Pilates exercise Hip rolls
This Pilates exercise targets your lower back, hamstrings, adductors, buttocks and is performed on a Mat
Starting position
- Lying on the floor face up, pelvis and spine in neutral, arms by the hips.
- Legs bent with the feet approx. 30cm from the buttocks. Legs hip distance apart
- Neck lengthened and ribcage placed against the floor
- For a more challenging workout bring the knees and ankles together for the duration of the exercise.
Inhale
Lengthen through the spine
Exhale
Contract abdominals and the air empties from the abdominals. Engage the pelvic floor muscles. Tilt the pelvic into “imprint” where the lower back is flattened against the floor by the public bone tilting towards the knees. Continue to roll up from the coccyx. Lifting each vertebra off the ground until the thoracic spine (the rib cage or for women the bra strap) Watch out for pushing feet during the lift.
Inhale
Hold the position, expanding side and back of rib cage, abdominals pinned to the spine and pelvic floor muscle up and pushed against the bladder.
Exhale: Sequentially articulate the spine placing each vertebra on the floor until the lower back is on the floor, return the pelvis to neutral.
This Pilates exercise is not only great for improving lower back flexibility but also strengthening the legs and buttocks. This exercise gives you, the practitioner the opportunity to work on your breathing technique as the body pauses at the top of the lift for a breath while maintaining the abdominals pinned to the spine.
Pregnancy friendly? You can do this pilates exercise if you are pregnant
This exercise can be safely performed by pregnant women in all trimesters.
Complete up to five sets. You can repeat this exercise daily
Each month Simplybepilates will be publishing a new pilates exercises for you to develop a home Pilates workout. Follow us month by month, a little goes a long way!
For more information about our pilates exercises classes and our pilates studio based in Eixample barcelona click here.
