The Roll Up: Pilates for beginners

The roll up is one of the classic Pilates mat exercise. Pilates for beginners guide must include roll up.

The roll up is one of the classic Pilates Mat exercises. Roll up is a great challenge for the abdominal muscles, and is well known as one of the Pilates flat abs exercises. It has been said that one Pilates roll up is equal to six regular sit ups, and is much better than crunches for creating a flat stomach.

Photo Source:easyvigour.net.nz

This is a quick reference for roll up. If you would like more detailed instructions, please see: roll up instructions in detail.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 5 min.

Here's How:

1.    Lie on the floor with your legs straight. Let your belly drop down toward the floor and make sure your shoulders are relaxed and away from your ears. Take a few deep breaths as you check your alignment and tune in to your body.

When you are ready, leave your scapula anchored in your back and your ribs down, as you bring your arms straight up over your head and back so that your finger tips are pointing to the wall behind you. This will be your beginning position.

See arms over for more on this beginning move.

2.    Inhale: Leave your scapula down as you bring your arms up over head. As your arms pass your ears let the chin drop and head and upper spine join the motion to curl up.

3.    Exhale: Continue in one smooth motion to curl your body in an "up and over" motion toward your toes. This is the "moment of truth" for many. Pull in your abs in and deepen the curve of the your spine as you exhale. That's what gets you up (not momentum).

Finally, keeping the head tucked, the abdominals deep, and the back rounded, reach for your toes.

Ideally the legs are kept straight throughout this exercise, with energy reaching out through the heels. However, a modification would be to allow the legs to bend, especially as you come up and reach toward the toes.

4.    Inhale: Bring the breath fully into your pelvis and back as you pull the lower abs in, reach your tail bone under, and begin to unfurl - vertebrae by vertebrae - down to the floor.

The inhale initiates this motion until you are about half way down.

*Be sure to keep the legs on the floor and don't let them fly up as you roll down. Check that your shoulders are relaxed and not creeping up.

5.    Exhale: Continue to set one vertebrae after another down on the floor.

Keep your upper body curve as you roll down slowly, with control. The arms are still outstretched and following the natural motion of the shoulders as you roll down.

Once your shoulders come to the floor, the arms go with the head as you continue to roll down to the mat.

6.    Do up to six repetitions. The roll up is one continuous, controlled, flowing motion. Try to synchronize with the breath. If you do this exercise with full attention, six repetitions will be sufficient.

7.    Next, try roll up with magic circle

8.    If you have trouble with roll up (you're not alone), please read: Tips for Mastering The Roll Up.



To do it: Lie down with a small ball (a small pillow will also work if you don’t have a ball) under your heels, both arms extended over your head, palms facing towards each other. Inhale to prepare as you lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor and then exhale as you continue to roll up by drawing in your abdominals, reaching up and over towards the feet. Keep your abdominals contracted, with your spine rounded in a ‘C’ curve, and then inhale to prepare and exhale as you roll down through each vertebra in a controlled movement, keeping your heels pressed evenly into the ball the entire way up and down. Do 15 reps as controlled and precise as you can.

Ref- http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/trainers-reveal-best-abs-exercises-all-time?page=12

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