A little reminder of the Pilates values prior to beginning pilates routine:

Pilates breathing

Pilates uses a special breathing method to sustain a fluent blood flow. Breathing fills the blood with oxygen. With the implementation of breathing in the sequence of a drill the muscles are relaxed or activated even harder. In Pilates breathing is coordinated with movement. Throughout a natural respiratory pattern the ribcage extends to the fore while for the period of workout our focus ought to be on extending the ribcage in the other three directions t.I. To the left, to the right and backwards. The breathe out that is passive in conditions of muscle occupation should be effective in pilates, together with the abdominal muscles into the respiratory process.

The instigation of abdominal muscles in Pilates should not drop even while breathing in so that we do not lose the stability of the trunk for the period of an exercise.

The posture of the pelvis

Within Pilates there are two potential positions of the pelvis: Neutral position and press position referring to a gentle press of the spine to the floor (lumbar part of the spine).

-Neutral pelvic position

A neutral pose of the spine in the lumbar part (lordosis) ought to be maintained. Lying on the ground the palms are placed on both hip bones while finger tips are placed on the pubic bone trying to be sure that the triangle like so obtained is parallel to the ground and so plane that a teacup may well exist placed on it. For the stabilization of the pelvis in the neutral pose the deep abdominal muscles (transversus abd.), activated with a gentle drag of the abdomen toward the spine, ought to be contracted. With exercises on the ground in which both legs are on the surface (or at least one) a neutral pelvic pose ought to be applied.

-Imprinted pelvic position

From the neutral pelvic stance hip bones are drawn close by the lower ribs. The consequence of such a move is a gentle press of the lumbar part of the spine to the ground. While doing a press the focus should not stay on pushing the lower back to the ground, for this way the press will occur too powerful. In the initiation exercises in which both legs are held off the floor are executed in the imprinted pelvic position.

The ribcage (thorax)

The abs wall is attached to the lower ribs. In Pilates , to maintain the ribcage within a good pose with the simultaneous initiation of abdo muscles we can't allow lower ribs on the back side to raise from the floor while lying on our back or that the ribcage ought to splay out to the fore while sitting in a neutral pelvic pose. We ought to stay especially attentive for the period of inhales and while lifting the arms up. Pilates breathing maintains the contraction of abdoing the ribcage to stay in the right pose and at the same point in time relaxed. Every moment while breathing, give emphasis to breathing backwards and to the side while throughout exhales allow the ribcage to soften and gently close downwards to the abdomen with the lower ribs. Pilates focuses your attention to the weight with which the ribcage to some extent pushes into the mat on the ground with no elevation from the ground throughout breathing or strongly pushing to the ground.

The movement of shoulder blades (scapula)

Since shoulder blades do not obtain a direct bone connection to the back part of the ribcage (which ensures a better span of arm movement) they can move in a bunch of different directions. While performing a Pilates exercise our attention ought to also stay focused on the stabilization of the shoulder girdle mostly on the stabilization of shoulder blades. Stability ought to be maintained while the spine is in neutral pose and arms relax along the body in the same way as in situations while the spine is in an extended or flexed posture and arms stretched either way.

Even though while moving the arms also the shoulder blades move to some degree shoulder blade stabilization is obligatory in pilates. We feel that like a gentle press of shoulder blades to the spine and down, imagining that shoulder blades form the letter V. During doing this we ought to sustain a feeling of broadness of the shoulder girdle. When stabilizing the shoulder blades we can't allow the shoulders to bend ahead or to press backwards to the spine.

The position of the head and the cervical (neck area) spine

The cervical spine must be an extension of a line started by the thoracic part of the spine despite of whether the latter is in an upright or extended pose. In a pilates neutral seated posture the head ought to relax at the top exclusive of tension in the neck or the shoulders. In exercises in which the head is raised from the floor while lying on the back special attention ought to be made to the cervical part of the spine. Before to elevating the trunk from the floor we gently stretch out the back side of the neck, so forming a momentary flexion of the cervical part of the spine, and a momentary slide of the head into a position as if we wanted to nod. We can also help ourselves with an image of an apple being held with the chin toward the breastbone.