Pilates Challenge 2015

Copyright © Emily Mazo-‐Rizzi -‐ Photos © Bruno Rizzi

Summer 2015 Pilates Challenge

July 1-‐31, 2015

About the Summer 2015 Pilates Challenge

Last July my clients and I embarked an exciting adventure in Pilates together: The Basic 10Challenge. In the month of July each day we did a routine of 10 key Pilates exercises.Together, these exercises made up a complete, varied ensemble that’s perfect for a quick,yet fulfilling, dailypractice of approximately10 minutes.Encore! Encore! Everyone has said, so this year I have developed a new routine thatincludes more spinal twisting, extension and arm work. The 2015 Summer PilatesChallenge is even more challenging. The goal is to do the series everyday in July and thentake it on vacation wherever you go this summer!

How does it work?

To facilitate your participation, I have put together descriptions of each of the exercisesaccompanied by photos that show how to do the movements properly. I developed thisproject for those who already are practicing Pilates and familiar with the exercises ratherthan those who want to get started. Feel free, also to use last year's Basic Ten guide(available on my website) for a more beginner/intermediate repertoire. After thedescriptions and photos, you will find a Log to note where and when you did yourChallenge routine each day, followed by a space for comments about your workout. Iespecially want to invite you to write down your goals for participating and share them,with me, your Pilates instructor, or with the whole community participating via myFacebook page. The day you attend a Pilates class with your teacher counts as yourworkout that day and you don’t have to do your Challenge routine… but you can!

Enjoy the Challenge, have a fun and healthy summer full of movement!

Emilyemily@pilatesfromheadtotoe.comwww.pilatesfromheadtotoe.comhttps://www.facebook.com/pilates.paris


Shoulder Bridge

Repetitions: 5

Breathing and Instructions:

Start supine (lying on your back) with knees bent and feet placed hip width apart. Arms are straight and to the side. Inhale to pick up the pelvis and then peel the rest of the spine off the mat vertebrae by vertebrae. Exhale to melt the spine back down on the mat vertebrae by vertebrae.


The Hundred

Repetitions: 10


Start supine. Exhale to pick upyour head and upper back. Exhaleto pick up your legs. Arms arestraight and to the side. Movearms up and down quickly withoutstopping for the duration of theexercise. Inhale for 5 seconds,exhale for 5 seconds.

Beginners: Keep your knees bent.

Intermediates: Keep your legsstraight and high.

Advanced: When beginning liftupper body and legssimultaneously. Keep legs straightand as low as possible.


Roll-‐Up

Repetitions: 3-‐5


Start supine with arms reaching up to the ceiling. Inhale to pick up your head. Exhale to continue to lift your body off the mat stretching your spine forward. Inhale to begin rolling the spine back to the mat, exhale to finish.

Beginners: Bend your knees if needed and put your hands on the sides of your legs and walk them up your legs as you go.


Single Leg Circle

Repetitions: 5 each direction, atotal of 10 for each leg


Start supine, arms to the side onthe mat. Stretch one leg towardsthe ceiling with foot pointed. Theother leg stays straight on theground with foot flexed. Draw acircle with the leg. Start bycrossing the leg over your body.Then change directions. Inhale forthe first half of the circle, exhalefor the second half. Repeat withthe other leg.

Beginners: Drawsmall circles

Intermediate/Advanced: Make thecircles progressively bigger.


Single Leg Stretch

Repetitions: 5 each side


After the previous exercise bendthe left leg, put the left hand onthe left ankle, the right hand onthe left knee, straighten the rightleg curl the head and upper bodyinto an abdominal curl to the tipsof the shoulder blades. Inhale tobring one leg close to you andstraighten the other. Then switchand exhale.

Beginners: Keep the straight leghigh.

Intermediate/Advanced: Bring thestraight leg progressively lower.


Double Leg Stretch

Repetitions: 5


After the previous exercise bend both legs placing one hand on each knee. Inhale to stretch arms and legs upward at the same time, make a circle with the arms, exhale bending the legs and putting the hands back on the knees to return to the start position.

Beginners: Keep arms and legs high.

Intermediate/Advanced: Bring the arms and legs progressively lower.


Scissors


Breathing and Instructions:After the previous exercise reachone leg up to the ceiling and graba hold of the calf with both hands,gently pull the leg towards you fortwo counts then switch legs.Inhale for one leg and exhale forthe other.

Beginners: Keep legs relativelyhigh. Grab a hold of the back ofthe thigh instead of the calf.

Advanced: Make breath longerinhaling for 2 legs and exhaling for2 legs.


Double Leg Lower Lift

Repetitions: 5


After the previous exercise place hands, fingers crossed, at the base of the skull, maintain the upper abdominal curl, reach legs up to ceiling. Inhale to lower legs away from body and exhale to bring them back up

Beginners: Keep legs high, making a smaller movement.

Intermediate/Advanced: Bring the legs progressively lower.


Criss-‐Cross


Breathing and Instructions:After the previous exercise keephands exactly where they are andmaintain the upper abdominalcurl. Exhale to twist under armtowards opposite bent kneemaintaining the other leg straight.Inhale back to center and exhaleswitch sides.

Beginners: Keep legs high.

Advanced: Bring legs progressivelylower.


Spine Stretch

Repetitions: 5


Start seated on sits bones withstraight legs open just slightlywider than the hips. Feet areflexed, arms are straight andreaching toward the ceiling, palmsof the hand facing each other.Exhale to stretch the spineforward. Inhale to stack the spineback up.

Beginners: Arms reach forward,knees slightly bent.


Spine Twist

Repetitions: 3-‐5 each side


Remain in the same seatedposition as the previous exercisebut now with arms reaching out tothe side level with shoulders,palms facing down. Squeeze legstogether, flex feet. Exhale to twistthe spine to one side and pulsetwice. Inhale back to centerkeeping spine straight and erect.Exhale twist to the other side andpulse twice.


Swan

Repetitions: 5


Begin lying prone (on stomach),forehead down, with hands placedpalms down, just below shoulderson the mat. Inhale to pick up eyes,then nose, then chin, then chestand continue lifting rib cagerespecting your personal range ofmotion. Exhale to lower downvertebrae by vertebrae, eyes godown to the mat last.

Beginners: Keep legs hip width.

Intermediate/Advanced: Keep legsclose together.




Begin on hands and knees thentransition to a plank position.Readjust right hand to place it justbelow right shouldersimultaneously picking up the lefthand and reaching it up to theceiling.Beginners: Hold the position for 3full breaths.Advanced: Inhale to lower thespine and pelvis, hip barelytouches the mat then rises on anexhale, repeat 3 times.Transition to other side by placingleft hand on mat below shoulderand shift on to left hand and armreaching right hand to ceiling.Return to plank after completingthe second side.

Beginners/people with wristproblems: do the whole series onforearm, elbow under shoulder,hand reaching forward.

Side bend


Repetitions: 3

Breathing and Instructions:After completing the side bendsfrom the plank position bendelbows and inhale to lower,exhale straighten to rise up.

Beginners: Hold plank andbreathe for 3 counts. Can be onforearms instead of hands.

Intermediate: Bend elbowswide to lower and lift.

Advanced: Bend elbows narrowclose to body to lower and lift

Push-‐ups


Repetitions: 5-‐8


Start sitting slightly behind the sitsbones, hands go inside the legs tograb the outside of the ankles.Clap your feet together like youclap your hands 3 times. Inhale toroll back, clap the feet 3 timeswhile suspended back withoutputting the head down. Exhale toreturn to starting position.

Beginners: First do not clap feet atall when you go back thenprogressively add one, then twothen all 3 claps.

Seal


Goals

Day Time Place Comments

Wednesday 1Thursday 2Friday 3

Saturday 4Sunday 5

Monday 6Tuesday 7Wednesday 8Thursday 9Friday 10Saturday 11

Sunday 12Monday 13 Tuesday 14Wednesday 15Thursday 16Friday 17Saturday 18 Sunday 19 Monday 20Tuesday 21Wednesday 22Thursday 23 Friday 24Saturday 25 Sunday 26Monday 27Tuesday 28Wednesday 29 Thursday 30Friday 31

Before you begin: What are your goals, what do you expect from thischallenge and/or what do you hope to accomplish?

Excercise Log

31 Days Later…: How do you feel? Did you meet your objectives? What didyou learn? Would you do the same challenge again?

Sports

Pilates Challenge 2015