Week 11 – Teaser Prep: Build Core Control
Teaser Prep: The Core Challenge Your Routine Has Been Missing If you’ve been working through the Full Body Flow sequence, consider Teaser Prep your next step up. It’s a single, focused exercise that asks your abdominals and your sense of balance to work together — and it delivers. Simple in concept, humbling in practice. Teaser […]
Week 12 – Full Body Flow: Integrate Mind and Movement
Full Body Flow: A Short Pilates Routine Worth Making a Sunday Ritual Sometimes you don’t need a full hour — you just need the right sequence. This 20-minute flow combines six classic Pilates exercises designed to move your whole body, clear your head, and send you into the week feeling grounded. STOTT principles guide everything: […]
Week 10 – Pelvic Curl: Connect to Breath
The Pilates pelvic curl is a fundamental, supine, bridge-like exercise designed to mobilize the spine, strengthen the hamstrings/glutes, and engage the core. To perform it, exhale to tilt the pelvis, peeling the spine off the mat vertebra-by-vertebra, then inhale to hold before slowly rolling down. Purpose: Warm up spine and activate core and glutes.STOTT Focus: Sequential articulation, breath […]
Week 9 – Swimming: Energize the Back Body
The Pilates Swimmer is a prone (face-down) mat exercise that strengthens the back, glutes, and hamstrings while improving core stability and posture. It involves lifting the chest, arms, and legs off the floor and alternately paddling the limbs, often while breathing in for 5 counts and out for 5 counts. How to Perform the Pilates Swimming […]
Week 8 – Side Kicks Sequence: Strengthen Hips and Core
The Pilates Side Kicks sequence is a, lateral-lying series targeting the hips, glutes, inner/outer thighs, and core stability. Key exercises include front-and-back kicks, up-and-down lifts, circles, and inner thigh lifts, all while maintaining a rigid, stable torso. The sequence develops postural alignment, core control, and hip strength. This week’s simple mat exercise is the Pilates Side […]
Week 7 – Shoulder Bridge: Strengthen and Stabilize
The Pilates Shoulder Bridge is an exercise designed to strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, and core while increasing spine mobility and hip flexibility. It involves lifting the hips into a bridge, often followed by single-leg lifts, to build stability and balance. Key tips include keeping the pelvis stable, maintaining a long spine, and avoiding pushing the neck […]
Week 6 – Swan Prep: Open the Chest
Swan Prep In a world where we spend so much of our time hunched over screens, the Swan Prep is the ultimate antidote for modern posture. This elegant exercise focuses on “opening the heart” by strengthening the deep extensors of the back and restoring mobility to the thoracic spine. Unlike movements that rely on sheer force, the […]
Week 5 – The Saw: Twist and Release
The Saw Purpose: Strengthen obliques and increase spinal rotation.STOTT Focus: Maintain axial elongation, control rotation.Steps: Bourne Pilates & Fitness 1164 Monte Vista Ave, Suite 2, Upland, CA 91786(909) 559-9713 www.bournepilates.com Book a STOTT PILATES class at Bourne Pilates & Fitness Reserve your spot Be sure to reserve your spot at the Bourne Pilates & Fitness Pilates & Yoga Retreat […]
Week 3 – Single Leg Stretch: Energize Your Morning
This week’s focus shifts toward dynamic movement and breath coordination. The Single Leg Stretch strengthens the abdominals while improving control and stability through the pelvis. It’s a perfect next step as you begin to connect core strength to fluid motion. How to Do It: Focus Points:Keep your pelvis stable and your lower back anchored. The […]
Week 4 – Spine Stretch Forward: Release and Reset
Spine Stretch Forward The Spine Stretch Forward is a fundamental Pilates mat exercise that serves as a masterclass in spinal articulation and abdominal control. Far more than just a simple reach for the toes, this movement challenges you to find deep axial elongation while creating a “C-curve” through the spine. By focusing on a stable, neutral pelvis […]