Basic stretch (when pain is present)

This is the most gentle stretch if there is pain present. Lie on your back knees bent. Ensure your spine is in its neutral position, meaning your ribs are touching the floor, your sacrum or buttocks are full on the floor, and only the small of your back (lumbar spine) in away from the floor in its small curve. Do NOT flatten your back and raise your buttock off the floor.

Take one bent knee and gently pull it towards the opposite shoulder. Only pull as far as you can while keeping your buttocks on the floor. Hold this stretch for several minutes, do not bounce.  Allow your muscles to adapt to the stretch while it has no further tension placed on it.

The 4 stretch

Lie on your back knees bent feet flat on the floor. Ensure your abdominals are connected and your lower back is NOT pressed into the floor. Keep your back in neutral with your rib cage on the floor and only the lumbar spine in a small curve and your buttocks on the floor.

Take one foot and place one ankle on the other knee (making a 4 with your legs) The objective is to gently press the top knee towards the floor, do NOT raise your buttocks off the floor. Continue to press quadriceps and knee of top leg. You will feel a pull in the same buttock as the top leg. DO NOT LET YOUR HIPS HIKE UP ON EITHER SIDE THEY SHOULD STAY LEVEL. Only press down as far as you can without hiking the hip or rolling the buttock off the floor. REPEAT AS MANY TIMES AS YOU CAN WITHOUT FURTHER PAIN

By Kathleen Simpson, our Pilates Instructor

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Beginner Leg Extension : This exercise will help develop strong abdominals as well as build quadriceps without hurting the neck!

Lay flat on the floor in neutral spine, ensure you pull up on your pelvic floor and hold your abdominals tight in the front. Bring your legs up in tabletop while you exhale. Inhale to prepare, on your next exhale extend one leg at a time out straight and bring it back.

Repeat this with the each of your legs during the exhale so you can connect your abdominals better. At no time should you have lower back pain. This means your abdominals are not connected or you have arched your back. The back of your ribs should be well connected to the floor at all times. Do not use your neck, shoulders or arms to hold you while you extend your leg. This works the abdominals as well as your quadriceps muscles in your legs.

When you can do each leg easily, progress to both legs at the same time. This will develop strong abdominals as well as build quadriceps without hurting your neck.

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By Kathleen Simpson, our Pilates Instructor

Supine Rotational Stretch is a great stretch to open back and pectoral muscles!

Click here for a printable version

Abdominals lifted up and connected in front. Lay on your side, like sitting on a chair. Arms are out front to start.

Arm reaches up and rotates behind you along with head/eyes so you’re looking behind yourself.

Give this a few minutes of deep breathing for your muscles to loosen and rotate. Keep knees together. Return to beginning. Do this a second time to each side.

Click here to learn more about Pilates

Click here for more information about our mat classes / private and semi-private reformer sessions