Online Foundation Course in Pilates Easy & Effective Techniques

Table of contents :
Contents
Pilates Foundation Level Training Course ..................................................................................... 1

The KEW Training Academy ..................................................................................................... 1
Pilates Foundation Level Training Course ................................................................................. 2
Copyright ........................................................................................................................................ 3

Table of Contents............................................................................................................................ 4
Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 6
Module One .................................................................................................................................... 8

What is Pilates............................................................................................................................. 8
Module One .................................................................................................................................. 17 Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 17 Module Two.................................................................................................................................. 19 Body Changes ........................................................................................................................... 19 Module Two.................................................................................................................................. 33 Self-Assessment Task ............................................................................................................... 33 Module Three................................................................................................................................ 35 Pre-Pilates ................................................................................................................................. 35 Module Three................................................................................................................................ 46 Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 46 Module Four.................................................................................................................................. 47
Commencing the Practice ......................................................................................................... 47
Rising Swan .............................................................................................................................. 49
Module Four.................................................................................................................................. 54

Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 54 Module Five .................................................................................................................................. 55 Intermediate .............................................................................................................................. 55 Module Five .................................................................................................................................. 64 Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 64 Module Six.................................................................................................................................... 65 Advanced Mat Series ................................................................................................................ 65 Module Six.................................................................................................................................... 70 Self-Assessment Task ............................................................................................................... 70 Module Seven ............................................................................................................................... 71
Toning the Buttocks and Thighs ............................................................................................... 71
Module Seven ............................................................................................................................... 78
Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 78
Module Eight ................................................................................................................................ 79

Spine Stretchers ........................................................................................................................ 79 Module Eight ................................................................................................................................ 83 Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 83 Module Nine ................................................................................................................................. 84 Cool Down ................................................................................................................................ 84 Module Nine ................................................................................................................................. 88 Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 88 Module Ten................................................................................................................................... 89 Top Exercises and Benefits....................................................................................................... 89 Final Assessment .......................................................................................................................... 95
About............................................................................................................................................. 97
Additional Courses........................................................................................................................ 98
Pilates Training Course............................................................................................................... 104

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Pilates Foundation Level TrainingCourse

The KEW Training Academy Pilates Foundation Level Training Course

Copyright Copyright © 2016 by: The KEW Training Academy Cover and internal design ©2016 The KEW Training Academy All rights reserved. No part of this course may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems – except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews – without the permission in writing from its publisher, The KEW Training Academy. All brand names and product names used in this course are trademarks,

registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders. We are not associated with any product or vendor in this course.

Table of Contents Contents Pilates Foundation Level Training Course ..................................................................................... 1 The KEW Training Academy ..................................................................................................... 1 Pilates Foundation Level Training Course ................................................................................. 2 Copyright ........................................................................................................................................ 3

Table of Contents............................................................................................................................ 4 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 6 Module One .................................................................................................................................... 8 What is Pilates............................................................................................................................. 8 Module One .................................................................................................................................. 17 Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 17 Module Two.................................................................................................................................. 19 Body Changes ...........................................................................................................................

19 Module Two.................................................................................................................................. 33 Self-Assessment Task ............................................................................................................... 33 Module Three................................................................................................................................ 35 Pre-Pilates ................................................................................................................................. 35 Module Three................................................................................................................................ 46 Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 46 Module Four.................................................................................................................................. 47 Commencing the Practice ......................................................................................................... 47 Rising Swan .............................................................................................................................. 49 Module Four.................................................................................................................................. 54 Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 54 Module Five .................................................................................................................................. 55 Intermediate .............................................................................................................................. 55 Module Five .................................................................................................................................. 64 Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 64 Module Six....................................................................................................................................

65 Advanced Mat Series ................................................................................................................ 65 Module Six.................................................................................................................................... 70 Self-Assessment Task ............................................................................................................... 70 Module Seven ............................................................................................................................... 71 Toning the Buttocks and Thighs ............................................................................................... 71 Module Seven ............................................................................................................................... 78 Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 78 Module Eight ................................................................................................................................ 79 Spine Stretchers ........................................................................................................................ 79 Module Eight ................................................................................................................................ 83 Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 83 Module Nine ................................................................................................................................. 84 Cool Down ................................................................................................................................ 84 Module Nine ................................................................................................................................. 88 Self-Assessment Tasks.............................................................................................................. 88 Module Ten...................................................................................................................................

89 Top Exercises and Benefits....................................................................................................... 89 Final Assessment .......................................................................................................................... 95

About....................................................................................................................................... 97 Additional Courses........................................................................................................................ 98 Pilates Training Course............................................................................................................... 104

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing this Pilates Foundation Level Training Course. It is an in-depth course providing you with all the information you need in which to understand and utilise the full benefits of Pilates while incorporating the principles into your everyday life. While this is not a professional level course, it covers all of the crucial elements to help you onto your career path should you then decide to continue your studies leading towards qualifying as a Pilates teacher. Study each module carefully and practice each movement diligently before learning more. Sometimes, even the smallest of adjustments can make a big difference to the benefits gained from each exercise as well. At the end of each module, test your knowledge by completing the self-study tasks which will help you consider the information within each section, as well as leading toward the final assessment. Do make sure you are comfortable with the information and the exercises before moving onto the

next module. At the end of the course, there is a final assessment which will provide you with a diploma verifying you have studied Pilates to foundation level. Please study and practice the exercises within this course for a minimum of 6 weeks prior to completing. If you are ready, turn to Module One.

Module One What is Pilates

Pilates is both a complex and simple form of exercise but importantly, it works. A great many people have become converts to the Pilates way for a number of reasons, including those who have struggled with losing weight, or, who have been unable to tone up while practicing other exercise regimes. Regular practice and commitment to learning the fundamental movements in Pilates has enabled them to improve their muscle tone, feel healthy and look great. Pilates is incredibly popular. As with all exercise systems of course , it’s not for everyone, certainly, there’s a real emphasis on repetition. Some may find it a little mundane, but with perseverance, most people find that after deliberated and determined attempts at performing the exercises correctly, their bodies feel more toned and they start to feel and look so much better. Although the movements may be difficult initially, they will soon start to feel

instinctive. If you are looking for transformation of self but would also like to eventually become a Pilates teacher, then it is essential to learn these fundamental moves until they become second nature. If this is of interest, make notes of your own progress, paying special care and attention to difficulties experienced as this will help you to understand others who begin to study Pilates. Charting your own progress is also a part of your final assessment. There are many benefits to Pilates. In addition to toning up the body, the exercises can help on a therapeutic level, aiding healing from injury. Many students new to Pilates have limited movement initially and have often turned to Pilates as a way to recover from injury or to increase flexibility. Some exercise programs may not have been suitable for them, they may have found the gym boring or, aerobic sessions too gruelling. Pilates offers a way of building strength and streamlining the body with concentrated movements that work deep within. It is worth noting that Pilates is suitable for most, even for those with a limited range of movement or. those more senior in years. It is about working within your own capabilities and modifying the exercises so that you can reap the rewards even if the full exercise is beyond your capabilities. If you are new to Pilates, and especially if you have any health concerns, then it is important to consult your doctor prior to commencing just to make sure that you have the go-ahead. The Pilates system is a mixture of dance, gymnastics and yoga. There are original movements included and, with a repertoire of over 500 exercises, these can be practiced on a mat, or if you attend a Pilates class, using some of the equipment that was invented by Joseph Pilates. There is no need to purchase or use any of the complicated equipment synonymous with Pilates. Providing you have a good quality exercise mat, you can achieve an above average work out at home.

The ethos of Pilates is to focus on strengthening the core. By doing so, the middle section becomes strong, the spine lengthens and strengthens helping to alleviate back problems, but it also increases flexibility and, many people say that they are much more aware of their body as a result, including how

they move and stand. Pilates is suitable for any level of fitness and can help those who have knee, hip or shoulder injuries. Even back problems or repetitive strain injuries can be alleviated. Care and attention to detail is paramount but, by considering the body as a whole and following the Pilates way, it’s possible to correct asymmetries improving weaker aspects of self. The results are that there is greater balance which can help prevent further injury. Born in 1880, Joseph Hubertus Pilates became obsessed with physical health throughout his life and became an accomplished yogi, gymnast, boxer, skier and diver. His focus on exercise enabled him to achieve much with his own physique even though he had been born with asthma and a sunken chest. In 1923, after emigrating to the United States, he opened a studio in New York City and began to train and help to rehabilitate professional dancers. The whole Pilates movement was developed through mat exercises with the aim of improving abdominal strength and, increasing the individual’s body control. Over time, Joseph Pilates created equipment which could enhance the whole repertoire of exercises, while some of the equipment may appear to be medieval or torturous, it was effective and enabled him to create an exercise system that was beneficial to all. Each series of exercises has various levels to work through I f you are new to Pilates, it’s important to start with the pre-Pilates set of exercises as this will give you a much greater understanding of the fundamentals. Once the beginning series has been mastered, you eventually move onto the intermediate and then, to the advanced levels. Typically, throughout progression, each series becomes longer and of course, harder. This is important for development and progress. As such, it is important to work through a series in order and to try to complete it. There is a real emphasis on muscle balance and the series aids this providing the exercises are completed in order. Pilates works on the muscles that support the skeletal system and these were called ‘the powerhouse’ because they stabilise the torso and help to prevent injury. There are many reasons to work on the powerhouse including the following:

Working on the core muscles i.e. the abdominals, back, bottom and inner thighs helps you to look and feel good, increasing confidence. When you focus on working the centre of the body throughout all of the movements, you take the pressure i.e. the weight away from the joints and the spine and this helps your body to perform far more efficiently. These core muscles help to protect you from the risk of injury and this is especially important if you have suffered with back problems previously. There are eight principles of Pilates. By keeping these in mind as you practice this exercise form, you develop a greater mental focus and understanding. It’s easy to comprehend the popularity of Pilates because the transformation is considerable and, even those who have committed to practicing for years are still able to discover new awareness of their body and, to learn how to extend the effects of any particular exercise. Control Initially, the Pilates system was known as Contrology and this indicates the need for measured, focussed movements. But, once his own students began to teach the system for others, they began to refer to it as Pilates. Control however, is a big part of the Pilates ethos and so each student of Pilates must try to control and master their body movements. This includes before, during and after the exercise and even to the movement of getting on or off any equipment. It’s all about training the muscles to be able to hold the movement. Control starts the moment the exercise is initiated and does not stop until the movement has completely finished. It is this control that enables the muscles to elongate and to grow strong. As such, the movements must be smooth throughout. Each exercise has a designated breathing pattern attached to it and this is an important part of the Pilates Way. Unfortunately, shallow breathing is a very common problem in society today, a result of daily stressors, poor posture and general lifestyle. In fact, many people breathe at only half of their full lung capacity. By utilising deep breathing techniques, this exercise increases the lungs and also brings deep relaxation to the individual. The breath

You may discover a tendency to hold your breath as you start performing some of the exercises. Resist this temptation but do learn when to inhale or exhale. It is essential to keep the movements flowing throughout and holding your breath can lead toward muscle tension and incorrect posture. There are three categories of breathing in Pilates including: Accordion breathing -this is where you place your hands on either side of the rib cage and try to visualise that you are holding onto an accordion. As you breathe in, you begin to naturally expand the space between your hands. When you exhale, your rib cage decreases and your hands move back to the starting point. It really can help to visualise the movement of an accordion as you do so. This is lateral breathing and helps you to maintain stability. Percussive breathing -this breathing technique is used in the Hundred exercise (more on this later). The inhalation should be smooth and deep (in the same way as for the accordion) but when you exhale, it should have a percussive sound. This is a forced expiration as your abdominal muscles force the air from out of your lungs. To increase the percussive sound, make

a sound on every beat. Many students emit the SH sound. Hide and Seek breathing -this serves to maintain breath control not just in Pilates but in any sport where stability and balance is vital. To understand the technique, think of a time when you may have played hide and seek and limited your breathing so as not to make a sound. For this technique, inhale and exhale without allowing much movement in the rib cage or in the abdominal region. Flowing movements Many people feel that Pilates is similar to yoga but there are differences. While some of the exercises have certainly been borrowed from yoga, and therefore, will seem familiar, you do not hold the position in Pilates. Instead, think of Pilates as being more dance-like, with the emphasis on the flowing movements. While movements are flowing and the body should move freely, there is an emphasis on precision and control. Certainly, the flowing movements helps to elongate the body, increase rhythm and will aid flexibility to the joints and muscles. In addition, it links the muscles, joints and nervous system and enables the individual to begin to move more smoothly. Precision There is a great emphasis on precision which you will note as you start to learn the Pilates way. As you commit to the movement, you focus with intent, understanding the starting point and seeing it through with accuracy to the end. The aim within Pilates is to focus on relevant muscles that must be engaged and yet, to be able to relax all of the muscles that may wish to support the movement, but which should not. It is important to focus purely on the intended muscles, working them, but letting go of tension experienced in the body elsewhere. Although this may be difficult initially, it increases the benefits experienced and can prevent injuries. Centring Pilates is all about pulling the navel in toward t he spine. It’s about gaining control of the abdominal muscles. All of the Pilates exercises utilise your

deepest abdominal muscles and it is important to engage these muscles to ensure you are properly centred. Always, pull in the abdominals. Visualise the movement as the navel is pulled in and greets the spine. If you attend a Pilates class, you will hear the instructor constantly reminding you to do this. The instructor may also state repetitively the importance of tightening the buttock muscles and to ensure that your shoulders are relaxed and that they do not tighten up toward the ears. Everything is centred around core muscle strength. You may find some exercises too difficult for you (at your current level of fitness) and it is worth noting here that none of the exercises should be done without your having full centre control. Modification of exercises can be made so that your centre control can be maintained successfully. Stability Stability is an essential part of Pilates. In fact, you will see that many of the mat exercises are designed to increase the stability of the torso. It also means that sometimes it can be a challenge to not move other parts of the body. A common mistake is when raising your arms up high, as you may find you naturally wish to arch your back. Instead, engage the abdominal muscles, achieving stillness in the spine and stability in the torso. When you stabilise any injured part of the body, you help to avoid the possibility of re-injuring, and also enable the body to start healing. Certainly, the Pilates system is one of the safest ways of exercising if you have been injured. The torso is divided into two parts i.e. the upper torso which includes the upper back and the rib cage and, the lower torso which includes the lower back and lower abdominals. For upper torso stability, there is a need to engage the upper abdominals. Stability in the upper torso becomes challenged when you move the arms. As a prime example, lie down flat on your back and start to reach your arms up over your head. The instinctive movement will be to allow the upper back and rib cage to rise up also. But, with stability in mind, you have to find, engage and then use your upper abdominals so to maintain torso stability.

The lower torso stability requires the lower abdominals. The stability here is challenged when the legs are moved. Again, as an example, lie flat on your back but position your legs straight up in the air. As you slowly try to lower the legs, you will need to engage those lower abdominals otherwise, you will find that the lower back begins to hyper-extend and your back will arch away from the mat. When you need full torso stability, you have to use both the upper and lower abdominals. This is because stability will be challenged when there is movement of both the arms and the legs at the same time. To test this out, once again, lie flat on your back and have your arms and legs pointing straight up. Slowly, move your arms and legs away from each other extending in either direction and you will see that you have to engage and work the whole of the abdominal walls so to prevent your torso from arching or moving away from the mat. As difficult as it may be, this is used in many of the intermediate and advanced Pilates exercises. Range of motion This simply means how far you can move any particular part of your body. You may find that part of your body will have a limited range of motion affected by the bones, muscles and tissues. When you perform a Pilates exercise, your body is required to extend to the fullest length and will therefore, increase your flexibility. If you find your muscles are tight initially, you will soon start to notice an increase in flexibility even after only a few sessions. With regular practice, improved flexibility will be considerable. You may experience a sense of frustration when trying to get into any of the exercises, but, rather than giving in, simply modify the exercise until you start to increase your flexibility. Opposition There are many opposing movements within Pilates. Consider, as you lift your arms up above your head, you must focus on moving the shoulders back and down rather than the movements coming from the arms. If you watch a dancer in action, you will see that they instinctively use opposition as they move. Using opposition, is an excellent way to find balance in your body. Here’s an example of how you can use opposition in everyday life:

Consider that you are going to bend down to pick something up from the floor. As you do so, you will pull up from the lower abdominals as you bend forward. This movement protects your back because it engages the opposing muscles. Getting started You need very little equipment when you first start practising Pilates. It is essential to invest in a good quality mat so to support your back. You should also wear only comfortable clothes and certainly nothing restrictive. Work in bare feet too so to avoid slipping. There are Pilates balls available which can add new elements to the session but in the first instance, it is better to focus on the mat postures and to learn these before extending any practice.

Module One Self-Assessment Tasks

Task: Who invented Pilates? Task:

What was Pilates originally called? Task: Practice Hide and Seek breathing Task: Practice Accordion breathing Task: There are 8 principles of Pilates, what are they? Please note that these self-assessment tasks are to ensure your understanding of the information within each module. As such, do not submit them for review with KEW Training Academy.

Module Two Body Changes d

Pilates provides overall conditioning of the body, increasing flexibility as well as strength training and so, by its very nature, it educates your muscles, enabling muscle groups to work together and this, ensures maximum efficiency of movement. In addition, it improves your balance, coordination

and posture, but it also enables you to have proper alignment of your body. You may wish to speciali se your exercise regime around Pilates but it’s perfectly fine to practice other types of exercise as well. If you are keen on aerobics for example, then Pilates is just going to enhance the benefits. In fact, whatever exercise program or sport that you enjoy, Pilates will maximise the benefits and complement it. Back pain is a real issue in the Western world, most of the time, it is caused through sitting incorrectly and even standing awkwardly i.e. poor posture and certainly, if you have weak abdominal muscles as these help support the spine. The very first thing you must learn as a student of Pilates is how to pull in your stomach. We have mentioned previously how to pull the navel in toward the spine. It is a simple action which helps you to engage those deep abdominal muscles. Just by strengthening these muscles, you can ease or eradicate back pain and your posture will be so much better as a result. Each and every Pilates exercise is done with this in mind. The more that you practice Pilates, the greater your core strength. Initially, you may want to throw in the towel, as the movements are not easy, but if you persevere, you will notice that every physical aspect of your life improves. You’ll see the difference and so will others. If you suffer wit h backache, you’re likely to forget that you ever experienced it and even any niggling pains that may occur in the hips, knees or shoulders will also start to dissipate. Once you understand Pilates and have started practising some of the postures, you experience the benefits of core strength. Pilates needs a mindful approach. It’s not just the exercise itself, but a sharpened mind-set and this needs to be maintained throughout. Make no mistake, the mind will start to wander but, you must control it and bring it back to the task in hand. It’s all too easy to injure your body if you are not mindful of the movements. It is only by taking this approach that you will develop an increased awareness and greater core strength. There is another benefit to being mindful, by doing so, you are more likely to advance efficiently throughout the exercises and to start realising greater benefits. The spine

Your spine has two main functions. It has to be flexible enough so that you can move i.e. twist, stretch and bend and it has to be strong enough and rigid enough to ensure that you can stand upright. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to injure your spine simply because it has to move so much and, in a variety of ways. As you get older, the chances of injury increases and certainly, the shock absorbers within the body start to deteriorate. Depending on your age, you may have already noticed how much stiffer you feel and so, the good news is that Pilates is one of the best exercise systems to not only increase stability in the spine but to improve flexibility. Each Pilates exercise has a main aim.

You may find that one exercise works at increasing the flexibility of the spine and another exercise has a direct focus on the stabilisation of the core, thereby, improving overall strength. It’s important to have a balanced workout so that you strengthen and improve both aspects. Often we develop poor posture as we get older, and it shows. If you take a look around you at friends and family and even at your work colleagues, you will see that their spines reflect their lives.

What is your spine telling others about you? It’s not just the physical aspects of real life that affect the spine, but also, the emotional issues. This makes sense if you consider that we tense the body when we are upset or feel anger. All of our emotions are transmitted throughout the body. This is why it’s important to take a whole lifestyle approach to health, well-being and exercise. There are small muscles placed in between the vertebrae and these help to keep your spine lengthened, but these are impacted when your posture is lazy. So it is important to keep these muscle toned up in the same way as you would with your arms or, any other wobbly part of the body. One of the best starting points to improve posture is to simply stand still and imagine that you have a string attached to the top of your head but at the back of the crown and this string pulls you upward towards the ceiling. As you feel the string pulling you into your correct posture, make sure that you are standing straight, do not arch your back and that you have pulled your tummy in.

Simply by standing correctly, you work many muscles including: The upper trapezius-these hold up the shoulders The muscles of the jaw - these prevent the lower jaw from dropping The deep muscles of the back - these hold up the spine

The hamstrings, quadriceps and psoas – these enable you to stand The iliotibial bands at the sides of your legs All of these muscles need to be strong as they enable you to stand and to sit upright. When muscles are strong and posture is correct, these postural muscles are able to work easily which will keep you standing and sitting without pain. Many people sit for long periods each day and have very poor posture throughout much of the time, so is it surprising that the body begins to hurt or that imbalance occurs? Certainly, those all-important postural muscles are not going to work as well if they are weak or if you sit or stand incorrectly. Another benefit of Pilates is improved sex. This is because through practice and awareness, you are able to isolate certain muscles which will aid greater control and improve pleasure gained. There will be a greater flexibility in the hips and legs with more choice as to the positions available. People turned to Pilates for a wide variety of reasons. Some choose to practice Pilates because they are unhappy with their bodies and feel unfit or lethargic, others will have experienced injuries and need to rehabilitate and strengthen the body. Sometimes, Pilates is an add-on to other exercise and there are those who are keen to lose weight but also need to tone up the body and improve muscle definition. It is important to understand how Pilates works. If the reason for trying out Pilates is to lose weight, we should clarify that in the beginner to intermediate stages, Pilates is not aerobic. It is exercise only that will facilitate any fat loss. Of course, if you do little exercise currently, you will find that Pilates does increase your metabolism but, if you really want and need to lose weight, you should combine Pilates with another exercise, consider swimming, walking or even dancing. Pilates offers resistance training. Regular practice can help you to look taller and certainly more elegant, people may remark how graceful you look and how easily you move. Some of the most noticeable changes however, will be around those problem middle areas, the stomach, bottom and thighs and as these are problematic areas, you can see why people are keen to try Pilates for themselves.

Pilates will not add bulk to your body. Instead, it elongates a very healthy looking muscle tone. There is a requirement to always accentuate the full extension of any limb and you can visualise your body gaining length as you move. The end result is that you become far more flexible and your muscles ‘remember’ to stay long. In Pilates, you use every part of your body, even when you are focusing your intent on one body part, you still tighten up your bottom, pull in your abdominal muscles and focus on drawing in the inner thighs at the same time. Without doubt, this constant awareness and work in these areas is what changes the shape of your middle section. Checklist When you are standing, visualise a string which runs from the back of the top of your head pulling you up towards the ceiling. This helps you to lengthen your spine when standing or even sitting. You keep your head aligned with your hips and this is essential because it helps to strengthen those deeper muscles in the back. Pulling in the navel toward the spine. If you can visualise this, it will help

you to really engage with your abdominal muscles and in fact, this is one of the most important visualisations and movements within Pilates. Keep your shoulders back and down. It’s all too easy to let your shoulders move up to ward your ears and to hold tension in the shoulder area. If you can visualise the shoulders moving back and down the body, it helps to reduce any tension response and also, helps you to engage your back muscles – this in turn, stabilises the shoulders. ‘Keep your ears growing away from your shoulders and the shoulders dropping down away from the ears.’ While this is a self-explanatory Pilates quote, it’s another great way to visualise the spine elongating and the neck long. Lower the rib cage. We often stand incorrectly, arching the back or even allowing the rib cage to protrude from the chest area. Instead, the lower the rib cage down as this helps to keep the upper torso stable and, to work the upper abdominal muscles Mat work Working on a mat is really the core essence of Pilates. If you can practice on a daily basis, you will soon progress substantially and start to tighten up those abdominal muscles. You will also strengthen your back, the muscles of the bottom, improve your posture and keep the torso stable. Certainly as you advance, you will know that you are having a full body workout just by exercising in this way. Although Pilates needs very little in terms of investment, a good, firm, supportive mat is vital as you will need to cushion the spine. When you start your exercises, you will soon realise that mat work has an intensive effect on core strength. The abdominal muscles start to respond fairly quickly even if they have not been exercised for years. In fact, the whole of the middle region will respond. Even the sides of the torso will tone up. Often women have a problem with abdominal fat, but Pilates helps to strengthen and tone up the whole body, yes, even those problem areas.

Some people find mat work very difficult initially. It may not be through having weak back or abdominal muscles, but there could be a tightness in the upper body which makes even the simplest and basic of core exercises too difficult. It’s all too easy to start feeling a sense of frustration if you are unable to do some of the exercises. It is important to let go of these feelings, to stay positive and focussed, and instead, to modify the exercise where possible, or, to just move onto the next exercise. As you persevere, and as your body starts to naturally release its tension and increases flexibility while strengthening the core area, you may suddenly discover that a previously impossible exercise is now relatively easy. Certainly, some failed exercises may be caused through lack of concentration or even, poor coordination. You may also need to re-learn the exercise in case you are not practicing it correctly. Repetition within each exercise is important. You can’t expect to exercise one day every few weeks and still gain the benefits. It’s importan t to note that where there is any neck or spinal injury and this includes any vertebrate disc problems, do talk to an experienced Pilates instructor especially one who is experienced in rehabilitation. This is far better than trying out Pilates at home as the instructor will be able to adjust your body so you achieve the full benefits even if not in an advance position. The Pilates alphabet Pilates has its very own alphabet and it is useful to learn it. Neutral spine Abdominal scoop Bridge C curve: Lumbar, thoracic and cervical Hip up Levitation Balance point Stacking the spine Pilates abdominal position Pilates first position With so many exercises, it can seem overwhelming when you first start practising Pilates.

It is worth noting that not every Pilates teacher uses the alphabet, but it is a good way of categorising the exercises and making it easier to remember. Some people find this method to be beneficial and others do not It’s up to as to whether you make use of this. Let’s work through them: Neutral spine This is a powerful principle within the Pilates alphabet and therefore, is one of the fundamental concepts which creates the foundation of Pilates. To practice the neutral spine, simply lie on your back and have your knees bent but feet flat on the floor. Bring special awareness to your spine as there should be two areas of the back which do not touch the mat beneath you i.e. your lower back and your neck. The reason your back has natural curves is because it helps to absorb shock when you are walking or exercising. Maintenance of these natural curves is important. To make sure that you have a neutral spine, imagine trying to balance a tea cup on your lower abdomen. If your pelvis is tilted forward, the liquid within the teacup would spill. When this happens, it’s called anterior pelvic tilt. If you instead tilt the pelvis backwards and this makes your back become flattened to the floor, your tea cup would still spill. This movement is known as the posterior pelvic tilt. When you engage the neutral spine, the teacup on the lower abdomen would be balanced. It’s a great visualisation, although you can try it in reality, but preferably without liquid in the cup. To have a neutral pelvis, you would simply make sure that the pubic bone and hip bones are on a level plane. You can also reach this position even while standing. You may find through awareness that you have a tendency to tilt your pelvis either in one direction or the other but this simple habit can actually add a great deal of strain to your body over a period of time. So when we say neutral pelvis or neutral spine, this simply means getting into a good, natural posture. In Pilates, there is a great deal of work in neutral spine because this is a starting point for the stability exercises. Abdominal scoop

You can practice the abdominal scoop at any time you like. We’ve mentioned the art of pulling your navel in towards your spine and this is all that is required. As such, it is easy to do anywhere and at any time. All you are doing is engaging the deepest abdominal muscles which, when contracted, decreases the diameter of the abdominal wall. You scoop these muscles in and they help to stabilise your back. Unfortunately, many people suffer from weak, abdominal muscles so always, always, make sure that you practice the abdominal scoop. Bridge To practice the bridge, lie on your back with your knees bent and have your feet placed flat on the floor. Now, push your hips up and hold them in this position. Take a deep inhalation, and on the exhalation, squeeze and tighten the muscles of your bottom, drop the rib cage and remember to pull the navel in, visualising it drawing in toward the spine.

You are trying to make your torso as flat as possible. Continue this by squeezing your bottom and bringing the rib cage down into the belly. You’ll

start to feel the burn at the back of the legs and in the muscles of the bottom. You can then release. C curve The C curve is a movement which serves to strengthen the deeper, abdominal muscles while still stretching the muscles of the back. You can try this out by trying to sit up tall with your legs slightly bent in front of you but imagine that someone is trying to punch you in the lower stomach region. You scoop in those deep abdominals and allow the spine to round as you visualise the movement. As you do so, the upper part of the back, the neck and the head naturally follows this motion until your body resembles the C. Try to visualise your whole spine making a C. This is a wonderful stretch for the spine and for the muscles surrounding it. The lumbar C curve begins through the contraction of the lower abdominals. It may be the most difficult of the spinal movements simply because there are six vertebrae which serve to stabilise and of course, support the weight of your body. So when you perform a Lumbar C curve, focus on pulling in the navel and those lower abdominal muscles, then attempt to curve the spine. It may be difficult at first and potentially may only be accomplished once you have learned to fully engage those lower abdomen muscles. Thoracic C curve The thoracic region of the back will naturally curve forward in a C shape and you can assist this by pulling the ribs in and allowing the shoulders to round forward. Just by doing so, you create a substantial stretch in the upper back. It is important that the C curve follows the Lumbar C curve. Most of the work comes from the abdomen and the spine then follows the movement. Cervical C curve Because people often find it difficult to avoid hurting their necks when they first start out in Pilates, it is important to learn all the movements and the correct positioning at the start and this way, there will be no over straining the neck. Try this:

Lie on your back and have your hands interlaced behind your head as this will support the neck. Lift your head off the mat, but lengthen out the back of the neck. Too often people strain their necks due to incorrect positioning and it can help if you try to imagine that you have a small orange under your chin as you bring your head up. This puts your chin in the correct position but make sure you do not lead the movement with your chin. Once your head is off the mat, you will be in the correct cervical C curve. You must of course, lift your head high enough to be able to form the shape of the C. Make sure that your abdominal muscles are pulled in and it is paramount that you use these muscles to lift up the weight of the head, so you are not relying on the neck muscles. You may find this difficult if your abdominal muscles are quite weak, or if there is a tightness in the neck region. Keep persevering. Hip- up The hip up is two-fold because it is a fundamental exercise within the Pilates movement and it also forms part of the Pilates alphabet. To perform it, lie on your back, have your legs up and your knees bent but feet crossed. Keep your arms down by your side. Rock back and lift your hips up using the low abdominal scoop. This may be a very challenging move for anyone who has weak abdominals or tightness in the back. Levitation Once you have practised hip-up successfully, add in a lower squeeze of the buttocks and this forms the levitation. So let’s reiterate, lie on your back, lift up the hips using the abdominal scoop and then, when you are at the maximum movements of hip-up, squeeze the lower part of the bottom and you’ll feel your hips and naturally raise. This forms the shoulderstand in yoga. Balance point Sit with your knees bent and hold onto the backs of your thighs. Using the abdominal scoop, pull in the stomach and then roll back just so that you are slightly behind your tailbone. Lift your feet off the mat so to maintain this balance, you have to engage and pull in those deep abdominal muscles. It

actually creates the Lumbar C curve but helps you to balance. Stacking the spine This movement teaches the articulation of the spine and helps you to sit up vertically. Start by sitting with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Allow your upper spine to round forward and let your head hang. Start the stacking of the spine by pulling your navel in towards your spine. Do this at the lowest vertebrae and move up one vertebrae at a time still allowing your head to hang heavy until right at the end when you are sitting up tall. This movement is known as stacking the spine. You can also reverse the stacking to get back to the starting point. If it helps, try doing this against the wall as you will feel your movements. Pilates abdominal position Use the cervical C curve as previously described and lie on your back, lifting your head off the mat - just high enough so that your shoulder blades are also lifted off. Imagine that the base of the breast bone is anchored deeply to the floor and try to lengthen the back of your neck. Do not allow the head to drop back otherwise you will only create tension and cause fatigue in the neck. By doing so, you will also not be using the abdominal muscles sufficiently. Your upper abdominals should be working in this position and you will start to feel the burning sensation. You may find this position very difficult if there is tightness in your neck or upper back. Do persevere. Pilates first position In this first position, turnout your hips and make a small V shape with your heels squeezed together. You can do this in a standing position or lying down position. Just make sure you are in a comfortable position and that your knees face away from each other while your inner thighs are squeezed tightly together. The Pilates first position is used in a great many of the exercises so must be perfected.

Module Two

Self-Assessment Task

Task: What are you hoping to achieve through studying Pilates? Keep your motivation strong by focussing on specific goals. Task: Practice all of the movements of the Pilates alphabet and continue to do so until you have mastered the movements. Task: List the benefits of Pilates? Task: Create a journal which depicts your own journey with Pilates. Specify any exercises that are difficult and those that you feel you have mastered. How did you feel when practising? What have you learned through your studies? Did you make any mistakes? Over time, you will start to see a record of your progress which will keep you motivated. Note that evidence of practice is required for the final assessment. Please note that these self-assessment tasks are to ensure your understanding of the information within each module. As such, do not submit them for review with KEW Training Academy.

Module Three Pre-Pilates

Making sure you understand each aspect of the Pilates exercises is vital if you are going to perform them correctly and of course, achieve all of the many benefits. So the exercises included in this module are often known as prePilates and this is simply because they form the foundations of a successful practice. In essence, they begin the preparation necessary so that your body can progress. Although you may be keen to move onto the next stage of Pilates, each of these exercise within should be utilised first until you feel proficient. They can also be used as a warm-up. Note that even the most advanced of Pilates students, will still go back to the fundamentals. We’ve already introduced the Pilates alphabet and some of the basic moves and it’s true to say that you must practice these with due diligence so that these movements become instinctive. Then, when you are exercising, you can focus on the muscles being used and become aware of the sensations. It is this awareness that will enable you to adopt the right positions so that they become instinctive in the future. In other words, you will know when the posture feels right. It’s important that you do these fundamental exercises in order and although you may be keen to move through them at great speed, you may find that some are more difficult than others and, need a lot more care and attention than you might have initially anticipated. As with all exercise programs, it is important to be careful throughout all of

the exercise sequences. Do stop if you feel any of the following: Your neck hurts during an exercise Your joints hurt during an exercise You experience sharp shooting pains during an exercise You experience tingling pain while exercising You pull a muscle during the exercise and the pain does not alleviate within a few minutes Taking care when you experience pain. There is little point pushing yourself so that you cause actual damage. Often people new to Pilates find that they experience some aches and pains in the lower back but if this happens, simply modify rather than straining. You may find this happens when you are working on the abdominal exercises and one trick is to focus on pulling your navel in even more, but certainly, as your abdominal muscles start to develop, you will find there will be less aches and pains in the back. Because the majority of people fail to breathe into those lower parts of the lungs, this first exercise brings attention to and increases lung capacity. Gaining control over the breathing techniques is important because if you hold your breath, you only tense up the muscles and this can lead to injury as well as making the exercise much harder. Breathing exercise reminder This is an excellent breathing exercise and should be practiced regularly. If you didn’t try the technique previously, do so now. Lie down on your back and have your knees bent but make sure that your feet remain flat on the floor. Try to position your feet about hip distance apart. Move into neutral spine, relaxing your back and placing your hands on either side of your body just above your waist. Your hands should be at the lower part of the rib cage and make sure your thumbs are pointing towards your back and your fingers are pointing inwards towards the breastbone. Now breathe deeply into your lungs, and you will feel your ribs expanding and your hands moving outward. Visualise the breath moving down toward the lower back so that your lungs are full to overflowing. There may be a tendency to arch your back away from the floor, resist any temptation to do so. Now exhale. As you breathe out, pull your navel in towards your spine.

Imagine that you are playing an accordion. Then during the inhalation, the accordion expands outward and as you exhale, the accordion moves back in. Shoulder shrugs Tight, stiff and aching shoulders are often the norm these days because we experience tension in the physical sense as well as on an emotional level. Many people work in an office and at their desks for a great deal of time and this can impact posture causing rounded shoulders and tension in the muscles. This technique helps to alleviate the tension and to bring awareness to this area. Lie down on the floor, flat on your back with your knees bent about hip distance apart. Keep your feet flat on the floor and your arms should be straight and by your sides. Adopt neutral spine. During the inhalation, draw your shoulders up towards your ears so that you contract the upper trapezius muscles. During the exhalation, relax and released the shoulders and let them drop away quickly. Perform four repetitions of this exercise but on the final repetition, slow down the movement so that when you breathe out, your shoulder blades slide slowly down your back. At this time, try to engage and feel the muscles in your back as it is these which are used to keep your shoulders down and away from your ears. Make sure that you do not hold your breath during this exercise. Shoulder slaps Shoulder slaps are a wonderful way to rediscover relaxed and tense-free shoulders. It also enables you to engage the stabilising muscles within and to be able to relax at will. Lie down. Position yourself on your back, have your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor again. This time, bring your arms up so that your fingers are pointing upward towards the ceiling. As you inhale, stretch your arms up toward the ceiling so that your shoulder blades lift from the mat. During the exhalation, keep your arms straight but reach up while you relax and released the shoulder muscles so that the shoulder blades create a slapping sound back onto the mat. Complete this exercise four times but on the final repetition, return the shoulder blades to the mat more slowly and imagine that your

shoulder blades are actually melting into the mat beneath you. As you push your shoulder blades into the mat, pay special attention to the muscles that you are working. It is important to know where the latissimus dorsi muscles are located as they are used constantly throughout Pilates enabling you to pull your shoulders down helping to release any tension that is held here. Note: throughout this exercise focus on releasing the shoulder blades on the exhalation and do not bend your arms as you do so. Arm reaches/arm circles This is another exercise their helps to stretch out the back muscles while also stretching out the chest. As with the other exercises, lie on your back, have your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Ensure that your back is in neutral spine. Keep your arms by your side but on the inhalation, take your arms up toward the ceiling so that they are at a 90° angle to the floor. Make sure that you keep your arms at shoulder-width distance apart. On the exhalation, try to drop the rib cage and think of your ribs joining your stomach and reach your arms back towards your ears. Engage your upper abdominal muscles as this will keep you from arching your upper back. Inhale and then circle the arms and then take them down onto the floor at your sides, and then back to the starting position…. reaching up towards the ceiling. Repeat this exercise three times and then reverse the direction. Note: make sure that your torso is stable throughout and keep the shoulders away from the ears as you perform the exercise. Another tendency that beginners have is to arch their backs during this exercise but stay focussed on keeping the back on the floor. Coccyx curls This is the first exercise which requires the lower abdominal scoop that we discussed previously. During this exercise, do not allow your shoulders to rise up or to instigate tension in this area. This exercise requires three basic parts of the Pilates alphabet i.e. the neutral spine, the abdominal scoop and the bridge. Lie on your back and have your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Your feet should be approximately hip distance apart and make sure that your

back is in neutral spine with your arms by your sides. Inhale deeply and on the exhalation, start the coccyx curl by locating the deep abdominal scoop. Pull your navel towards your spine and gently squeeze the muscles of the bottom. As you do so, try to flatten the lower back onto the mat. If it helps, imagine that your stomach has been pulled in so tightly that it presses down onto the vertebrae of the lower back and that if you moved, the outline of your vertebrae would be on the mat. This is often called imprinting. Inhale and then release the abdominal muscles, scoop and returned to neutral spine. On the exhalation, re-engage the abdominal scoop and squeeze the lower muscles. Now flatten the lower back onto the mat and then roll the coccyx in, this is a slow movement off the mat counting as you do so. This gradual rollup leads toward the bridge position. Make sure that you form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.

As you inhale, maintain the bridge position and then on the exhalation, roll your back down towards the floor, aim for one vertebrae at a time

remembering to pull in the abdomen. Return to the neutral spine position once you have finished. Perform three repetitions but make the movement’s smaller and smaller and so by the last repetition, you’re not actually moving out of neutral spine but the abdominals are still pulled in tightly as if you were going to practice the coccyx curl (but do not do this). In Pilates, this is known as engaged neutral spine. Make sure you do not tense the upper body throughout this exercise. Pay special attention to your neck and shoulders throughout. Your neck should be long and your shoulders should remain relaxed. Engaging neutral spine is very important within Pilates because it helps you to maintain all the natural curves of your spine while strengthening those deep abdominal muscles. It also helps you to develop good posture. Tiny steps This is an exercise which will test the strength and stability of the lower abdominal muscles. It is important to not move your hips or your lower back while moving your legs. Lie down on your back and have your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor approximately hip-width apart. Move into neutral spine. Now take your hands and place them onto your hip bones as this will enable you to keep track of whether you are moving at all. As you exhale, pull the navel into the spine and lift your right knee up to your chest. Inhale now but hold this position. On the exhalation, pull your navel right in towards your spine and return your right leg back down onto the mat but make sure that you control this movement. Repeat with the other leg and then repeat the set for eight complete repetitions. Do not tense your upper body at all. Pay special attention to keeping the shoulders relaxed and your neck long and do not let your back arch or your hips move from side to side. Upper abdominal curls

If you have not worked your abdominal muscles for a long time, they are probably a little weak and may shake as you start to practice this exercise. Many people find this very frustrating initially as they struggle to perform this exercise. It is important to not worry too much, just stay motivated and practice regularly. Even if the abdominal muscles are okay, if you have a tight upper back and neck, this may still limit you from moving into the full position. You may not be able to curl in this position and therefore may not feel the abdominal muscles working. In the main, you will still feel a stretch in the upper back and neck. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and have your feet flat on the floor and approximately hip distance apart. Ensure that your back is in neutral spine. Now take your hands, interlacing your fingers and place them behind your head. Inhale and on the exhalation, pull your navel in towards your spine as you lift your head. Make sure that your chin moves in towards your chest (if you recall previously, you need to imagine you are squeezing a small orange underneath the chin) roll up, but just high enough that your shoulder blades are off the mat. Now inhale, holding this position. On the exhalation, control the movement as you move back down onto the mat. Repeat eight times – slowly. Maintain the neutral spine as you roll upward, do not let the lower back

flatten into the mat but instead, keep the coccyx anchored. Some people find this exercise to be a strain on the neck, however, do note that you are not pulling with your hands, rather, your hands will support the weight of your head and providing that you lead with your chin towards your chest, you should be fine. When you have finished, relax. Hip up If you have injured your neck at all, do take extra care with this exercise. In fact, if you feel that there is any strain on your neck throughout, you can bypass this exercise. It forms part of the Pilates alphabet and helps strengthen the lower abdominal muscles. Lie on your back with your legs bent and up in the air. Have your feet crossed. With your arms down by your sides, make sure that your palms are facing down towards the mat. As you pull your navel in towards your spine, lift your hips off the mat as you rock backwards. You can press your palms and upper arms into the mat is this helps with the lifting motion. The momentum of your legs as they reach back helps sustain the rocking movement. Exhale. And then lower the hips by pulling in the navel again. Complete nine times. Each time during the rocking movement, try to raise your hips a little higher. Make sure that you do not roll back onto your neck. On the last repetition, roll back up so that you are in a seated position so that you are ready for the next exercise. Throughout this exercise, remember to engage your lower abdominal muscles and so only use your arms to help get the momentum going. Most of the work here is done with the abdomen. The rocking motion should be smooth - both backwards and forwards. The movement will also massage the spine but do make sure that you do not roll back over too far as it is all too easy to damage the vertebrae. C curves role down prep This exercise is practiced here in preparation for the full roll down. You may find this one fairly easy to do and in which case, will be able to move quickly on to the full roll down and, then, roll up. But it’s a good idea to practice the prep movement first especially if your abdominal muscles are weak and, this will test them for you. Many people find the whole movement particularly

challenging but that’s actually, the whole point, if it wasn’t challenging, there would be nothing to strive towards and, importantly, think of Pilates as a journey on which you can progress. In a seated position, bend your knees and put your feet flat on the floor, wrap your arms around your thighs and then sit up as tall as possible, imagine that you have that golden string still attached to the top of your head and it is pulling you toward the ceiling. On the inhalation, try once again to sit up even taller. As you exhale, pull your navel in towards your spine and try to hollow out the lower abdomen so that the C curve shape forms in your lower back. Roll backward all the way down your spine and walk your arms slowly down your thighs as you do so. Roll down sufficiently until you feel the bones pressing on your mat. Your back, neck and head should now look like a C. Inhale and then exhale, pull your navel in towards your spine again and focus on pressing the lower back into the mat pushing down with your abdominal muscles as you start to roll back up again. You can use your arms to help you, walking back-up your thighs. Do try to stay rounded in the C curve with your abdomen hollow as you return to your sitting upright position. Inhale and stack up the spine, starting all the way from the lower back and then your upper back, following with your head and neck. Your head should be left hanging forward and heavy until the last moment. Exhale and pull your shoulders down from your ears engaging those back muscles and then complete six reputations of this exercise. Note: you must focus continuously on the abdominal muscles as you try to perform this exercise. Try to reduce any tension experienced in the upper body and pay attention to your neck, keeping it long. Make sure you breathe steadily throughout as there may be a tendency to hold your breath. Balance points/teaser prep This exercise is basically C curves role down prep but with your feet off the floor. This makes it much harder to keep your balance and, if you have not exercised regularly, it is possible that you will find this too daunting or too

difficult. If so, don’t get frustrated, instead, practice the previous exercise until you feel ready to progress onto this one. It has to be said that this exercise is probably one of the best within Pilates so to help you connect with those deeper abdominal muscles. It is possible to cheat but please don’t. Although it’s tempting to let the other muscles support you in this exercise, you will not gain the benefits. Within this exercise, you have to articulate (stack) the spine one vertebrae at a time and by doing so, this aids flexibility in the spine and certainly puts extra pressure on the abdominals to work. This is also an excellent preparatory move for the more advanced teaser. Sit up, bend your knees but lift your feet off the floor holding the backs of your thighs with your hands. Try placing the right hand around the outside of the right thigh and the left hand around the outside of the left side. Try to balance just behind the coccyx and have your lower back rounded with your abdomen hollowed out as previously. This is known as the balance point position. Inhale. Then exhale as you roll down your spine, pushing your thighs away and using them as a counterbalance. As you roll down, pull in your navel and try to control this movement only from the abdomen. Go back as far as you can while controlling the movement. Inhale and maintain this position. Now exhale and press the legs away from you and return to the balance point position. Keep the hollowed out abdominal muscles in play and use them to help you return to this position. Perform six repetitions each time you go back, try to increase the distance. Note: keep the tension minimised in the upper body and try to keep your neck relaxed and long. Do not over use your arms as the main work must be performed by the abdomen.

Module Three Self-Assessment Tasks

Task: Spend at least one week working on the pre-Pilates moves as this will help to prepare your body for the next stage. Please note that these self-assessment tasks are to ensure your understanding

of the information within each module. As such, do not submit them for review with KEW Training Academy.

Module Four Commencing the Practice

Now that you are familiar with the pre-Pilates exercises, let’s just add a few more exercises into this section so that you can begin to build upon those early foundations. It is worth noting that gradually these exercises become more difficult and, these can also be extended to increase the competitiveness of the movements. The Hundred It is easy to see how the Hundred was so named simply because the exercise in its maximum position is held for 100 beats. It’s a very useful exercise to warm up the whole body and for increasing abdominal strength and stability in this area. It certainly isn’t easy but progression is possible quite quickly with regular practice and there are also ways of increasing the benefits gained through this exercise. Inhale and then reach arms straight up towards the ceiling and make sure that

your palms are facing forward. Now exhale. Reach the arms back down to the floor and as you do so, begin to lift your head up from the floor but ensure that your chin is tucked down slightly as if holding a small orange underneath. Roll into the Pilates abdominal position so your shoulder blades should be just off the mat. Gently slap the floor with your palms in a rhythm. Inhale deeply during five beats and use accordion breathing. Just visualise that your rib cage expands in the way that an accordion will and when you exhale, the rib cage reduces as the accordion would squeeze back in together. Exhale and this time use percussive breathing for five beats. Say: Shh, shh, shh. Note: Percussive breathing forces the air out by using the abdominal muscles. Hold the position and now pulse arms for 10 inhalations and 10 exhalations and this will make 100 beats. Make sure that you have pressed your lower back into the mat, focus on the abdominal scoop and ensure your pelvis is maintained in the neutral position. You must be careful with your neck in this exercise, but, by keeping the chin tucked down and the neck long, you should minimise any risk to the neck area. Do remember that the hard work comes from the abdomen and not from the neck. If you find that the neck is uncomfortable, place one hand behind so to support it and remember to switch hands when you’ve counted to 50 beats. Try to extend your arms away from you and keep your shoulder blades pulled down and think of the pulsing movement as coming from your back muscles. Single leg stretch This is a fantastic exercise to support and stabilise the torso and to target the lower abdominal muscles. It helps with movement coming from the centre and improves coordination. Lie on your back and have your knees bent. Your shins should be parallel to the floor. Mentally prepare for the movement and breathe in deeply filling the lungs. When you exhale, pull in the abdomen, think of your navel moving in towards the spine and at the same time, curl your head and shoulders up so that the tips of the shoulder blades are moving off the mat. As you curl upwards, extend your left leg out to a 45° angle. The right leg remains in

tabletop position with the right hand grasping the right ankle and the left hand moving to the right knee. Keep the abdominals and shoulders relaxed throughout. Inhale and bring the left knee in using a pulsing movement. Place your left hand at the left ankle and your right hand to the left knee. Exhale and change legs. This time bring the right leg in using the two-part exhale and pulse movement and then extend the left leg. Change hand positions. Continue to switch legs in this way, remember to keep the abdomen scooped in. Perform 10 repetitions but stop if you find there is pain in your back, neck or shoulders.

Rising Swan The rising swan exercise should be included in your daily routine as it strengthens the buttocks, back and neck muscles but it also helps to counteract the negative impact of poor posture or bending forward a lot. Lie on your mat, face down with your forehead flat on the mat. Have your arms bent but keep your elbows close to your side. The palms of your hands

should be placed downwards next to your ears. Allow your legs to relax so that they turn out from the top of the hip and you will find that your heels drop a little closer naturally. Press your pubic bone into the mat while you pull the navel upwards. Inhale and then exhale and at the same time, scoop the abdomen in, squeeze the buttocks and begin to rise up extending the upper back. Gently move the neck upwards and keeps the neck extended and long. As you inhale, hold this extended position (often known as the baby Swan). Keep pulling the abdomen in towards the spine and squeezing the bottom. There may be a temptation for your legs to come up from the mat but resist this temptation. On the exhalation, return to the starting position. Inhale and then maintain the position. Exhale and once again pull the abdomen in and squeeze the buttocks. As you curve the upper spine upwards, try to increase the stretch this time, placing your forearms down in front of you. Visualise the sphinx. Inhale and hold this position. Now exhale, straighten your arms if you can, press the hands away from you into the mat and ensure that your lower back is protected by pulling the abdomen in again and tightening up the buttock muscles. This must be your main focus. Inhale again and hold this extended posture which is known as the rising swan. Exhale and lower yourself all the way down to the mat. Relax. Please note: should you feel any discomfort in the lower back region, reduce the stretch or avoid this exercise until you have additional strength in the abdominals and the buttocks. Now sit on your heels and round your spine over your knees relaxing as if a baby in the womb.

Spine Stretch Forward This is a lovely stretch of the whole spine.

Sit with your legs straight out in front of you and position them so that they are little wider than the width of your hips, you can vary leg width. If you have tight hamstrings and find bending forward over your legs very difficult, bend your legs just a little. This will help take the stress away from those tight areas. On an inhalation, sit up and imagine yourself stretching up to the ceiling, flex your feet and extend your heels. With arms shoulder width apart, raise them, palms down and straight ahead. Now, round your back again into a C curve. Scoop out the abdomen, and round the neck and head forward, creating a C shape as your arms extend forward. Stay in this position just for a few moments and then, inhale, stack up your spine, one vertebrae at the time until you are sitting up. Exhale and endeavour to sit tall, have your arms extended in front of you but make sure that your shoulders are relaxed and down. Perform three repetitions of this exercise. Remember to curve the whole back in this movement. If you find the

movement forward too difficult, you can bend your knees as previously stated or if you need to, sit on a small pillow as this will help prevent strain on the hamstrings. Side Kicks (basic) We talk about sidekicks later on in this course but this exercise is just the basic version and it is useful to understand and practice it at this stage because it aids control in the abdomen as well as strengthening the buttocks and the thighs. Do note that it does not matter how far you can kick your leg, it’s more about your ability to keep the torso stable as you do so. Lie on your side and have your legs placed slightly in front of your body and turn them out. Prop your head up on your arm and if you wish, have the top arm placed in front of you with the palm flat on the floor. This will aid your balance. Inhale and flex your foot while you kick the top leg straight out in front of you. Use a pulsing movement just once as this will test out your stability. Then, on an exhalation, now kick your leg behind you pointing your foot but keeping it the same height as your hip. Pulse the leg once here to again challenge your stability. Pull your navel in towards your spine and squeeze the buttock muscles as this will also help increase stability. Complete 10 repetitions on each side. This is a lovely exercise but it doesn’t test balance and stability. If you find that you are wobbling substantially, work on maintaining the stability rather than kicking extensively. Another tip is to press your way down into the front palm on the floor because this will help your balance. .

Module Four Self-Assessment Tasks

Task: Continue to practice the pre-Pilates exercises and the ones in this module daily for at least a week if possible. Remember to focus on the movements and keep your attention strong. If you have any problems with any of the exercises, calculate why. Sometimes, the smallest of adjustments make the difference. Please note that these self-assessment tasks are to ensure your understanding of the information within each module. As such, do not submit them for review with KEW Training Academy.

Module Five

Intermediate

In this module, we will take a look at some of the intermediate exercises and although this is only a small part of the exercises and variations that are available to you, they do form an excellent starting point and as you become more proficient, you can gradually extend your practice and keeping your training sessions varied. Please note that as you increase the difficulty within the session, it will naturally take more time to complete the exercises and you can easily anticipate over half an hour on any series once you have learned all the basic steps. Know that they demand far more - not just in respect of the abdominal muscles or flexibility but from coordination too. It is important therefore to stay focused throughout. Pilates exercises are meant to be done in a series i.e. they are linked and they should flow, so in this section, start off with The Hundred, The Roll Up, and the Single Leg Stretch in anticipation of these additional exercises. Double leg stretch This is a far more challenging exercise than the single leg stretch, and it does require a great deal of torso stability. It also means you need to engage your

abdominals and work them extensively so to complete this exercise. The aim of this exercise is to keep your legs low while still extending them outwards and maintaining stability. Bear in mind that stability means that your back should not be arching and the abdomen must always be pulled in. If there is any discomfort in the lower back at all, it means that you are lowering your legs too much and your abdominal muscles are unable to support the weight. To start: Lie on your back with your knees on your chest. You can place one hand on each knee, clasp it to you. Now inhale and as you do so, your arms and legs go out into a V shape. Your legs need to be at a 45° angle to the floor and your arms should be by your ears. The lower back must remain in contact with the mat. To help, squeeze the bottom and maintain the abdominal scoop. Exhale and return to the starting position and take the pressure away from the abdomen by pulling the knees in towards your chest and hollowing the stomach. Complete six repetitions but on the last repetition, hold onto your knees and lower your head down to the mat. Place your hands behind your head and move into the position for criss-cross.

Criss-cross Although very similar to the single leg stretch, there is added difficulty because this time there is a twist to the body. This twist is useful because it strengthens those oblique abdominal muscles. Don’t worry if the exercise is too difficult for you, instead, repeat the single leg stretch. Lie down on your mat and then bring your hands behind your head, rolling up into the Pilates abdominal position, knees should be bent and in the air. On an inhalation, you reach one elbow to the opposing knee and extend the other leg out in front of you. In flowing movements, alternate sides, reaching the other elbow to the other knee and so on. As you do so, try to visualise your shoulder blades coming off the mat and twisting through the back muscles as you swap elbow to knee. Retain the Pilates abdominal position. Continue this motion and then exhale and make two twists on the exhalation. Breathing In the criss-cross exercise, there should be two movements for each inhalation and also two movements for each exhalation.

Once you have finished, bring your knees into your chest and lower your head back to the mat. Straighten your legs and place one on the mat and the other pointing up to the ceiling. Reach up the extended leg, trying to place your hands up to the ankles, but stay by the knee if it is uncomfortable to hold further. Now roll into the Pilates abdominal position. You are then set for the next exercise: scissors. Scissors If you need to work on both your hamstrings and the abdominals, scissors may be the exercise for you, but you may find it difficult to stretch the leg out to 90° if the hamstrings are very tight, but it is worth attempting and modifying if need be. Start from the ending of the previous exercise where you are holding one leg upwards with the other leg straight out onto the floor. You should be rolled up ready into the Pilates abdominal position. So on the inhalation, one leg extended up to the ceiling, grab the leg as high up as possible. If your hamstrings are tight, place your hands nearer to your knee and allow the knee to bend slightly. Keep the other leg straight out in front of you just slightly off the mat. On the exhalation, switch legs and as you pull the other leg towards your body make a double pulsing motion. Complete 10 breaths cycles here. Remember always to keep the navel pulled into the spine. Open Leg Rocker This may seem quite a daunting exercise initially as you have to have good coordination and good centre control. Start by sitting up and placing yourself in the balance point. This is where you roll slightly back balancing behind the coccyx and have your knees bent and open to the sides with your feet just off the floor and your hands hold the outside of your ankles. You must find your balance first and then straighten one leg out to the side maintaining the balance point position and ensuring that your abdominal scoop is in place. Now bend the knee back in but repeat the movement with the other leg. Now, when both legs are back in, extend both legs at the same time so they form a V shape in front of you. It is essential that you stay in the balance point position and keep the lower

stomach hollowed. Inhale and roll onto the upper back, performing a hip up. You can use the lower abdominal scoop so to lift the hips butt remember to squeeze the buttocks so that you get additional motion. On the exhalation, return to the balance point using the abdominal scoop to stop yourself rolling. Although difficult, this exercise has a wonderful massaging effect on your back providing you are lying on a quality Pilates mat. There is an emphasis on control throughout so do not allow uncontrolled motions or rocking to the side. Tightening up the abdominals will help you articulate the rolling vertebrae by vertebrae. Single leg kick

This exercise strengthens the back muscles, stretches the front of the legs and hips while toning up the back of the thighs and the buttocks. It also helps to keep your shoulders moving down the back rather than being tense up by the ears.

Lie down on your front and then prop yourself up by your arms so that your upper back is supported by your elbows. Keep your forearms at shoulder width apart and for resistance, your hands make fists and press them into the mat. Your legs must be hip distance apart but keep the navel pulled in and off the floor. Instead, the pubic bone is pressed down into the mat. Squeeze the buttocks and this forms the powerhouse. Push your elbows into the mat while you pull your shoulder blades down your back. Try to focus on the muscles that pull the shoulder blades and maintain them in this position. Breathe continuously throughout Now, kick the right heel to the buttocks with a double beat. The first beat should have a have your toes pointed and the second, you should have a flexed foot. When you straighten your leg back to the mat, point your foot. Then automate legs. There should be 10 repetitions on each leg. Finish this exercise group by coming back down on the front and facial head to one side interlacing your hands behind your back ready to move into the double leg kick. Double leg kick

This is a wonderful exercise to opening up the chest, it toes the backs of the legs and the buttocks to while strengthening the back muscles. Starting by lying on your stomach, with your head turned to one side, and your arms should be bent behind your back and your fingers interlaced. Your hands should be as high on your back as you are able to comfortably and then let your elbows drop down towards the mat. On an inhalation kick both heels to the buttocks. Make three beats. There may be a tendency to let your back arch while you do so but avoid this and instead squeeze your buttocks. On the exhalation, extend the legs back down to the floor and reach your arms back as you push back with your arms and arch your back up off the mat. Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together as this increases the stretch in your chest. On an inhalation return to lying flat and turn your head in the opposite direction and again, start kicking your heels. Perform four repetitions and then move back into the rest position, this is where you sit back on your heels and round your body over your knees in the foetus position.

The Plank

The Plank is one of the most popular and well-known of all the Pilates exercises, while there are modifications, the full Plank, offers a real body workout. Modified Plank: Start on all fours. Have your hands in front of you with fingers pointing ahead. Keep your arms straight but note that your elbows must not be locked. The chest should be open and the upper part of the back should be flat. Draw in the abdomen and keep them tight, now leans forward, so that your weight comes towards your hands. Your shoulders must be aligned over the wrists. (This is the modified plank where some of the weight is on the knees). The focus must be on working the arms, drawing in the abdomen and keeping the back straight. Extended: (This may be too difficult for some). Make sure your abdominals are lifted and strong. Now step one foot back, then the other so that you have straight legs and are balancing on your toes

and hands. Some of the weight will be on the balls of the feet. Breathe several times and hold and then release. This can be repeated another five times. Note: the body must remain in a straight line all the way from the ears to the heels. The body should not sag or arch in any way. It’s important to keep all of the muscles tight and lifted throughout this exercise. Do not hunch the neck, instead, allow space between the neck and the base of the skull. It’s common to start shaking when new to this pose, if this happens, simply release, relax for a minute, breathe deeply and start again. Swimming Although there are other exercises in the intermediate section, we are going to finish with the swimming exercise as it strengthens the muscles on the back, the thighs and the buttocks Remaining on the mat, lie flat on your front with your arms stretched out fully in front of you and extend your legs out backwards behind you. Squeeze your heels together and your inner thighs and place yourself in the Pilates first position. If this is a little difficult because of your lower back, instead, allow your legs to open just slightly but do keep them turned outwards with the heels dropping towards each other and the knees facing away. Breathe continuously throughout. Remember to pull your navel up away from the mat in towards your spine and as you do so, raise your upper back and head off the mat just slightly and at the same time, lift your right arm and your left leg away from the mat. Squeeze the buttocks tightly and visualise the pubic bone pressing down onto the mat. Alternate arms and legs. You can start a rhythm of swimming as you do so, try to reach your arms as far away from you in front of you as you can and extend your legs out behind you. Try to maintain this for 24 beats using the inhalation and exhalation to keep the movement going.

Move back into your resting position, sitting on your heels, curving your back over your knees in the fetus position.

Module Five Self-Assessment Tasks

Task: Practice all of the exercises in this section and chart your progress in your journal. Note any progression experienced in a 7-day period. Please note that these self-assessment tasks are to ensure your understanding

of the information within each module. As such, do not submit them for review with KEW Training Academy.

Module Six Advanced Mat Series

It’s important to always set goals in life and in Pil ates, it is no different. As you have been learning all of the exercises given so far and hopefully, achieving success with some, we have included just some of the advanced mat exercises here. As tempting as it may be to have a go, please do not try out the advanced series until you have worked extensively on the modules up to this point. The reason being that you need a great deal of core strength and stability before completing these particular exercises. Work with your body in an intuitive manner, testing out your progress by increasing the levels of difficulty slowly. If you rush too far ahead, you may start to feel demotivated. These exercises are extremely challenging and will increase your workout substantially. This means that your endurance levels have to have increased

as well as your body strength. As with previous exercises, it’s a good idea to start warming up the body with the coccyx curls and the upper abdominal curls before you start with these advanced positions and you should do these now. Then move onto the exercises depicted below: The hundred (the advanced version) We have already introduced this exercise in its basic form but as a reminder, it helps to promote abdominal strength and increases stability within the torso. In this version of the exercise however, note that your legs are straight and should be at a 45° angle. The abdominal muscles have to work much harder in this version so to keep stability within the torso. Lie on your back with your legs - hips and knees bent at 90° angle. Squeeze the inner thighs together and have your arms down by your sides. Inhale and reach your arms up towards the sky. Make sure that your palms are facing forward. On an exhalation, and as your arms move back down to the floor, lift your head and roll up into the Pilates abdominal position ensuring that your shoulder blades are just off the mat. Straighten your legs, stretch them out forward in front of you at about a 45° angle to the floor. Lower your legs but do make sure you maintain the scooped -out abdomen and flatten the lower back. This exercise will really work the abdominal area and you may experience some shaking. Keep your legs slightly turned out from the hips and your knees facing away from each other but squeeze the inner thighs together. As you hold this, extended pose slap the palms of your hands on the floor in a percussive rhythm. Now inhale and pump your arms up and down for five beats, these should only be small movements. On an exhalation, keep the rhythm going by pumping the arms up and down for an additional five beats but saying, shh, shh, shh, shh as you do so. Now hold this position and continue with the arms pulsing for 10 breaths. This should be 10 beats per breath so 100 beats in total.

This is a tough exercise and your neck may start to feel strained and your abdominal muscles also start to hurt. If your neck is uncomfortable, place one hand behind the head so to support your neck and then simply switch hands at 50 beats. When you finish, relax your head back down to the mat and bring your knees into your chest. Make a conscious effort to relax the abdominal muscles. Bring your arms around your knees and circle the knees so as to relax the back. Rest for one or two breaths before continuing. Note: press the lower back into the mat to ensure you use the abdominal muscles and squeeze the buttocks. Keep the chin tucked down as if squeezing a small fruit beneath it as this will ensure you do not overstretch the back of your neck. Make sure your head is high enough from the floor so to maximise the workout on the abdominal muscles rather than using the neck. If you need to make this movement easier, raise your legs up toward the ceiling as you pulse your arms. (This will modify the exercise to the Intermediate level). Once you are ready to continue, straighten your legs out in front of you and reach your arms above your head ready to the roll up. Roll up Start the rollup. Lie on the floor with legs extended in front of you. Upper thighs and knees should be pressed together. Relax your shoulders. Now, reach up with your arms over your head and rest them on the mat. Palms face upwards. Inhale. Reach your arms over your head ensuring they brush your ears. Drop the chin and curl your torso up. Exhale as you stretch up and over to your toes. Make sure the abdominal muscles are pulled in as you extend toward your feet. Squeeze the muscles of the buttocks and tuck your tailbone under you. Pull in that navel tightly and then unroll, visualise one vertebrae at a time. Exhale. Lie back, raise up your arms over your head, then lower your body to the floor. Relax. Rollover This is a fantastic exercise for the articulation of the spine but it also helps to

stretch the back and neck muscles. The rollover does require a lot of core strength and so, if you have any problems, refer to the hip up exercise instead. Please note: if you have severe neck problems or severe lower back problems, you should not do this exercise. Lie down flat on your back and have your arms by your sides, palms facing downwards. Have your legs straight up toward the ceiling and turn out the legs from the top of the hips with your knees facing away from each other. Squeeze your inner thighs and heels together. From this position, inhale. Exhale. Squeeze your buttocks and pull the stomach in and lift your legs up over your head. Do not let your toes touch the floor behind you but stop your legs when they are parallel to the floor. Be careful not to roll onto your neck but maintain the balance on your shoulders. Now inhale. Open up your legs so that they are hip distance apart and slowly roll back down your spine. Flex your feet as you do so. Exhale and continue the rolling down of your spine, pressing the palms of your hands and arms into the floor as this will help to control the descent. As your legs continue to move back down toward the floor in front of you, make sure that you maintain the flattened lower back while using your abdominal scoop and bottom squeeze. Your legs should be lowered as much as possible maintaining this flattened back. Inhale. Squeeze the legs together and begin the sequence again. Perform three repetitions of this exercise. Finish by bending your knees into your chest and circling your knees as this will help to release the lower back. If you need to modify this exercise, only bring your legs back to the 90° angle and start to lower them every time you repeat the exercise. The most important part of this is that you are able to keep your lower back flat on the floor. If your back starts to arch at all as your legs are lowered, stop and bring your legs back up again. If you do not do this, you could injure your lower

back. It is important to work on your abdominal strength so to be able to perform this exercise correctly.

Module Six Self-Assessment Task

Task: If you have been diligently keeping your journal, write down your thoughts about these advanced exercises. How did you do? Please note that these self-assessment tasks are to ensure your understanding of the information within each module. As such, do not submit them for review with KEW Training Academy.

Module Seven Toning the Buttocks and Thighs

Many people struggle to tone up their buttocks and thighs and it is a real problem area but the good news is that regular practice of Pilates and through paying special attention to the exercises depicted in this module, vast improvements can be made in a short space of time. Although everyone would like a toned up bottom and slimmer thighs, it’s important to note that there are other practical reasons for doing so i.e. to stabilise the pelvis. Strong muscles in the bottom will also help to protect your back and to alleviate any aches and pain in this area. The buttocks The buttock muscles work to stabilise your pelvis and they are important as will affect movement such as; walking and running. If they are weak, you may experience lower back pain. There are three muscles in this area: the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus is the fleshy part of your bottom and the gluteus medius and minimus are at the sides of the buttocks, behind the hip bones. The gluteus maximus is of course the biggest muscle. Note that when you are using hip extensions, you will be using the gluteus maximus muscles. There is often a temptation to arch your back when trying to work on the buttock muscles, but don’t. This is because if your back arches as you extend through your hip, you are not using the gluteus maximus but rather, working the back muscles. Make sure that you tighten the bottom and always use your abdominal scoop as this will help to stabilise your back and pelvis. Try to do all of the following exercises one after the other and on a daily basis if possible. Once you have completed them, you will definitely feel that you have had a good workout. Sidekicks (advanced sequence) These are excellent exercises for strengthening, thighs and buttocks. Note that it is not about the height at which you can kick your legs but about the stability of your body as you do so. Lie on your side, legs bent slightly in front of you and choose the Pilates first position where the hips and legs are slightly turned out. Prop yourself up on your arm, resting your head on your hand. Place the other hand on the floor for increased stability in front of you.

Inhale. Flex your foot and kick the top leg out straight so that it is in front of you Pulse your leg (this tests stability) Exhale. Kick your leg behind, now pointing the foot but keeping the height the same as your hips. Pulse the leg just once for stability. Squeeze the buttock muscles Complete 10 repetitions on both sides. If you are comfortable with these side-kicks and wish to increase the intensity, place hands behind your head. Bicycle On your mat, lie on one side, propping yourself up on one arm and so that your hand can support your head. Keep your legs together but they should be extended slightly in front of your body. Try to keep your hips square during the exercise. Your knees should be in parallel position i.e. knees pointing straight ahead and point your feet. If you need to, place the palm of your top arm onto the mat in front of you for support. Make sure that you breathe continuously throughout this exercise. Now, lift your top leg up slightly so that it is at an even level to your hips. Now point your foot and swing your leg forward as far as you can while keeping the stability within your torso. Bend your knee as if you are peddling on your bike, then swing it back all the way to the front and start the cycling movement again. Do this for three forward pedals and then reverse by swinging this top leg back bending it while the knee is still behind you and extending the leg as it comes to the front. Do three backward pedals. Remember to keep your neck long and relaxed. Up/down in parallel This exercise strengthens the side of your hips and your bottom. Lie on your side, propping up on one elbow with your hand supporting your head, you can place the other hand on the mat in front of you so to support yourself. With your legs straight together and as previously, slightly in front of your body, make sure that you keep your hips square during this exercise. Your knees should be pointing straight ahead and point your feet.

Now, on an inhalation, lift your top leg about 12 inches off the floor. Exhale and then flex your foot at the top and bring your leg back down to the starting position, make sure that you pull the navel in and squeeze your bottom. It can help if you visualise an imaginary spring as your top leg is lowered which will naturally create resistance to the inner thigh. Perform eight repetitions automating the flexing and pointing of the foot. If you struggle with your balance, increase the pressure onto your hand in front of you, and this will help you to keep your balance. Remember to keep your neck long and relaxed. Bottom cruncher This works on the gluteus medius muscle on the side of the bottom. It can be tough to do but will give you a nice shape. Lie on your side, with your elbow propping up your head and place your other arm on the mat in front of you to ensure your balance. Now fold your knees and hips at 90° angles and then straighten the top leg so that it is placed at a 90° angle from your body. You may find that there is a tightness in your leg and so go as near to the 90° as possible. If you need to, you can bend your knees slightly so to make the position more comfortable. Flex your foot. This exercise in two parts, pulses and circles. Pulses Breathe continuously throughout this exercise and reach your heel away from you as you lift and lower your top leg. Effectively, you are making small pulsing movements. Emphasise the upward direction of the movements eight times. Circles Keep the breath continuous and reach away with the heel, now make small circles with your heel as if you are painting a circle in the air. Circle eight times in one direction and then reverse the movement for eight repetitions. Straighten your lower leg bending your top leg and dropping your top knee down on the mat in front of the lower leg. From here, you move onto the inner side pulses.

Inner side pulses

The inner thighs are always a problem area and quite difficult to tone up, so this is the perfect exercise for doing so. This continues on from the previous exercise so your top leg should be bent in front of you so that the lower leg has room to move. Flex the bottom foot and reach your heel away from you while you lift and lower the leg. Make large pulsing movements and try to lift your leg as high as you can but, you must maintain your balance and control throughout. Pull your navel in towards your spine on every upward pulse. Emphasis must be on the upward direction for 10 pulses. Then transition by straightening both legs and bringing them together back to their side-lying position. Your legs should be slightly in front of your body and your top arm placed down on the mat to support if necessary.

Make sure that you’re lying on your side with your legs slightly in front of your body , knees should be facing away from each other. Rest on one elbow with one hand supporting your head. You can have your other hand on the mat in front of you to help maintain your balance. Turn your bottom foot towards the floor as this will also help to stabilise this movement. On an inhalation, kick the top leg straight upwards towards the ceiling. On an exhalation, flex your foot and bring your leg back down to the starting position. Make sure you pull your navel in and squeeze your bottom as you lower your leg. Try to imagine you have an imaginary spring on the floor which increases your resistance as you lower your leg. Also, try to visualise the top leg reaching out and extending longer than your lower leg as you stretch the heel out away from you. Perform eight repetitions with each leg. You then move onto: Up/down with passé. Remember to keep your neck long and the muscles relaxed. Do not let your leg bend as you lift it. If your muscles are tight and you cannot go as high as you would like, simply modify the exercise but do not let your leg turn as you lift it. Up/down with passé Lie on your side with your legs slightly in front of your body turning your legs out from the top of the hips, with your knees facing away from each other. Rest on one elbow and use your hand to support your head again. To aid your balance, put your free hand on the mat in front of you as this will increase your stability. Now, turn your bottom foot towards the floor to help stabilise this movement but do keep your feet pointed throughout the exercise. On an inhalation, bend the top leg, bringing the knee up towards the ceiling, try to touch or point your foot to the inside of your bottom knee i.e. the passé position and then straighten your leg up towards the ceiling. Exhale, bring the straight leg back down stretching it out as while you bring the inner thighs back together. Complete this four times and then, reverse the direction.

On an inhalation, kick your top leg straight up into the sky, exhale, bend your knee trying to touch your foot to the inside of your bottom leg and then straighten your top leg and bring the inner thighs together. Complete this four times. Do ensure that your legs do not turn in as you lift them and keep your knees facing away from each other as much as is possible. Keep your neck long and relaxed. Grande Ronde de Jambe This is an excellent exercise that really works the buttocks and thighs. Move into the same starting position, lie on your side with your legs slightly in front of your body and have them turned out slightly from the top of the hips. Your knees should be facing away from each other and you should be resting on one elbow, with your hand propping up your head to support. Place the other hand on the mat in front of you for increased stability. Turn your bottom foot towards the floor again so to help stabilise the movements. On an inhalation, bring your top leg forward as far as is possible. Exhale, continue moving your leg circling it to the side – move it as close to your ear as you can. Use your abdominal scoop so to increase and maintain the stability experienced in your torso and remember to squeeze your bottom. Inhale and then finish with your leg behind you. Aim for a maximum of 15° behind your body then continue to bring your leg down. Do not let your back arch as your leg goes behind you. Try to visualise that someone is holding on to your ankle and pulling your leg away from the hip. On an exhalation, bring the legs back together. Complete three repetitions and reverse the direction of the circle.

Module Seven Self-Assessment Tasks

Task: Work on these specific exercises at least three time a week over a two-week period and record your progress in your journal. Please note that these self-assessment tasks are to ensure your understanding of the information within each module. As such, do not submit them for review with KEW Training Academy.

Module Eight Spine Stretchers

Having a supple spine is so important. Not only does it help you with the movements we take for granted every single day but, it can take years off your life in a visible sense. Take a look around at those who are not very flexible and you can tell this by their movements. A tense, stiff spine and neck really can age someone. While the following exercises are not classic Pilates, they are safe and fairly easy to do. In addition, the benefits are phenomenal because they increase flexibility, helping to stretch out any knots, ease movement, and are perfect for stretching after you have been working on your abdominal muscles. Practice the following and see how you feel: Basic cat

This is a very simple and gentle stretch and it feels wonderful. If you feel very stiff in the morning, you can perform this exercise while on your mattress, this is a good idea if you have knee joint problems, or, if you prefer, perform the exercise on your mat and the moves will soon have you feeling so much better. Move down onto all fours. Have your hands beneath your shoulders and make sure that your knees are directly beneath your hips. Move your back into neutral spine position. As you inhale, start to arch your back just slightly moving your head up as you extend your bottom upwards too. This provides a nice gentle stretch on the spinal column. As you exhale, pull your navel in towards your spine and squeeze down the lower part of the buttocks.

Your lower back should be curved like a C shape, continue this by rounding into the upper back and finally, drop your head forward slowly so that your entire spine is in the form of a C. (An exact opposite stretch). For greater resistance, push your arms into the mat while you stretch up through the back. Your abdominal muscles should be constantly pulled in as will be your rib cage. To aid visualisation, imagine that you have a tail and you’re hiding it between your legs. On an inhalation, return back to neutral spine and then repeat these movements four times. Hunting cat This is a variation of the basic cat exercise and was invented by a student of Joe Pilates, a lady called Kathy Grant. Having watched how cats stretched and moved, she created this add-on exercise which emulates a gentle pouncing movement. It can be useful to have a mirror by your side so you can watch yourself perform this exercise. Once again, you will be on all fours aligning your hands beneath your shoulders and knees directly beneath your hips. Your back should be in neutral spine. Inhale. On the exhalation, start to round your lower back (once again, visualise the movement of hiding a tail between your legs) start to hollow out your lower abdomen as if to begin the lumbar C curve. Note: you should only be utilising your lower back at first. Slowly, start to sit back on your heels now allowing the stretch to round the whole of your back. Try to visualise that you are a cat preparing to pounce. On an inhalation, slowly continue to round the whole of your spine and then, pounce, as far forward as possible on your arms. Your shoulders should be in front of your hands. On an exhalation, move your spine backwards as if leading with your tail and come into neutral spine. Practice four repetitions of this exercise. Mermaid

The mermaid is a wonderful exercise which may be practiced on the mat as well as on all of the Pilates equipment, should you consider going to a Pilates class. It provides a wonderful stretch for the sides of the torso but also, for the side of the back muscles. If you have a tightness in your lower back or if your chest is tight, this is an excellent exercise. To start, sit on your left hip and have your knees bent and your legs folded on top of each other i.e. your feet will be facing toward the right and behind you. Visualise yourself sitting like a mermaid with your tail to one side. If your knees hurt in this position, you can modify the movement by sitting on a pillow as this will take the pressure off your legs. When you’re ready, inhale and then place your left elbow down on the mat beside you and then, stretch the right arm over your head as far as you can go. On an exhalation, reverse this stretch and reach your left arm overhead. As you do so, pull your navel in towards your spine, scooping in the abdominal muscles. Inhale. Repeat the first movement by placing your left elbow down by your side and

reach your right arm overhead. Do not hold your breath, remember to breathe continuously. Now reverse the direction of the stretch and raise your left arm overhead. Scoop in the abdominals. Now, add a spiral to this stretch. Arch your back and reach your arm as far back as you can. Make the biggest circle that you can with your arm. Now, as your arm comes in front of you, your back should start to round forward. Pull your navel in. Scoop in the abdomen, complete the cycle and return to the side stretched position. Reverse the circle of your arm, arching your back as your arm circles behind you. If it helps, you can imagine that someone is holding your hand and pulling your arm into the biggest of circles.

Module Eight Self-Assessment Tasks

Task: Practice these exercises every morning and note the difference in your spine flexibility after only a week or two. Please note that these self-assessment tasks are to ensure your understanding of the information within each module. As such, do not submit them for review with KEW Training Academy.

Module Nine Cool Down

In Pilates, the following exercises are considered a cool down but they can actually be done on their own if you want to work on your posture as these will really help. You don’t need to use weights or have any equipment other than access to amwall which has enough space around so that you can open up your arms. Arm circles If you spend a lot of your time sitting and working at a desk, or computer, you may find these arm circles highly beneficial. They can help to align and stretch out your shoulders helping to alleviate tension. Stand with your back pressed up against the wall and have your feet hip width apart, and keep your knees soft. Try to recreate neutral spine and you can do this by pressing the coccyx bone into the wall and ensure that there is a small space between the wall and your lower back. Have your arms down by your sides. Exhale and visualise your shoulders moving down away from your ears and

as you do so, lift your arms straight forward while you press your shoulder blades against the wall. Keep lifting your arms, and as they extend up all the way by your ears, feel your arms touch the wall above you. Focus on preventing your back from arching. On an exhalation, keep your arms on the wall but make a circle. It can help if you visualise that you are cleaning the wall. Once you have finished circling around, place arms back by your sides. Perform two repetitions of this and reverse direction. You can reverse the circle by moving your arms up from the side and when your arms reach by the side of your head, bring your arms forward, making sure that they stay shoulder width apart. Concentrate on pressing your shoulder blades against the wall. When you have finished, return your arms to your sides. Note: it is important to keep the whole of your spine against the wall. Squats This cool down exercise will continue to work the legs and buttocks and it will also improve posture while aligning the spine. Place your back against the wall but have your feet approximately 2 feet away from the wall. Make sure your feet are hip distance apart and move into neutral spine, pressing your coccyx against the wall while ensuring there is a small space between your lower back and the wall. Have your arms placed by your sides. Breathe slowly and continuously, do not hold your breath. As you begin, start to slide down the wall making sure you retain neutral spine. Your legs should be parallel with each other and your knees should stay in alignment with the middle toes. Lower yourself down to the position where you feel your legs and buttocks starting to work but it should not be any further than chair height. Bring your arms up straight in front of you and hold them in this position and also hold this squats for three breaths. If you wish to, you can increase the duration in this position. Slide back up the wall and rest for just one breath and then repeat this exercise between three and five repetitions. Note: always remember to keep your whole spine against the wall and not to bend your knees past 90°. If you do, you will simply put far too much

pressure on the knees. Rolling down the wall This is a wonderful exercise to finish with because it helps to improve posture. In addition, it also stretches out the lower middle and upper back as well as the neck. Stand against the wall, check that your knees are soft and place feet approximately hip distance apart. Your feet should be facing forward and be about 6 inches or more away from the wall. Focus on maintaining neutral spine, again, pressing the coccyx into the wall ensuring that you have a small space between the lower back and the wall. Rest your arms by your sides. Now start to breathe slowly and continuously throughout. Start to roll down the wall by allowing your head to drop very slowly forward and note the feeling in the back of the neck as your body starts to stretch. Imagine your spine moving away from the wall, one vertebrae at a time. Let your arm flop forward. Once you’ve gone as far as you can (ensuring that your hips are still against the wall) start to make some gentle circles with your arms. Once you’ve finished, start to roll back up the wall making sure that you tuck your stomach in and bend your knees so that you can press the lower back into the wall during the rollup. Move into stacking the spine exercise and focus on gradually rolling up pressing each vertebrae into the wall as you do so. At this point, your arms are still hanging forward. Your head should be the very last part of you to come up. Once you’ve finished the exercise, stand in neutral spine with your arms by your side. On this final exercise, make sure that your stomach is scooped in as this actively supports the back stretch. Keep your breathing slow and steady but consistent throughout and ensure that your knees are soft. At the end of any exercise session, you can practice some breathing techniques or simply turn your attention inwards if you would like to pay attention to your body and how it feels. This increases awareness of the physical benefits.

Module Nine

Self-Assessment Tasks

Task: Get into the habit of adding on the cool-down exercises at the end of each session as this gives you time to check alignment while you mentally prepare to finish. Make a note of how the cooldown sessions may have helped you. Please note that these self-assessment tasks are to ensure your understanding of the information within each module. As such, do not submit them for review with KEW Training Academy.

Module Ten Top Exercises and Benefits

Because there are so many different Pilates exercises, it can be difficult determining the ones that offer you the most benefits. No doubt as you progress through your own Pilates journey, you will have your own ideas as to the exercises that are most important but it’s always a good idea to reflect on these choices because by doing so, you start to consider the benefits gained and this can help you to focus on the relevant muscles used as you practice. It can also help you to teach others if you decide to continue with your Pilates education. We’ve included some of the essential Pilates exercises here just as a reminder but this list is far from complete as all of the Pilates exercises work the body and improve muscle tone and posture. Coccyx curls These are important because they help to warm up the lower back and also enable you to reconnect with those deep abdominal muscles. In fact, depending on your level of fitness, they may be the first intensive exercise that you have done in this manner for some time. Coccyx curls help you to reconnect with hamstring stretches and also, with the muscles of the buttocks. They form part of the pre-Pilates exercises and should be practiced before attempting the first Pilates exercise known as The Hundred. Upper abdominal curls

Many Pilates instructors endorse the importance of practicing the upper abdominal curls exercise straight after practicing the coccyx curls. This is because the upper back and neck is then warmed up, and these are the two areas which can be easily injured while strengthening the upper abdominals. This exercise also helps to develop stability while in the neutral spine position. Because so many people have back and neck problems, this exercise also teaches correct neck alignment. The Hundred This exercise is really the first actual exercise in the Pilates range. It provides a fantastic way to link the breath to the abdominal muscles using the percussive briefing technique as outlined in previous modules. It works and strengthens those deep abdominals as well as the neck muscles. The Bridge The bridge is an important part of the Pilates exercise collection as it increases torso stability, works the gluteus maximus and the hamstrings. It aids motivation as most people are able to reach this position. Roll down and Roll Up We have included this basic exercise here because it helps to tone up the whole abdominal wall and aids flexibility in the spine as well as strengthening the hip flexors. Rolling Like a Ball Although this is a fun exercise to do, it has a wonderful massaging effect on the back. It also aids flexibility. In addition, it teaches greater abdominal control. Rising Swan Similar in many ways to the yoga Cobra, this is an exercise that many people take to and enjoy but the benefits are far-reaching. It stretches the chest and the abdominal muscles, it also strengthens the buttocks and the hamstrings, helping to correct poor posture while strengthening the back and neck muscles. Swimming

This exercise helps to educate the student in respect of neck alignment while strengthening the back and neck muscles. It’s also an excellent exercise to reverse poor posture. Task: After trying out all of the exercises that have been listed in this course, it can be useful to write your own list of top exercises and to consider why. You may naturally choose ones that are fun or easier to do, but, do consider the benefits of all of the exercises and make a list of those that you find difficult and map your progression. Benefits We’ve mentioned all of the many benefits of Pilates previously but as this course comes to a close, it’s worth reiterating some of the changes that you are likely to experience within weeks or even months of practising. Although many of the changes can be experienced quite quickly, as an example, you’ll start to feel better in yourself generally, you’ll notice your body gradually toning and, your posture improving, it’s worth stating that some of the changes may take a few months in which to become apparent while other changes may be experienced more quickly. Longer and leaner Pilates can help to transform your body. You’ll feel slimmer and taller as the extensions within the exercises helps to reduce any muscle bulk and you’ll naturally feel more graceful. A toned bottom The bottom is often a problem area. Pilates can aid shaping and toning the bottom, reducing it in size. Or, if the bottom was already small but perhaps the muscles were undeveloped, the shape may be accentuated a little. Improved posture Because we often sit for long periods of time without fully considering our posture, Pilates helps to develop awareness of any slouching. Uptight posture If you suffer from tightness in the shoulders and neck, know that these are the

upper trapezius muscles which often work overtime. If you find that you generally have a lot of stress in your life, the chances are tension will become trapped in these muscles. In addition, if you work at a desk or computer, you will find that this greatly exaggerates any neck and shoulder tension. Many Pilates exercises (including the shoulder shrugs) will work on these areas and help you to consciously release any tension which is stored. Once you develop an awareness of this tension and how you tighten up these muscles, you will be able to re-educate your body so as to relax more readily. Improved stomach The abdominal scoop has been the saviour of many who have despaired about their sagging abdominal muscles. Just one small movement, practiced regularly can make a huge difference in this area. Abdominal scoops can in fact, reduce your waistline by up to 3 inches and will naturally flatten the abdomen overtime. Of course, losing weight will also make a great difference in this area and allow muscle definition to be apparent. But if weight loss is slow or difficult, you can still achieve much improvement by performing Pilates. Reduced back pain Back pain is a huge problem in society today with many people succumbing to severe back pain and being unable to work for extensive periods. This is often the result of poor posture and weak muscles in the core area. Pilates helps to stretch out and strengthen any poor core muscles and this is important. It also aids in alignment, helping you to move, stand and sit in a healthier way. Enhanced flexibility As you grow older and as you decrease the amount of exercise, you will find that your spine loses its flexibility. Pilates can improve flexibility by stretching the muscles and the joints while strengthening them. It may not happen overnight, but certainly within a few weeks or months, you will notice a significant improvement. Awareness

Pilates enables you to have a whole new awareness of your body, improving your respiratory system, your posture and strength too. You will also develop new and positive habits. Your balance will be improved simply through having a stronger core as will your coordination. Because Pilates strengthens the muscles, you will start to notice this on an almost day-to-day basis, and there will be a greater resistance to injuries as well an improved ability to recover. As you practice and develop in the Pilates way, it’s important to let it become an important part of your life. There is no point developing a greater awareness and determination to improve if you forget all of the skills and revert back to old ways for the rest the time. Keep your progression constant by utilising the abdominal scoop as much as possible. Simply by pulling in the navel towards your spine regularly, you naturally start to improve abdominal strength and protect your back. For anyone who has shoulder or neck problems, it all too easy to carry tension and to constantly work those muscles even when they should be relaxed. With greater awareness, it’s possible to note when tension occurs and to release it, pulling those shoulders down from the ears. We mentioned previously that many people fail to breathe correctly using only the top part of their lungs but by breathing deeply and practising various deep breathing techniques, you improve lung capacity, release muscle tension and you stretch the back as you do so. Think about your posture as much as you can, and remember the golden string attached to the back of the top of your head pulling ever upwards. This will help to prevent you from slouching and will lengthen your spine, aiding correct posture when standing or sitting. The benefits of Pilates are far-reaching and the more that you can make Pilates an instinctive part of life, you will continue to develop and progress constantly working towards a healthier body and a greater sense of wellbeing.

Final Assessment

Congratulations on completing this study course on Pilates. We hope that you have found it informative and are keen to continue your studies of Pilates. Although this is not a professional study course, we encourage you to complete the final assessment paper. If you have any difficulties with the questions, do go back and re-read through the modules first. Please take time to complete the Final Assessment in full and then send your answers to: [email protected] [email protected]

Please ensure that you do not send your assessment earlier than two months after commencing it. This is to give you sufficient time to fully understand, process and practise all the information provided on the course. Your assessment must be typed and sent in the body of your email or attached as a Word document. Unfortunately, we cannot accept any other form of attachments. We aim to acknowledge receipt of your assessment within one working day and we will review it and contact you within 14 working days. Following satisfactory review, you will be awarded a certificate of competence. 1.What year was Joseph Pilates born in? 2. What was Pilates originally called? 3.What is accordion breathing? 4.List the Pilates Alphabet 5. What are the benefits of Pilates?

6. What part of the body does Pilates focus on? 7.Pilates can help to lose weight. True or False? 8. Why is it so important to engage the mind throughout the session? 9. What is the abdominal scoop? 10. Provide an extract from your journal that details 7 days of your Pilates training. About The KEW Training Academy was established in 2006 by Karen E. Wells to fill a gap in the market for online courses that make learning fun, educational and easy. The KEW Training Academy offers easy and effective solutions that work for you either personally or professionally. Your course has been tailored from years of experience enabling you to achieve the goals that give you the key to freedom. www.kewtrainingacademy.com www.kewtraining.com

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Pilates Training Course

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