Workout of The Month: At-Home Mat Pilates Routine

In honor of National Pilates Day on May 2, Castle Hill Fitness is sharing with us an at-home Mat Pilates routine for this month’s workout of the month.

Pilates is the perfect complement to any fitness routine. With moves that strengthen and align your core and body — it’s a low-impact workout with a full-body effect. And since Pilates is so versatile, workouts can be done alone or in a class, at the gym or at home and with or without any equipment. 

Led by CHF Pilates Instructor, Celeste Knickerbocker, this Mat Pilates routine is perfect to do from home or anywhere you have some space. The routine will put your body in four different motions: flexion, extension, rotation and lateral movement. Try these moves in order to create a healthier spine and stronger core. Do 8-10 repetitions of each exercise.

*JOIN CHF FOR A FREE  WEEK OF VIRTUAL PILATES MAY 3-9*

SHOULDER BRIDGE

Lying on your back with your arms actively lengthened alongside you, inhale to prepare. Then as you exhale, flatten the small of the back to the ground and peel your hips up one vertebrae at a time until you come to balance on the shoulder blades (A).

From here you can lower and lift one leg at a time (B). To finish the move, place both feet on the floor, and exhale to articulate down vertebrae by vertebrae until you return to neutral spine on the mat.

MERMAID

Sit with legs curled in one direction like a pinwheel around your body, inhale, extend arms wide (A) Come to a side stretch away from legs. Now exhale, lift up to start, grab your calf and counter-stretch (B)

TEASER

Lying on your back with legs straight (A) or bent in chair position; inhale, extend the arms overhead and curl the upper body while extending the legs to straight, coming to a balance point on your sitting bones. (B) Breathe in as you balance, and exhale to roll down to the starting position.

SAW

Seated with legs extended in wide second position and arms outstretched, (A) inhale and  rotate to one side; exhale, fold forward over that leg, reaching one arm past the pinky toe and the other arm behind. Pull the abs away from the floor as you fold forward (B). Repeat on the other side.

Celeste is a certified Pilates teacher and movement specialist at Castle Hill Fitness 360 in Davenport Village. With over 9 years of teaching, Celeste has witnessed how Pilates has improved the quality of life for clients of all ages, shapes and sizes. Join her for a weekly virtual class or virtual training at castlehillfitness.com.