The Pilates Basic 10

Reps: 1 set of 10 breath cycles (100 pumps)  ·  Breath: Inhale (nose) 5 pumps · exhale (mouth) 5

“Pump the water.”

Your arms vigorously slap the surface of a pool, the waves come from the back and armpits, not from loose hands.

Reps: 5–6 repetitions  ·  Breath: Inhale arms up · exhale roll up · inhale · exhale roll down

“Peel off like tape.”

The spine is a strip of heavy tape peeled slowly off the floor one inch at a time, then taped back down in reverse.

Reps: 5 clockwise, 5 counter, each leg  ·  Breath: Inhale as it crosses · exhale as it circles

“Stir the cauldron · anchor the opposite hip.”

The leg is a heavy wooden spoon stirring a thick pot. The opposite hip stays heavy like a dropped anchor so the pelvis never rocks.

Reps: 6–8 repetitions  ·  Breath: Inhale to roll back · exhale to roll up

“Freeze the frame.”

Locked in a rigid barrel, the forehead-to-knee distance never changes. Look into your own center, brake with the abs, roll only to the shoulder blades.
Alternative, The Roll-Over (3–5 each way) for deeper lower-ab control: “roll over a giant beach ball,” weight on the shoulder blades, never the neck.

Reps: 6–10 sets, alternating  ·  Breath: Inhale 2 switches · exhale 2

“Shoot arrows · anchor the tailbone.”

Shoot an arrow out of the hip through the big toe. The tailbone stays heavy like a lead weight in the mat.

Reps: 6–10 repetitions  ·  Breath: Inhale to reach · exhale to hug in

“Take off your top hat.”

As the arms sweep back past the ears, circle the hands as if lifting a top hat off your head, shoulder blades wide and flat.

Reps: 3–5 repetitions  ·  Breath: Inhale grow tall · exhale round forward

“Peel away from a wall.”

Sit flat against an imaginary brick wall. Peel head, shoulders and ribs forward while the low back and belly stay scooped, pressing into the wall.

Reps: 3–5 each side  ·  Breath: Inhale to twist · exhale to saw

“Wring out the wet towel.”

The spine is a wet towel wrung in opposite directions. Reaching to saw off the pinky toe, look back at the rear hand to deepen the spiral.

Reps: 5–10 each side  ·  Breath: Exhale to kick forward · inhale to sweep it back

“Long from the waist.”

Lying on your side, keep the torso perfectly still, press the bottom arm into the mat and lift the waist. Reach the top leg long and kick only as far as you can stay rock-solid from the hips up.

Reps: 6–8 repetitions  ·  Breath: Inhale roll back (clap ×3) · exhale roll up

“Clap from the hips, not the ankles.”

Don’t flip-flop the ankles, the clap comes from deep in the hip sockets, opening and closing the thighs.