip joints without over extended your low back.
4. Inhale maintain the above noted position.
5. Exhale slowly return to the mat (as if you are returning to the mat one vertebra at a time).
Repeat 3 times or as often as needed to achieve effective stretching.
Cat Stretch
The last stretch/exercise that will assist with relaxation is called the Cat Stretch. Similar to the Yoga stretch, this stretch exercise is designed to help stretch tight back muscles and some muscles located in the cervical spine. The instructions below will help you to perform the exercise.
1. Start on your hands and knees, inhale and maintain this position.
2. Exhale and slowly curve your back from your sacrum (tailbone) to your head.
3. Inhale maintain this curve.
4. Exhale lengthen your spine from the tailbone to the head until you have returned to the start position on your hands and knees.
Repeat 3 times or as often as needed to achieve effective stretching.
Remember these are basic Pilates based techniques and exercises that will help you with relaxation and stretches. The exercises do not follow the full Pilates repertoire that includes abdominal engagement and stabilization, but if used properly will help you to stretch and relieve muscular tension.
Source: Exercises and techniques were adapted with the use of the Stott Pilates Comprehensive Matwork Manual.
Note: The exercises do not follow the full Stott Pilates repertoire.
