Pilates warm-up exercises are necessary to prepare your body for the workout ahead. Warming up your muscles before exercising helps to prevent muscle injury while executing your workout in the proper order. Pilates exercises must be done correctly and in order to prevent any injuries.
The focus of any Pilates warm-up exercise is the execution of slow, calculated, movements in order to help your body once you begin the Pilates workout. Your warm-up should not be strenuous, cause you to be come fatigued, or make you short of breath. A proper Pilates warm-up will get you into the proper form and mindset for a successful Pilates workout.
Pilates involves many different movements and actions, therefore when beginning a Pilates warm-up wear loose, non-restrictive clothing that you will feel relaxed in. Feeling relaxed and at peace with your body at the beginning of your warm-up will help you connect your mind, body, and soul throughout your workout.
Two common Pilates warm-up exercises are the Swinging Pilates Warm-Up Exercise and the Chest Stretch Pilates Warm-Up Exercise. The Swinging Pilates Warm-Up Exercise helps to warm up the spine and back. All Pilates warm-up exercises must be done slowly to prevent possible injury.
To begin the Swinging Pilates Warm-Up stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and your knees soft. Inhale and stretch your arms straight upwards. Keep your abs tight while doing this warm-up. As you exhale, bring your arms down slowly to your sides and bend your knees slightly to allow your back muscles to curve forward slightly. Keep your head and neck in a relaxed position, letting them fall forward. Inhale again while you return to your original standing position. Be careful not to force your body, and use slow, controlled motions. To use this exercise as a Pilates warm-up, repeat 20 times.
When beginning the Chest Stretch Pilates Warm-Up Exercise it is important to recall the importance of breathing as an imperative component of a properly orchestrated Pilates exercise. Stretching the chest muscles prior to working out will help breathing techniques throughout your Pilates workout. To begin the Chest Stretch Pilates exercise stand with your legs slightly apart. Breathe in and stretch you arms out in front of your body, your palms facing upwards. As you exhale, extend you arms straight upward then bring them down to the side of your body. Keep your spine long, reaching upwards. Remember to keep your back straight during this warm up. Repeat the exercise ten times for a proper warm-up.
The Swinging Pilates Warm-Up and the Chest Stretch Pilates Warm-Up are not the only warm-ups for Pilates available. Stott Pilates also suggest various warm-ups to isolate parts of the body. Of course all of these warm-ups are beneficial, but if you are having particular problems with a certain part of your body you can focus more upon it.
Breathing Warm-Up
Begin sitting upright on your mat. Place your feet flat on your mat, bend you knees and relax your arms. Inhale. Exhale and beginning from the top of your head, curve forward relaxing over your legs. While curved forward, inhale through your nose, expanding your rib cage. Exhale through pursed lips. Complete three to five breaths. On your last exhale roll up to beginning position.
Imprint and Release Warm-Up
Begin Lying on your back, with your pelvis and spine in neutral position. With knees bent and your feet hip distance apart on the mat, place your arms along your sides with your palms down. Inhale. Exhale and contract your abs to imprint your spine to the mat. Inhale and return to neutral. To complete exercise, do three to five repetitions.
Hip Release Warm-Up
Lie on your back with your spine in neutral position (see the Five Basic Principals of Pilates). Keep your knees bent, feet hip distance apart on the mat. Place your arms along your sides with your palms down. Inhale and allow your outside leg to turn out to side as your knee straightens and your foot slides away from your torso. Exhale and allow your leg to turn in towards your center as your knee bends and your foot is brought in towards your torso. You should arrive back at the starting position. Complete three repetitions in each direction and for each side.
Spinal Rotation Warm-Up
Begin by lying on your side on your mat. Bend your hips and knees. Reach your arms forward with your palms together. Inhale and reach your top arm towards the ceiling. Exhale and reach your arm out to the side, allowing your upper torso to rotate and then front of your chest to open towards the ceiling. Follow your hand with your eyes. Inhale and breathe into the side of your ribcage. Exhale and engage your abs to rotate your torso back to the beginning position. Complete three repetitions on each side of your body.
The Cat-Stretch Warm-Up
Begin on your hands and knees. Align your knees under your hips, and your arms under your shoulders. This will prevent any joint tension. Keep your knees hip-distance apart and your spine in neutral position (see the Five Basic Principals of Pilates). Inhale. Exhale and pull your spine upwards towards the ceiling. Allow your head to drop and your tailbone to tuck under. Inhale and engage your abs and expand the back of your rib cage. Keep your head and shoulders relaxed. Exhale and return your spine to its original position.
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Hip Rolls Warm-Up
Begin lying on your back with your spine in neutral position (see the Five Basic Principals of Pilates). Bend your knees, and place your feet hip-distance away from each other on the mat. Place your arms by your sides with your palms down. Exhale and slowly pull your tailbone off of the mat until your hips are lifted and the weight of your body is resting between your shoulder blades. Inhale and keep your abs engaged and expand the back of your ribcage. Keep your head and shoulders relaxed. Exhaling, return to your starting position.
Scapula Isolations Warm-Up
Begin lying on your back, in neutral (see Five Basic Principals of Pilates.) Keep your knees bent, your feet hip-distance apart on the mat. Making your arms long, reach them towards the ceiling. Inhale and reach your arms towards the ceiling pulling your shoulder blades off the mat. Exhale and bring your shoulder blades back to the starting position, widening across the collarbone. Repeat this exercise three to five times.
Arm Circles Warm-Up
Begin lying on your back in neutral position (see the Five Basic Principals of Pilates). Keep your knees bent, your feet hip-distance apart on the mat. Inhale and reach both arms towards the ceiling and then overhead. Keep your abs taught and keep the back of your rib cage in contact with the mat. Maintain shoulder blade stability. Exhale and circle your arms out to your sides and around to your hips. Complete three to five repetitions and then repeat in the opposite direction.
Head Nods Warm-Up
Begin lying on your back in neutral position (see the Five Basic Principals of Pilates). Keep your knees bent, your feet hip-distance apart on the mat. Inhale and lengthen through the back of your neck, making sure to keep your head on the mat. Exhale and bring your head back to neutral position. Repeat three to five times.
Shoulder Shrugs Warm-Up
Begin lying on your back in neutral position (see the Five Basic Principals of Pilates). Keep your knees bent, your feet hip-distance apart on the mat. Inhale and slide your shoulder blades up towards your ears. Exhale and slide your shoulder blades away from your ears. Lightly press your palms into the mat, however, do not round your shoulders while doing so. Do three to five repetitions.
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For a beginning Pilates program, following the warm-up, start with the Hundred, the Roll-up, the One-Leg Circle, the One-Leg Stretch, the Single-Straight Leg Stretch, and the Spine Stretch. These exercises follow the warm-up well and focus on the warmed muscles from the Swinging Pilates Warm-Up and the Chest Stretch Pilates Warm-Up.
The Hundred
The Hundred is one of Joseph Pilate’s 34 free exercises, built for strength, endurance, and coordination. To really activate this exercise you have to breathe! The Hundred is a great stretch for the beginning of your Pilates exercise because it is a great warm up for the abs and lungs. The Hundred requires that you coordinate your breath with your movement and simultaneously be sturdy and graceful. To begin The Hundred lie on your back bending your knees. Make your shins and ankles parallel to you’re the height of your knees. Place your hands behind your knees and inhale. While exhaling, bring your head up, pulling your chin to your chest using your abs. Curl your spine off the floor making sure to engage your shoulders and back. Keep your gaze to your abs. Stay here and inhale. Exhale and deepen the pull of your abs by extending your legs and arms towards the wall in front of you. Your legs should only go as low as you can maintain your muscle tension without creating tremors. Extend your arms straight out low just a few inches off the floor. Hold this position! Take five short breaths in and five short breaths out while slowly pumping your arms up and down from the floor. Do a cycle of ten full breaths. To finish keep your spine curved as you bring your knees in toward your chest. Grasp your knees and roll your upper spine and head back to the floor. Take a deep breath in and out.
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The Spine Twist
The Spine Twist helps to keep the muscles of your trunk flexible in every direction. Many times we tend to repeatedly move in the same position, strengthening some muscles and ignoring others. The Spine Twist helps to address all of the muscles in your trunk. The Spine Twist helps to increase the range of motion in your upper body by training the spine to move in new directions. This can be very helpful if you are active in sports! To begin sit up tall with your legs together in front of you, feet flexed. Extend your arms to the side, keeping them even with your shoulders. Try to keep your spine tall and lengthened. Think of a string being attached to the top of your head pulling you upright. On a two part exhale get taller as you turn your head and torso on your central axis. The twist is from the waist, not the shoulders. Move the upper body in one piece, keeping the pelvis stable. A way to double check your movement is to make sure you feet stay even with each other. During your two part exhale, exhale as you twist half way and finish exhaling as you twist as far as you can the rest of the way. Inhale as you return to center. On the exhale twist to your other side.
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The Roll Up
The Roll Up helps to strengthen your abdominal muscles, which help to keep your trunk strong. To begin, lie on your back with your legs straight and your arms stretched above your head. Keep your shoulders down. Maintaining your back on the floor, slowly lift your arms towards the ceiling as your breathe in. As you exhale slowly roll forward, pulling your spine off the mat with your abs. Keep your head straight, your eyes focused forward. Your stomach must remain taut! Inhaling again, stretch over your legs. Exhaling slowly roll back down to the floor. Without pausing begin to roll up again, beginning the second repetition. Do ten total repetitions, and keep in mind that each roll up equals six crunches!
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The One-Leg Circle
The One-Leg Circle increases your flexibility! Lie on your back with your arms to your sides, with your palms facing down. Pull your stomach in tight and extend one leg towards the ceiling, pointing your toe. Rotate your leg clockwise. Breathe in for half the circle and out for the other half. Then rotate in the opposite direction, maintaining your breathing. Return your leg to the floor and then extend your right leg. Repeat this five times on each side. “This is a focus exercise -- meaning, it's a great opportunity to work the abdominals while keeping the Pilates principles of centering, concentration, control, precision, breath and flow, in mind” (about.com).
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The One-Leg Stretch
The One-Leg Stretch is great for strengthening your core abdominal muscles. To begin lie on your back with your arms beside you, palms flat on the mat. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor. Hold your right knee and extend your left leg out. Hold. Inhale and exhale twice. You can increase the difficulty of this exercise by the distance between your raised leg and the floor. The distance also reflects the strength of your abs and the weight of your leg. Be careful not to arch your back! Keep your head in alignment as you slowly switch sides. Holding your other knee inhale and exhale twice. Do five repetitions per each side. The One-Leg Stretch is also great for helping to correct body alignment.
The Single Straight-Leg Stretch
To begin the Single Straight-Leg Stretch, lie with your back on the floor in neutral position. Extend your legs in the air, making them parallel. Bend your knees and connect your inner thighs. Rest your hands firmly on your knees. As you inhale lengthen your spine and neck. Exhale and flex your upper body, extending your legs in unison. Extend one leg away from your torso while bringing the other leg towards your torso. Pull your abs tight reaching your hands towards your ankle. Inhale and switch legs. Keep your knees and extended and pulse twice each time your reach for your legs. Repeat five times on each leg.
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