Laying the Foundation - a guide to Pilates | ||
What Is It?
Why Do It?
How Do I Start?
Like any fitness regime, an understanding of how and why we undertake a particular pursuit and then employing those techniques to improve our individual fitness and enjoyment, is extremely important. Pilates is particularly suited to as siting riders to achieve good posture for quality and economy of movement.
You can also seek an assessment of your personal concerns or exercise needs to address a particular riding issue. To get started on a regular programme, we look at what we are trying to achieve, why we do it and the core exercises.
Sit upright on the ball, feet hip bone width apart //
Ensure your pelvis and spine are in a neutral position, the pubic bone and hip bones should be on the same plane and the spine should be lengthened tall whilst maintaining its natural curves. Stack the boxes of your pelvis, ribcage and head centrally over one another //
Lengthen through the crown of your head as if being gently pulled up by an imaginary ponytail, gently engage your centre //
?Have a sense of length across the front of the shoulders and allow the arms to hang freely //
Find and maintain an even balance of pressure under both sitting bones //
Keep your centre engaged as you inhale and exhale for 5 -10 breathes, keeping your shoulders relaxed and your breathe flowing freely into your back and side ribs.
?From the seated balance position //
Exhale and engage your centre and float one leg, aim to maintain an even distribution of weight under your sit bones, stay lengthened through both sides of your waist //
Make the movement with lightness and ease, the focus on length throughout the spine will help this //
Inhale as you lower the leg //
Repeat 10 times, alternating sides //
To progress this exercise, challenge your balance and have fun gently bounce in a two time trot rhythm whilst you float alternate legs.
From the 4 Point Kneeling position place an imaginary glass of water on your lower spine and do not allow it to spill in any direction //
inhale to prepare for movement //
Exhale and engage your centre as you slide a weightless leg out behind you keeping contact with the mat. Maintain the stability of the pelvis //
inhale, keep your centre engaged.
Exhale as you lengthen and lift the leg to hip height and simultaneously lengthen and lift the opposite arm. The shoulder will naturally elevate slightly but do not overdo this, maintain length between your shoulders and your ears //
inhale //
Exhale as you lower your arm and leg back to the mat, sliding your leg back into the start position //
Repeat 10 times alternating sides
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© copyright. Equestrian Life. Monday, 6 May 2024 https://www.equestrianlife.com.au/articles/Laying-the-Foundation-a-guide-to-Pilates |
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