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Week 1 of March MATness

March MATness, Pilates in Your Life

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March 1, 2020

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Welcome to March MATness! This week we’ll focus on the first seven exercises. Below, find detailed explanations of each exercise along with possible modifications and people for whom the exercise is not recommended.

You’ll also find each day’s hashtag if you want to play along by posting your own photo or video to our Facebook and Instagram pages. Remember that there will be prizes awarded 4 different times throughout March MATness. First up, you could win a pair of grippy ToeSox!

March 1: Hundred

  • Hashtag: #hundred
  • Repetitions: 100 pumps in sets of 10
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the mat. Curl into your upper ab curl with your arms reaching long by your sides. With straight arms, hinging at the shoulders, pump the arms up and down for 10 breaths totaling 100 pumps.
  • Modifications: If it bothers your neck to be in the upper ab curl or you have osteoporosis, you can do this exercise with your head down. Likewise, you can choose which leg position is best for you. Here are several choices that progress in difficulty: legs bent with feet down on the mat, legs bent at table top, legs straight up to the ceiling, legs straight at 45 degrees, legs straight at eye level. Finally, if 100 pumps is too many, feel free to adjust that number downward to a number that works for you.

March 2: Roll-up

  • Hashtag: #rollup
  • Repetitions: 5-8
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with your knees slightly bent, heels pushing into the mat, and arms outstretched overhead. Inhale and curl forward toward your feet, exhale and curl the rest of the way. Inhale to start to roll back down and exhale to lengthen out your spine on the mat. Try to make the movement as smooth as possible, with the goal being to move through each part of your spine.
  • Modifications: Straightening your legs will make the exercise more difficult. Squeezing a playground ball between your hands as you roll up can make the exercise easier. You can also try tucking your feet under the edge of a couch, putting something soft and weighted over your feet, or even wearing shoes to give yourself an anchor as you roll up.
  • Not recommended for: individuals with osteoporosis.

March 3: Roll-over

  • Hashtag: #rollover
  • Repetitions: 3 each direction
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with arms pressed into the mat beside you, legs outstretched on the floor, and core muscles engaged. Inhale and pull the legs up toward the ceiling and back overhead. Flex the feet overhead and attempt to tap the toes down to the mat behind your head. Exhale and open the legs to shoulder distance before rolling back down to your starting position. Bring the legs back together at the bottom, point the toes as you roll over, and repeat two more times. Reverse the leg position (starting with legs shoulder-distance apart and then bringing them together overhead) for three more repetitions.
  • Modifications: Holding onto something overhead can be helpful (feet of a sturdy chair, underside of a couch). Roll-over is quite an advanced exercise. One way to build up to it is to practice doing baby Jackknife exercises. You start laying back with your arms pressed into the mat and both legs up to the ceiling. Then, try to curl your hips up off of the mat 1-2 inches. The deep-belly engagement that it takes to do this smaller movement is the same as what you’ll eventually use for roll-over.
  • Not recommended for: individuals with osteoporosis.

March 4: Single Leg Circle

  • Hashtag: #singlelegcircle #onelegcircle
  • Repetitions: 5 each direction
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with both legs outstretched and arms pressing into the mat beside you. Lift one leg up toward the ceiling with your toes pointed and draw five small circles with that leg without letting the hips rock side-to-side too much. Repeat with five small circles the other direction and then switch to the other leg.
  • Modifications: If you have tight hamstrings or low back, you can keep one or both knees slightly bent.

March 5: Rolling Like a Ball

  • Hashtag: #rollinglikeaball #rollingback
  • Repetitions: 5-8
  • Exercise: Start balancing on your sitz bones with your knees bent, arms hugging the legs so that each hand rests on one shin, and edges of the feet line up. Your spine will be making a C curve. Inhale to engage your core muscles and roll back to your shoulders. Exhale to roll back up and catch your balance.
  • Modifications: You can hold on behind your legs instead of your shins to make it slightly easier. If you have osteoporosis, fused discs, or a road in your back, you can do “mini rocks” where you don’t roll back, but do tilt your hips back one inch or so, catch yourself, and come back up to seated. If you find yourself starting the movement by throwing your head back, try tucking a soft ball underneath your chin so that the movement starts by lifting your abdominal muscles.

March 6: Single Leg Stretch

  • Hashtag: #singlelegstretch #onelegstretch
  • Repetitions: 5 each leg
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with legs at table top. Curl into your upper ab curl and bring both hands to one shin. Inhale and gently pull one leg back toward your body with the knee bent as the other leg stretches out in front of you. Exhale and switch to the other leg. Repeat for 5 on each leg.
  • Modifications: If it bothers your neck to be in the upper ab curl or if you have osteoporosis, you can do this exercise with the head down. If it bothers your low back to do this exercise, try reaching the legs up higher toward the ceiling. You could also try putting something (foam roller, pillow) under your hips and doing the same leg movement with your head down and arms down beside you.

March 7: Double Leg Stretch

  • Hashtag: #doublelegstretch
  • Repetitions: 5
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with legs at table top. Curl into your upper ab curl and bring both hands to one shin. Inhale and reach both legs straight out in front of you as your arms reach back overhead. Try not to drop your head out of the upper ab curl as your arms reach back. Exhale and hug the knees back in toward your chest.
  • Modifications: If it bothers your neck to be in the upper ab curl or if you have osteoporosis, you can do this exercise with the head down. If it bothers your low back to do this exercise, try reaching the legs up higher toward the ceiling. You could also try putting something (foam roller, pillow) under your hips and doing the same leg movement with your head down and arms down beside you.

Welcome to March MATness! This week we’ll focus on the first seven exercises. Below, find detailed explanations of each exercise along with possible modifications and people for whom the exercise is not recommended.

You’ll also find each day’s hashtag if you want to play along by posting your own photo or video to our Facebook and Instagram pages. Remember that there will be prizes awarded 4 different times throughout March MATness. First up, you could win a pair of grippy ToeSox!

March 1: Hundred

  • Hashtag: #hundred
  • Repetitions: 100 pumps in sets of 10
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the mat. Curl into your upper ab curl with your arms reaching long by your sides. With straight arms, hinging at the shoulders, pump the arms up and down for 10 breaths totaling 100 pumps.
  • Modifications: If it bothers your neck to be in the upper ab curl or you have osteoporosis, you can do this exercise with your head down. Likewise, you can choose which leg position is best for you. Here are several choices that progress in difficulty: legs bent with feet down on the mat, legs bent at table top, legs straight up to the ceiling, legs straight at 45 degrees, legs straight at eye level. Finally, if 100 pumps is too many, feel free to adjust that number downward to a number that works for you.

March 2: Roll-up

  • Hashtag: #rollup
  • Repetitions: 5-8
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with your knees slightly bent, heels pushing into the mat, and arms outstretched overhead. Inhale and curl forward toward your feet, exhale and curl the rest of the way. Inhale to start to roll back down and exhale to lengthen out your spine on the mat. Try to make the movement as smooth as possible, with the goal being to move through each part of your spine.
  • Modifications: Straightening your legs will make the exercise more difficult. Squeezing a playground ball between your hands as you roll up can make the exercise easier. You can also try tucking your feet under the edge of a couch, putting something soft and weighted over your feet, or even wearing shoes to give yourself an anchor as you roll up.
  • Not recommended for: individuals with osteoporosis.

March 3: Roll-over

  • Hashtag: #rollover
  • Repetitions: 3 each direction
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with arms pressed into the mat beside you, legs outstretched on the floor, and core muscles engaged. Inhale and pull the legs up toward the ceiling and back overhead. Flex the feet overhead and attempt to tap the toes down to the mat behind your head. Exhale and open the legs to shoulder distance before rolling back down to your starting position. Bring the legs back together at the bottom, point the toes as you roll over, and repeat two more times. Reverse the leg position (starting with legs shoulder-distance apart and then bringing them together overhead) for three more repetitions.
  • Modifications: Holding onto something overhead can be helpful (feet of a sturdy chair, underside of a couch). Roll-over is quite an advanced exercise. One way to build up to it is to practice doing baby Jackknife exercises. You start laying back with your arms pressed into the mat and both legs up to the ceiling. Then, try to curl your hips up off of the mat 1-2 inches. The deep-belly engagement that it takes to do this smaller movement is the same as what you’ll eventually use for roll-over.
  • Not recommended for: individuals with osteoporosis.

March 4: Single Leg Circle

  • Hashtag: #singlelegcircle #onelegcircle
  • Repetitions: 5 each direction
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with both legs outstretched and arms pressing into the mat beside you. Lift one leg up toward the ceiling with your toes pointed and draw five small circles with that leg without letting the hips rock side-to-side too much. Repeat with five small circles the other direction and then switch to the other leg.
  • Modifications: If you have tight hamstrings or low back, you can keep one or both knees slightly bent.

March 5: Rolling Like a Ball

  • Hashtag: #rollinglikeaball #rollingback
  • Repetitions: 5-8
  • Exercise: Start balancing on your sitz bones with your knees bent, arms hugging the legs so that each hand rests on one shin, and edges of the feet line up. Your spine will be making a C curve. Inhale to engage your core muscles and roll back to your shoulders. Exhale to roll back up and catch your balance.
  • Modifications: You can hold on behind your legs instead of your shins to make it slightly easier. If you have osteoporosis, fused discs, or a road in your back, you can do “mini rocks” where you don’t roll back, but do tilt your hips back one inch or so, catch yourself, and come back up to seated. If you find yourself starting the movement by throwing your head back, try tucking a soft ball underneath your chin so that the movement starts by lifting your abdominal muscles.

March 6: Single Leg Stretch

  • Hashtag: #singlelegstretch #onelegstretch
  • Repetitions: 5 each leg
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with legs at table top. Curl into your upper ab curl and bring both hands to one shin. Inhale and gently pull one leg back toward your body with the knee bent as the other leg stretches out in front of you. Exhale and switch to the other leg. Repeat for 5 on each leg.
  • Modifications: If it bothers your neck to be in the upper ab curl or if you have osteoporosis, you can do this exercise with the head down. If it bothers your low back to do this exercise, try reaching the legs up higher toward the ceiling. You could also try putting something (foam roller, pillow) under your hips and doing the same leg movement with your head down and arms down beside you.

March 7: Double Leg Stretch

  • Hashtag: #doublelegstretch
  • Repetitions: 5
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with legs at table top. Curl into your upper ab curl and bring both hands to one shin. Inhale and reach both legs straight out in front of you as your arms reach back overhead. Try not to drop your head out of the upper ab curl as your arms reach back. Exhale and hug the knees back in toward your chest.
  • Modifications: If it bothers your neck to be in the upper ab curl or if you have osteoporosis, you can do this exercise with the head down. If it bothers your low back to do this exercise, try reaching the legs up higher toward the ceiling. You could also try putting something (foam roller, pillow) under your hips and doing the same leg movement with your head down and arms down beside you.

Welcome to March MATness! This week we’ll focus on the first seven exercises. Below, find detailed explanations of each exercise along with possible modifications and people for whom the exercise is not recommended.

You’ll also find each day’s hashtag if you want to play along by posting your own photo or video to our Facebook and Instagram pages. Remember that there will be prizes awarded 4 different times throughout March MATness. First up, you could win a pair of grippy ToeSox!

March 1: Hundred

  • Hashtag: #hundred
  • Repetitions: 100 pumps in sets of 10
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the mat. Curl into your upper ab curl with your arms reaching long by your sides. With straight arms, hinging at the shoulders, pump the arms up and down for 10 breaths totaling 100 pumps.
  • Modifications: If it bothers your neck to be in the upper ab curl or you have osteoporosis, you can do this exercise with your head down. Likewise, you can choose which leg position is best for you. Here are several choices that progress in difficulty: legs bent with feet down on the mat, legs bent at table top, legs straight up to the ceiling, legs straight at 45 degrees, legs straight at eye level. Finally, if 100 pumps is too many, feel free to adjust that number downward to a number that works for you.

March 2: Roll-up

  • Hashtag: #rollup
  • Repetitions: 5-8
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with your knees slightly bent, heels pushing into the mat, and arms outstretched overhead. Inhale and curl forward toward your feet, exhale and curl the rest of the way. Inhale to start to roll back down and exhale to lengthen out your spine on the mat. Try to make the movement as smooth as possible, with the goal being to move through each part of your spine.
  • Modifications: Straightening your legs will make the exercise more difficult. Squeezing a playground ball between your hands as you roll up can make the exercise easier. You can also try tucking your feet under the edge of a couch, putting something soft and weighted over your feet, or even wearing shoes to give yourself an anchor as you roll up.
  • Not recommended for: individuals with osteoporosis.

March 3: Roll-over

  • Hashtag: #rollover
  • Repetitions: 3 each direction
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with arms pressed into the mat beside you, legs outstretched on the floor, and core muscles engaged. Inhale and pull the legs up toward the ceiling and back overhead. Flex the feet overhead and attempt to tap the toes down to the mat behind your head. Exhale and open the legs to shoulder distance before rolling back down to your starting position. Bring the legs back together at the bottom, point the toes as you roll over, and repeat two more times. Reverse the leg position (starting with legs shoulder-distance apart and then bringing them together overhead) for three more repetitions.
  • Modifications: Holding onto something overhead can be helpful (feet of a sturdy chair, underside of a couch). Roll-over is quite an advanced exercise. One way to build up to it is to practice doing baby Jackknife exercises. You start laying back with your arms pressed into the mat and both legs up to the ceiling. Then, try to curl your hips up off of the mat 1-2 inches. The deep-belly engagement that it takes to do this smaller movement is the same as what you’ll eventually use for roll-over.
  • Not recommended for: individuals with osteoporosis.

March 4: Single Leg Circle

  • Hashtag: #singlelegcircle #onelegcircle
  • Repetitions: 5 each direction
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with both legs outstretched and arms pressing into the mat beside you. Lift one leg up toward the ceiling with your toes pointed and draw five small circles with that leg without letting the hips rock side-to-side too much. Repeat with five small circles the other direction and then switch to the other leg.
  • Modifications: If you have tight hamstrings or low back, you can keep one or both knees slightly bent.

March 5: Rolling Like a Ball

  • Hashtag: #rollinglikeaball #rollingback
  • Repetitions: 5-8
  • Exercise: Start balancing on your sitz bones with your knees bent, arms hugging the legs so that each hand rests on one shin, and edges of the feet line up. Your spine will be making a C curve. Inhale to engage your core muscles and roll back to your shoulders. Exhale to roll back up and catch your balance.
  • Modifications: You can hold on behind your legs instead of your shins to make it slightly easier. If you have osteoporosis, fused discs, or a road in your back, you can do “mini rocks” where you don’t roll back, but do tilt your hips back one inch or so, catch yourself, and come back up to seated. If you find yourself starting the movement by throwing your head back, try tucking a soft ball underneath your chin so that the movement starts by lifting your abdominal muscles.

March 6: Single Leg Stretch

  • Hashtag: #singlelegstretch #onelegstretch
  • Repetitions: 5 each leg
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with legs at table top. Curl into your upper ab curl and bring both hands to one shin. Inhale and gently pull one leg back toward your body with the knee bent as the other leg stretches out in front of you. Exhale and switch to the other leg. Repeat for 5 on each leg.
  • Modifications: If it bothers your neck to be in the upper ab curl or if you have osteoporosis, you can do this exercise with the head down. If it bothers your low back to do this exercise, try reaching the legs up higher toward the ceiling. You could also try putting something (foam roller, pillow) under your hips and doing the same leg movement with your head down and arms down beside you.

March 7: Double Leg Stretch

  • Hashtag: #doublelegstretch
  • Repetitions: 5
  • Exercise: Start lying on your back with legs at table top. Curl into your upper ab curl and bring both hands to one shin. Inhale and reach both legs straight out in front of you as your arms reach back overhead. Try not to drop your head out of the upper ab curl as your arms reach back. Exhale and hug the knees back in toward your chest.
  • Modifications: If it bothers your neck to be in the upper ab curl or if you have osteoporosis, you can do this exercise with the head down. If it bothers your low back to do this exercise, try reaching the legs up higher toward the ceiling. You could also try putting something (foam roller, pillow) under your hips and doing the same leg movement with your head down and arms down beside you.

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