Tips:
1. Do these moves three times a week.
2. All you need is yoga mat or another kind of padding, like a towel.
3. These Pilates exercises will work your core muscles, the lower back and abs.
4. The moves will lengthen and tone your whole body.
Warm-up Breathing Exercise
Lie face up and lift your legs toward the ceiling with toes pointed. Make sure your entire spine is on the mat; there shouldn't be any space your fingers could slide under. Lift your arms and head (chin to chest) off the floor.
Keeping the rest of your body still, pump your arms up and down quickly, inhaling for five counts and exhaling for five. Try 5 sets of 10 pumps, working up to 10 sets of 10.
Roll-ups
Lie face up with knees bent, feet on the floor. Lift your head up, tucking your chin toward your chest. Hold on to the sides of your thighs. Press your spine into the mat.
Slowly roll up one vertebra at a time so you feel each part of your spine press into the mat. Keeping your chin tucked, release down again, one vertebra at a time. You should really feel this in your abs. Repeat five times
Leg Circles
Lie face up, lifting leg to the ceiling while keeping right leg on the mat bend leg If it's more comfortable. Point toes. With arms at sides, press spine into the mat.
Slowly circle left leg clockwise, keeping the rest of your body still. If that circle feels easy, make a larger one, but never let your leg touch the floor. Do five circles in this direction and five counterclockwise. Repeat with right leg.
Single Leg Stretches
Lie face up and pull your right knee to your chest. Place your right hand on that shin and left hand on your knee. Lift your left leg about one to two feet off the floor and point your toes. Lift your head chin to chest, spine flat on the mat.
Immediatelyswitch legs, Alternate legs quickly 20 times. If this is too hard, point your straight leg toward the ceiling it will take some weight off your abs.
Spine Stretches
Sit with your legs spread about two shoulder-widths apart. Flex your feet and stretch your arms out in front of you.
Tuck your chin to your chest and curl over toward your belly. Don't crunch over. You should slowly curl forward, stretching and lengthening your spine, as far as you can without collapsing forward. Your ultimate goal is to touch the top of your head to the forward. Your ultimate goal is to touch the top of your head to the mat. Hold for one count, and then roll back up. Repeat five times.
