Day 3: Hello, abs...

And now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for... 

 

So I’ve talking about standing up straight and breathing properly. “How is that going to give me the lean poise of a dancer and the iron abs of Arnie?”, I hear you cry. It’s ok, we’re getting to that. There’s no doubt that Pilates is great for strengthening and toning, and in the world of Pilates abs exercises, the Hundred is king (or at least the eccentric and benign dictator, beloved by his followers and regarded with suspicion and amusement from those on the outside).

The key here is keeping your legs in a position where you don’t feel strain in your lower back. You also don’t want to feel tension in your neck – just put one of your hands behind your head to support it if it’s getting uncomfortable, and swap arms occasionally.

Start by lying on your back with legs off the mat and bent to 90 degrees (tabletop).  Tuck your chin to your chest, as if you’re making a double chin, and lift your head and shoulders off the mat, and reach your fingertips towards away from you. 

Pump the arms up and down as you inhale for 5 counts and exhale for 5 counts. Concentrate on pulling your belly button into your spine to stay strong through the core, and tucking your chin down to your chest to avoid straining your neck. Stay relaxed through the shoulders. Count to 100 and then release back down to the mat. To make the exercise more challenging, extend your legs out – but only if you can keep the strain out of your lower back.

A video of how to do the exercise is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89pBILS3f9M

Enjoy!