Pilates workout –Arm Raises

Level of difficulty: Beginner

As we talked on a previous post about the importance of breathing in Pilates, here we bring you a basic Pilates exercise that will help you get into the breathing practice and fill your lungs completely: Arm Raises.

Keys for the arm raise

• Breathe: Inhale as you raise your arms above your head, and exhale as you get them down to the original position.

• Energize: Visualize yourself as a marionette that has a string attached to the crown of your head up to the ceiling, and stretch your back as the imaginary string pulls you up.

• Align: Your shoulders should be vertical over your hips, and your palms should remain facing up as you elevate your arms overhead.

Arm raises step by step

• Step 1: Sit on the mat with a straight back and arms stretched at each side. Put your palms facing up and fingers slightly off the mat. In this home position exhale through your mouth.
  

• Step 2: Start inhaling as you raise both arms.

• Step 3: Finish the inhalation as your arms get above your head with the palms facing each other. Keep your shoulders down!

• Step 4: Put your palms facing down and exhale while lowering your arms to home position. Then rotate your pals to repeat.

Repeat this exercise 6 times.

Source: Jillian Hessel

Pilates exercises: Part I

Here we present you some Pilates exercise you can practice with a regularity of twice a week:

Remember that the most important thing of these exercises program is to perform them slowly for their correct realization, taking care of coordinating them rhythmically with the breathings.

Diaphragm breathing exercise

Inhale deeply through the nose and exhale slowly through the mouth with lips firmly closed at the same time you are doing the movement (effort). In some exercises, one inhalation is not enough; each person has to adapt her respiration in such a way of not getting fatigue. It would be nice if you play some background music as Gregorian chants that have the perfect rhythm –nor fats, nor so slow- that go perfectly with the exercise and giving you a sensation of great peaces and self-comfort.

A good alignment is essential. Always watch that your column is well aligned.
When it is a good weather you may perform the exercise outdoors, and in some cases with oxygen supply.

Standing up, with the feet together and the arms hanging on each side of the body, start three deep breathings. Inhale through your nose, elevating both arms by the sides until getting both hands together above your head. Stretch your body. Return to the initial position. Slowly. Release at the same time the air through your mouth (as blowing up a candle).

When moving your arms and hands try to make soft movements, esthetic, as in ballet. Don’t stay rigid. When lifting up and moving the legs, do it with the toes downwards to stretch them more.

The Pilates exercise program will allow us, with discipline, to shape and strength our muscles that will enable us to move with more agility and have more physical resistance.