Rescue Global Lifestyle Revive and restore pilates for your busy day 1440x420

“Revive & restore” Pilates for your busy day

Take 10 minutes out of your busy day to release tension, improve your posture, find your balance and be ready for what the rest of the day holds! 

Watch our Pilates video here featuring Jane Lefever at Pilates2thecore.

Shoulder shrugs

Mobilise the shoulders and release tension

  • Stand on the mat, feet hip width apart and parallel. Your weight is evenly distributed through the feet with a triangle of connection with the mat at the base of the big toe, little toe and centre of the heel. Your legs are long but your knees are not locked out.
  • Lengthen up through the spine and align your head over your ribs, over the pelvis. Feel a connection to your centre, gently drawing in the abdominals and lifting the pelvic floor without bracing.
  • The arms are long beside the body.
  • Breathe in and elevate the shoulder blades.
  • Breathe out and let the shoulder blades return down to resting on the back of the ribcage.
  • Repeat x 3. Finish with the shoulders resting on the back of the ribcage

Chin tucks

Restore the natural position for the chin and neck

  • Breathe in to prepare.
  • Breathe out and gently lengthen the back of the neck, tipping the chin down (as if you are giving yourself a double chin!)
  • Breathe in and lift the chin back through the mid-position and tilt very slightly up towards the ceiling.
  • The rest of the spine remains still and stable.
  • Repeat x 3

Neck stretch

Release neck tension.  It is common to accumulate neck tension during the day.

  • Standing tall, breathe in to prepare to move and breathe out and move the head and neck over towards the left shoulder. The movement is slow and controlled. The right hand comes behind the body across your tailbone. Gently drop the chin slightly.
  • Repeat to the other side.

Roll-downs with extension

Mobilise the spine in flexion and extension

  • From your neutral standing position.  Breathe in, lengthen the back of your neck and gently nod the head forwards.
  • Breathe out as you continue to roll your spine forwards and down, vertebra by vertebra, moving the upper back, mid-back and then the lower back. The hips and pelvis move last. Maintain your connection to your centre.
  • Breathe in at the bottom.
  • Breathe out and roll your pelvis underneath you and re-stack your spine back up to its neutral starting position.
  • Once you have returned to your start position, float both arms out to the sides and overhead. As the arms come overhead, tilt the chin gently up, eye-gaze is up and breast bone lifts into some extension – opening the front of the body.
  • Repeat
  • On your last roll down, bend the knees, if you need to, and bring the hands to the mat, walk them out until you are in a plank position.

Plank

An isometric hold to strengthen the front of the body

  • Breathe in to prepare. Breathe out and step one foot back in line with the hip, resting on the toes. Breathe in to hold. Breathe out and step the second leg back to also being on the toes. Hold the position with the shoulders over the hands. Do not let the hips drop. Lengthen the legs. Focus on your breath.
  • Alternative: come down to resting on the knees and forearms.
  • Release to child’s pose.

Thread the needle

Mobilise the spine in rotation

  • Begin in 4-point kneeling with the hands under the shoulders, knees under the hips and spine in neutral.
  • Breathe in and lift your right hand off the mat. Turn the palm up to face you. Rest the right forearm against the back of the left wrist.
  • Turn your head and torso to the left
  • Breath out and bending the left elbow allow your torso to continue to rotate as you thread your right arm through, lowering your right shoulder and ear towards the centre of your mat.
  • Breathe in and return to the start position.
  • Repeat to the other side.
  • Repeat the sequence, increasing your rotation and enjoying the stretch through the shoulders.

Diamond Press

  • Lie on your front. Align your pelvis and spine in neutral, your legs are hip width apart and parallel. Place the hands on the mat with the fingertips together, and creating a diamond shape with the arms.
  • Rest your forehead on the back of your hands.
  • Breathe in to prepare
  • Breathe out as you bring your head, neck and chest of the mat. Your lower ribs remain in contact with the mat but you open your chest and shine your breastbone forwards.
  • Breathe in to hold
  • Breathe out to return to the start position.
  • Repeat.

Oyster

Strengthen the glutes

  • Lie on your side with your hips and shoulders aligned and shoulder stacked on top of shoulder and hip on top of hip. Your pelvis and spine are in neutral. Rest your head on your underneath arm. Place your other hand on the mat in front of your ribcage. Bend your knees and bring your heels in line with the back of your pelvis.
  • Maintain an appropriate level of connection through your centre.
  • Breathe in to prepare.
  • Breathe out and lift your top knee, keeping the feet connected, feel a sense of wrap through the top thigh bone, keep your hips stacked.
  • Breathe in and return the top knee to the start position with control.
  • Repeat.
  • Repeat on the second side.

Spine Curls

Mobilises the spine and hips and strengthens the glutes

  • Lie on your back with your spine and pelvis in neutral. Legs are hip width apart and paraellel the knees are bent with the feet are flat on the floor.
  • Maintain an appropriate level of connection to your centre throughout.
  • Breathe in to prepare.
  • Breathe out and roll your pelvis towards you (your lower back gently flattens into the mat) before you begin to roll the spine off the mat, vertebra by vertebra. Roll sequentially up to the tips of the shoulder blades.
  • Breathe in to hold.
  • Breathe out, sequentially roll your spine back down to the mat, softening the breast bone and returning vertebra by vertebra.
  • Breathe in as you release the pelvis back to neutral.
  • Repeat.

Toe taps with opposite arm

Work across the core and strengthen the abdominals

  • Lying on your back with the pelvis and spine in neutral.
  • Breathe in to prepare and on your out breath double knee fold the legs. Raise the arms to the ceiling with the palms facing each other.
  • Breathe out and extend your left arm overhead to in line with your ear, whilst simultaneously lowering your right leg until the toe gently taps the floor, breathe in to return to the start position.  Maintain a connection with your centre throughout and keep the pelvis and spine still and stable.
  • Alternate sides – the slower your move the more work you will feel!

Single leg stretch

Develop stamina in the abdominals and mobilise the hips

  • Lie on your back with your spine and pelvis in neutral. Legs are hip width apart and the knees are bent with the feet are flat on the floor.
  • Breathe out and knee fold one leg at a time into the double knee fold position.
  • Breathe in to prepare and breathe out to curl up the head neck and shoulders and place the hands on to the top of your left shin. Maintain an appropriate level of connection to your centre throughout.
  • Breathe in to hold
  • Breathe out and lengthen the right leg away from you, simultaneously gently draw the left knee in towards you.
  • Breathe in as the legs swap.
  • Repeat.
  • Hug the knees into the chest to release.

Double leg stretch

  • Lie on your back with your spine and pelvis in neutral. Legs are hip width apart and the knees are bent with the feet are flat on the floor.
  • Breathe out and knee fold one leg at a time into the double knee fold position. Connect the insides of the feet and let the knees come to hip width apart.
  • You can work with the head and neck on the mat or breathe in to prepare and breathe out to curl up the head neck and shoulders and place the hands on the outside of the knees. Maintain an appropriate level of connection to your centre throughout.
  • Breathe in to hold
  • Breathe out and lengthen both legs away from you whilst you reach the fingertips towards the ceiling. Keep the heels connected.
  • Breathe in and return the legs to the kneed fold and hands to the outside of the knees.
  • Repeat.
  • Hug the knees into the chest to release.

Figure 4 stretch

Stretch the glutes and release the hips

  • Lie on your back with your spine and pelvis in neutral. Legs are hip width apart.
  • Float your right leg into a single knee fold position and then bring your right ankle to rest on your left thigh. Your foot is flexed at the ankle.
  • The pelvis remains in neutral as you lift the left thigh in towards your torso.  Lift and lower the thigh 3 times. Repeat on the other side.

Foot point and flex

Stretch the back of the legs and mobilise the ankles

  • Lie on your back with your spine and pelvis in neutral. Legs are hip width apart and the knees are bent with the feet flat on the floor.
  • Float one leg into a single knee fold position. Lengthen the other leg away along the mat.
  • Place both hands behind the thigh and let the foot drop down towards the bottom.
  • Breathe in to prepare and breathe out and lengthen the leg to the ceiling. Keep the pelvis and lower spine in neutral. When the leg is long flex and point the foot. Return the leg so the foot comes down towards the bottom. Repeat 3 times on this leg.
  • Repeat on the other side.

Z-sit

Release tension in the body through flowing side-bending movement

  • Sit with the left leg across in front of you and the right leg behind you – making a Z shape with the legs. The left toes are in line with the right knee.
  • Lengthen the spine and aim to sit with both sit bones in contact with the floor. You can sit on a small block to make this more accessible.
  • Rest the finger-tips on the mat beside you, in line with the torso.
  • Breathe in and float your right arm out to the side and above your head. Keep your shoulder down, away from your ear. Bring the inside of the arm as close to your ear as you can without hiking up the shoulder.
  • Keep your hip grounded as you lengthen your spine. Gently move the head towards the left shoulder and continue to bend to the side – maintain your connection with your centre. Your left hand moves away from your body and gently supports you.
  • Breathe in to hold. And Breathe out to return to spine to upright.
  • Repeat the other side.
  • Repeat both sides again and then change the legs around to the other way and repeat for the other side.

Cat

Mobilise the spine, hips and pelvis. Focus on the breath and movement working together.

  • Begin in 4-point kneeling with the hands under the shoulders, and the knees under the hips. The spine is in its neutral alignment and gently supported by a good abdominal connection.
  • Breathe in to prepare.
  • Breathe out and roll your pelvis, tucking your bottom underneath you and opening the front of the hip joints as you do so your lower back will gently round and flex. Allow this flexion to come up all the way through your back and gently nod your head slightly forwards creating an even balanced C-curve.
  • Breathe in wide to the lower ribcage to help maintain this lengthened C-curve.
  • Breathe out as you simultaneously roll the head and the pelvis back to the neutral starting position.
  • Repeat the movement – this time once you’ve returned the spine and pelvis to neutral move the spine into gentle extension, drawing the breastbone forwards and looking ahead.
  • Return back to neutral.
  • Repeat the whole sequence.
  • Tuck the toes under, walk the hands back and then gently roll-up to a standing position.

Shoulder stretch

Release tension in the shoulders and upper body

  • Standing tall, in neutral spine position. Interlace your fingers and press the palms of the hands away from you. Curl your upper back and shoulders forward, pressing the arms away.
  • Slowly, lift your arms and follow your hands with your eye-gaze.
  • Release your fingertips at the top and circle the arms backwards, drawing the shoulders down the back.
  • Repeat.