Perform your specific Pilates exercises given to you. The more you do the better you will become. Aim for 10-20 repetition daily. You should not feel any pain with these exercises. If pain persists consult your physiotherapist. Great work! You are now on your way to recovery. Please answer the questions on the sheet given by your physiotherapist and bring that to your next treatment session.
1. Swan Preparation
Works: Paraspinal muscles and thoracic extensors Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Lying on your stomach with the forehead resting on the head cushion with your chin tucked in. Arms and palms on the floor in a stop sign beside your head. Legs extended straight. Inhale: Squeeze the shoulder blades back together and down as you extend the upper back lifting the chest Exhale: Relax back down
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2. Flight (Level 1)
Works: Rhomboids and lower trapezius, triceps and all shoulder retractors Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Lying on your stomach with the forehead resting on the head cushion with your chin tucked in. Arms beside the body palms facing down. Legs extended straight. Inhale: Squeeze the shoulder blades back together and down. Lift the arms and shoulder off the floor. Rotate the arms 5 times, turning the palms up then down keeping the hands off the floor Exhale: For 5 rotations
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3. Flight (Level 2)
Works: Rhomboids and lower trapezius, triceps and all shoulder retractors, upper thoracic extensors Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Lying on your stomach with the forehead and chest lifted off the ground with your chin tucked in. Arms beside the body palms facing down. Legs extended straight. Inhale: Squeeze the shoulder blades back together and down. Lift the arms and shoulder off the floor. Rotate the arms 5 times, turning the palms up then down keeping the hands off the floor Exhale: For 5 rotations
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4. Flight (Level 3)
Works: Rhomboids and lower trapezius, triceps and all shoulder retractors, upper thoracic extensors, Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Lying on your stomach with the theraband below your chest and holding on either side with your hands, forehead and chest lifted off the ground with your chin tucked in. Arms beside the body palms facing down. Legs extended straight. Inhale: Squeeze the shoulder blades back together and down. Lift the arms and shoulder off the floor. Rotate the arms 5 times, turning the palms up then down keeping the hands off the floor Exhale: For 5 rotations
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5. Breaststroke (Level 1)
Works: Scapular retractors/stabilisers Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Lying on your stomach with the forehead resting on the cushion with your chin tucked in. Squeeze the shoulder blades together back and down lifting the hands and shoulder off the floor in a stop sign beside your head. Legs extended straight. Inhale: Shoot the arms forwards towards the head Exhale: Draw your elbows beside your body squeezing the shoulder blades together
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6. Breaststroke (Level 2)
Works: Scapular retractors/stabilisers, thoracic extensors and paraspinal muscles Prepare: T-zone on, neutral spine. Lying on your stomach with the forehead and chest lifted off the ground with your chin tucked in. Squeeze the shoulder blades together back and down lifting the hands and shoulder off the floor in a stop sign beside your head. Legs extended straight. Inhale: Shoot the arms forwards towards the head Exhale: Draw your elbows beside your body squeezing the shoulder blades together
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7. Breaststroke (Level 3)
Works: Scapular retractors/stabilisers, thoracic extensors and paraspinal muscles, lumbar extensors, gluts and hamstring Prepare: Lying on your stomach with the forehead and chest lifted off the ground with your chin tucked in. Squeeze the shoulder blades together back and down lifting the hands and shoulder off the floor in a stop sign beside your head. Legs extended straight with thighs and feet off the ground maintain neutral spine and Tzone on. Inhale: Shoot the arms forwards towards the head Exhale: Draw your elbows beside your body squeezing the shoulder blades together
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8. Breaststroke (Level 4)
Works: Scapular retractors/stabilisers, thoracic extensors and paraspinal muscles, lumbar extensors, gluts and hamstring Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Lying on your stomach with the theraband below your chest and holding on either side with your hands, forehead and chest lifted off the ground with your chin tucked in. Squeeze the shoulder blades together back and down lifting the hands and shoulder off the floor in a stop sign beside your head. Legs extended straight. Inhale: Shoot the arms forwards towards the head Exhale: Draw your elbows beside your body squeezing the shoulder blades together
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See Pilates Side Lying Series Exercises
9. Freestyle legs
Works: Lumbar extensors, paraspinal muscles, gluts and hamstring Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Lying on your stomach with the head resting on your arms. Legs extended straight Exhale: Lift one leg slightly off the floor maintaining neutral spine, lower the leg then scissor with the other leg repeat for 5 scissor kicks Inhale: For five scissor kicks
10. Freestyle arms
Works: Thoracic extensors and paraspinal muscles, and scapular retractors Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Lying on your stomach with the head resting on the cushion. Arms extended straight over the head off the ground, squeezing the shoulder blades together back and down. Exhale: Alternate the arms up and down for 5 scissors Inhale: For 5 scissors
11. Freestyle
Works: Thoracic and lumbar extensors and paraspinal muscles, scapular retractors, gluts and hamstring Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Lying on your stomach with the forehead and chest lifted off the ground with your chin tucked in. Arms extended straight over the head off the ground, squeezing the shoulder blades together back and down. Legs extended straight with thighs and feet off the ground maintain neutral spine and Tzone on Inhale: Raise and lower the opposite arm and leg for 5 beats Exhale: For 5 beats
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12. Kneeling Sidekick (Level 1)
Works: Buttocks and arms Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Kneeling on both knees, place one hand to the side in line and away from the knee. Extend the other leg straight so that the hand, head, hips and legs are all in one straight line. Hand on the head with elbows pointing to the ceiling. Exhale: Squeeze the buttocks and raise the leg up to hip level Inhale: Lower the leg back down but not touching the floor
13. Kneeling Sidekick (Level 2)
Works: Buttocks and arms Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Kneeling on both knees, place one hand to the side in line and away from the knee. Extend the other leg straight so that the hand, head, hips and legs are all in one straight line. Hand on the head with elbows pointing to the ceiling. Exhale: Squeeze the buttocks and raise the leg up to hip level, Flex the toes and sweep the leg back behind the body maintaining neutral spine Inhale: Point the toes and sweep the leg forwards
14. Horsekick (Level 1)
Works: Buttocks, gluteus maximus on kicking leg, and gluteus medius and minimus on supporting leg Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Kneeling on all fours, hands under the shoulders and knees under the hips. Raise one leg an inch off the floor Exhale: Extend one leg out behind you, leg at body height, reaching through the toes Inhale: Bend the knee bringing it back towards the floor but don’t touch the floor
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15. Horsekick (Level 2)
16. Horsekick (Level 3)
Works: Buttocks, gluteus maximus on kicking leg, and gluteus medius and minimus on supporting leg Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Kneeling on all fours, hands under the shoulders and knees under the hips. Raise one leg behind you at body height. No dipping through back. Exhale: Squeeze the buttocks and sweep the leg out to the side Inhale: Sweep the leg back to the centre
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17. Hinge (Level 1)
Works: Eccentric quadriceps control, abdominals and gluts Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Kneeling with knees hip distance apart, palms facing in with arms stretched in front at shoulder height. Inhale: Hinge from the knees and lean the whole body backwards in one line like a falling tree Exhale: Return back up to vertical
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18. Hinge (Level 2)
Works: Eccentric quadriceps control, abdominals and gluts Prepare: Tzone on, neutral spine. Kneeling with knees hip distance apart, palms facing in with arms stretched in front at shoulder height. Inhale: Hinge from the knees and lean the whole body backwards in one line like a falling tree Exhale: Open the arms out to the side at shoulder height Inhale: Arms back to front Exhale: Return back up to vertical
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