Pilate’s roll down and spinal stretch sequence for all levels

Starting in standing position with the body in its natural alignments (engaging the 5 Pilates principles)

Pilate’s roll down. Inhale as you lift the arms up above the head, arms straight shoulders down the back. With the arms over the head, tilt the chin down to the throat as if you are grabbing an egg between the chin and the chest. Roll the body down from the crown of the head keeping the arms either side of the ears. Roll down as if you are diving into a swimming pool reaching forward. As with all Pilates exercise keep the abdominals tucked in and the pelvic floor muscle engaged. Keep rolling until the hands touch the feet, In Pilates we ultimately aim to perform this exercise with the legs straight however, delicate backs and those working on bettering their flexibility may feel more comfortable bending the legs lightly

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Once our spine is stretched hold the position for 10 breaths keeping the abdominals activated and the pelvic floor muscle up. Allow the shoulders to relax and the head to weigh the body down. After the 10 breaths, using the Pilates breathing technique and fix the shoulders to the rib cages and roll up tilting the pelvis forward first then stacking each vertebra on top on the pelvis replacing the head on top of the neck finally.

After the final Pilate’s roll down walk the hands forward and bend the knees to Pilates child’s pose. Place the forehead on the ground and sit back onto your ankles. Rest the arms by the side so that the hands are near the feet and relax. This is a static spine stretch and can be held for as long as you like.

Remember with stretching the longer you hold the stretch the better! Pilate’s roll down and spinal stretch sequence great for loosing up the spine.

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