Pilates: Resources, Books, and Videos.
by J. Zimmerman.

Pilates Complete for Everyone One of the best DVDs on Pilates.

First this Word of Caution (and see also "Power Pilates" by Dianne Daniels):

Check our disclaimer.

Consult your physician before you embark on any exercise program. Pilates (for example) is strenuous exercise and not suitable for everyone. This and associated Web pages are not intended as advice or assurance to any specific reader regarding his or her ability to perform an exercise program safely. If you do decide to begin, warm up your muscles before stretching them. You can walk briskly, jog, dance salsa, have a pillow fight, jump jacks, or chase the cat. But warm up for at least 5 minutes.

Pick from these great topics:

• Avoiding injury.
• Calorie Karma. The secret use of other people's momentum in weight loss.
• Easy start on your fitness.
• Nordic walking.
• Pilates.
• Pilates DVDs.
• Pilates Specifics - some basic exercises.
• Reiki.

Pilates DVDs

Pilates Complete for Everyone
STOTT Pilates: Pilates-infused Yoga
Yogilates created by Jonathan Urla

Pilates Complete for Everyone

The intention of each Pilates exercise is to engage the abdominals fully and therefore strengthen the body's core.

Pilates Complete for Everyone. One of the best DVDs on Pilates.

• Instructor Karen Garcia.
• Graduated exercises in five levels of challenge:
  • Basic.
  • Beginning.
  • Intermediate.
  • Intermediate/Advanced.
  • Challenging.
• Helpful introductory section of Principles and Cautions.
• Pilates DVDs.
• Pilates Specifics - some basic exercises.
• Reiki.
• Focuses on giving 110% of value, without grinning synthetic smiles or bogus cheerleading.

Basic

Four workout programs: varied sequences of exercises and gently increasing challenge.	Introduction (10 min)	Basics (7 min)	Variation #1 (7 min)	Variation #2 (8 min)
Opening	-	Opening	Opening	Opening
The One Hundred:	The One Hundred	The One Hundred	The One Hundred	The One Hundred
Roll up:	Roll up	Roll up	Roll up	Roll up
Single-leg circles:	Single-leg circles	Single-leg circles	Single-leg circles	Single-leg circles
Balance (preparation for Roll-up-like-a-ball):	Balance	Balance	-	Balance
Single-leg stretch:	Single-leg stretch	Single-leg stretch	Single-leg stretch	Single-leg stretch
Double-leg stretch:	Double-leg stretch	Double-leg stretch	Double-leg stretch	Double-leg stretch
Spine stretch forward:	Spine stretch forward	Spine stretch forward	Spine stretch forward	Spine stretch forward

Beginning

Three workout programs: with combinations of exercises and gently increasing challenge.	Introduction (10 min)
The One Hundred:	The One Hundred
Roll up:	Roll up
Single-leg circles:	Single-leg circles
Rolling-like-a-ball:	Rolling-like-a-ball
Single-leg stretch:	Single-leg stretch
Double-leg stretch:	Double-leg stretch
Open-leg rocker balance:	Open-leg rocker balance
Corkscrew:	Corkscrew
Saw:	Saw

Intermediate

Nine workout programs: with combinations of exercises

Intermediate/Advanced

Nine workout programs: with combinations of challenging exercises

Challenging

Nine workout programs: combinations of very challenging exercises; avoid unless very experienced.	Introduction (5 min)	Short (5 min)	Short Variation (10 min)	Includes the Circle (12 min)	Includes weights and the Circle (35 min)	Standard (20 min)	Standard Variation (20 min)	Extended (30 min)
Cautions:	Cautions	Cautions	Cautions	Cautions	Cautions	Cautions	Cautions	Cautions
Hip circles:	Hip circles
Overhead Corkscrew:	Overhead Corkscrew
Rollover:	Rollover
Scissors:	Scissors
Swan dive:	Swan dive
Teaser 3:	Teaser 3

Yogilates created by Jonathan Urla

A fusion of the "powerful centering techniques of Pilates with the breath and flexibility training of hatha yoga for a complete and balanced mind/body workout".

The intention of each Pilates exercise is to engage the abdominals fully and therefore strengthen the body's core.

Beginner's Work-out (2002) in three parts:

1. Slow full stretches similar to those advised below on stretches in preparation for Pilates.
2. Second section devotes a greater portion of the time to Yoga asana.
   1. Soles of feet together, press knees open.
   2. Round spine over legs, exhaling.
   3. Table position leaning back with arms and lower legs vertical.
   4. Seated straight-back stretch lean forward, alternating with rounded spine lean-forward.
   5. Spiral body, back of hand to outside opposite leg.
   6. Hands on shoulders and breathe in; breathe out and twist, pulsing.
   7. Lie on tummy, arms under head. Lift up one leg then the other.
   8. Lie on tummy, arms by sides. Inhale and lift upper body and legs.
   9. Child pose.
   10. Cat pose.
   11. Down dog.
   12. Lunge.
   13. Rag doll, with feet hip-distance apart.
   14. Mountain pose.
3. Third section devotes even more time to Yoga asana.
   1. Small knee bends.
   2. Stand on toes, balancing.
   3. Tree pose.
   4. Sun salutation.
   5. Mountain pose.
   6. Side bows.
   7. Chair pose.
   8. Lunge into Warrior I.
   9. Long lunge into Warrior II.
   10. Triangle.
   11. Stretch over legs, spiral towards upper leg.
   12. Lie in a long stretch.
   13. Corpse pose.

Intermediate Work-out

Vinyasa Core: Advanced

STOTT Pilates: Pilates-infused Yoga

Simple Stretches with P.J. O'Clair (2003):

1. 111 minutes of content.
2. Instructor talks continuously so one can do the exercises (as in a typical Pilates mat class) simply by listening.
3. Two students follow her instructions.
4. A relief to use the music-only option on the CD and just follow along without the full commentary.
5. Said to be level 2 (of 5) in difficulty.
6. Bonus workouts: samples at the next level of difficulty.
7. Uses a few Yoga poses including: Cat pose; Down dog; Mountain pose; Tree pose;
8. Uses many variations of Yoga poses.

Pilates Specifics

These are some of the more basic Pilates mat exercises.

For specifics, be sure to see the Pilates DVDs listed above or check:

Before exercising, (1) wait at least an hour or two since your last meal; and (2) do some loosening-up stretches, lying on your back with knees bent, with your spine in neutral. Such stretches include:

1. Breathing with neutral spine.

2. Shoulder shrugs.

3. Shoulder slaps. Reach your straight arms upward, lifting your shoulder blades off the lap, then letting them slap on your mat.

4. Arm reaches/arm circles. Reach your straight arms upward, back beside your ears, outward, down by your sides, then upward again.

5. Coccyx Curls.

6. Tiny steps. Exhaling, pull your navel to your spine and lift your right knee to your chest.
   Inhale, holding the position.
   Exhaling, pull your navel toward your spine and bring your right bent leg back to the mat.
   Repeat with alternate legs.

7. Upper abnominal curls.

8. Hip-Up.

9. C Curve Roll Down Prep.
   (1) Inhale, holding outsides of thighs near knees, sit tall.
   (2) Exhale, pulling navel to spine and hollowing lower belly to make a C curve of your lower back. Begin rolling down your spine, so your lower back presses the mat.
   (3) Inhale.
   (4) Exhale and press your back into the mat while keeping the C curve and returning to sitting on your tailbone, but now your head is at your knees.
   (5) Inhale and stack your spine vertically.
   (6) Exhale while sitting tall.

10. Modified Rolling like a Ball. In these preliminaries, wrap the hands around the outside of the thighs (instead of holding the shins). This exercise combines Hip-Up and Balance Point (Teaser Prep)

Different programs suggest ten or a dozen basic Pilates mat exercises, doing between 4 and 9 repetitions. Unless otherwise specified, begin by lying on your back with knees bent, with your spine in neutral. Usually the exercises include many of the following:

1. Balance Point (Teaser Prep).
   Basically a Coccyx Curl with your feet off the floor.

2. Bridge.
   Breathe in deeply, pulling your navel toward your spine, squeeze your lower butt muscles, flatten your lower back on the mat. Lift up your tailbone so that you form a straight line from shoulders to knees; this is the Bridge position.

3. Coccyx Curls.
   Breathe in deeply, pulling your navel toward your spine, squeeze your lower butt muscles, flatten your lower back on the mat. Roll up your tailbone slowly so that after 5 seconds you form a straight line from shoulders to knees; this is the Bridge position.

4. Double-leg stretch.
   

5. Hip-Up.
   Put arms above your head (by ears) is you have enough abdominal strength to handle this. Lie on your back with legs bent up in the air, and feet crossed.
   Inhale and rock back, pulling your navel toward your spine as you lift your hips off the mat, so that your knees are above your eyes.
   Exhale, pulling in belly and lowering your hips.

6. The One Hundred.
   

7. Rising Swan.
   

8. Roll Down, which the book calls a beginning version of the Roll Up.
   

9. Rolling like a Ball.
   

10. Roll Up.
    

11. Saw.
    

12. Seal.
    

13. Side Kicks.
    

14. Single-leg Circle.
    

15. Single-leg stretch.
    

16. Spine Stretch.
    

17. Upper Abdominal Curls.
    Pull your navel in toward your spine. Lift head. Roll up (as if squeezing a small orange beneath your chin), till your shoulder blades are just off the mat.

Avoiding injury

• June 2002 Consumer Reports lists 12 ways to avoid injuries. The list includes:
  • Stretch before and after exercise.
  • Warm up and cool down with a pulse elevated 15 beats/minute (i.e., only slightly) above resting.
  • Progress gradually.
  • If you have to lay off for a while, restart at 50% (or less) of where you were before.
  • Hydrate with 2 or 3 cups of water in the 2-3 hours before exercising. Sip during exercise. Replace all lost fluid after exercise is complete.
  • Get good shoes.
  • Let old injuries heal.

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Copyright © 2004-2016 by J. Zimmerman.