The workshop was so much fun and we hope these instructions will help you remember how to do them.
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MICHELE PERRY P3PILATESFITNESS.COM
FIONA URQUHART AGE-WELL-FITNESS.COM
EXERCISE PROGRAMMING FOR CAREGIVERS
TOOLS NEEDED:
HAND TOWEL OR EXERCISE BAND
HARD-SURFACED CHAIR
BATH TOWEL OR YOGA MAT
1. BREATHWORK, SEATED ON A CHAIR:
FEET FLAT ON FLOOR (IF FEET DO NOT REACH FLOOR, PLACE A SMALL STOOL UNDER THEM). LENGTHEN SPINE WITH INHALATION. TIGHTEN PELVIC FLOOR WITH EXHALATION AND FEEL SPINE LENGTHENING.
ADD ROTATION, ONE HAND ON BACK OF CHAIR, OTHER HAND ON OUTSIDE OF OPPOSITE THIGH.
2. SHOULDER WORK WITH HAND TOWEL:
HOLDING ROLLED TOWEL, REACH ARMS FORWARD IN FRONT OF CHEST.
1) BEND AND STRAIGHTEN ELBOWS.
2) LIFT AND LOWER ARMS, KEEPING SHOULDERS DOWN.
3) WITH ARMS EXTENDED UPWARD, STRETCH OVER TO ONE SIDE. ADD ROTATION, LIFTING AND LOWERING ARMS.
3. RISE TO STANDING:
A) RISE FROM CHAIR WITHOUT USING HANDS. REPEAT 10-20 TIMES, OR AS ABLE.
B) MOVE TO FRONT EDGE OF SEAT AND USE HANDS ON THIGHS TO HELP RISE UP TO STANDING.
C) PUT ONE FOOT FORWARD OF THE OTHER AND USE HANDS TO HELP RISE UP TO STANDING.
4. LIFTING OBJECTS
WITH YOUR WEIGHT PLACED INTO YOUR HEELS, SEND YOUR PELVIS BACKWARD AND BEND YOUR KNEES. KEEP YOUR BACK FLAT AND ABDOMINAL MUSCLES TIGHT. DO NOT ROUND YOUR SPINE! KEEP THE OBJECT THAT YOU ARE LIFTING CLOSE TO THE BODY AS YOU RISE.
THIS CAN ALSO BE DONE FROM A STAGGERED-LEG POSITION, WITH YOUR STRONGER LEG IN FRONT.
5. SPINE STABILIZATION/CORE STRENGTHENING:
KNEEL WITH KNEES UNDER HIPS, HANDS UNDER SHOULDERS, ARMS STRAIGHT. EXTEND ONE LEG BACKWARD. LIFT AND LOWER LEG. DO NOT CHANGE PELVIC PLACEMENT OR LEAN INTO KNEELING LEG.
PROGRESS TO LIFTING OPPOSITE ARM WHILE EXTENDING LEG BACK.
6. PELVIC TILT:
LIE ON YOUR BACK WITH BENT KNEES, FEET ON FLOOR AND A ROLLED TOWEL UNDER THE PELVIS. ROLL PELVIS FORWARD OVER TOWEL WITH AN INHALE. ROLL PELVIS BACK AS YOU EXHALE, FEELING THE LOWER SPINE REACH TOWARD THE FLOOR.
7. PELVIC LIFT:
IN THE SAME POSITION, BUT WITH ROLLED TOWEL BETWEEN YOUR KNEES, PRESS YOUR FEET INTO THE FLOOR AND LIFT THE PELVIS UP IN THE AIR. HOLD FOR TWO BREATHS, THEN ROLL DOWN FROM THE UPPER SPINE TO THE TAILBONE, ONE VERTEBRA AT A TIME.
8. PELVIC MASSAGE
LIE ON YOUR BACK, PLACE ROLLED TOWEL BETWEEN KNEES. BRING KNEES TO CHEST. REACH KNEES TO THE RIGHT AS YOU KEEP THE LEFT SHOULDER BLADE ON THE FLOOR. THE MOVEMENT WILL BE SMALL. MOVE SIDE TO SIDE.
9. HIP OPENERS:
LIE ON YOUR BACK, WITH FEET WIDE ON THE FLOOR,
1) LET KNEES DROP TOWARD ONE ANOTHER UNTIL THEY TOUCH, AND THEN OPEN THEM AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. HOLD EACH POSITION FOR A WHOLE BREATH.
2) FROM KNEES TOGETHER POSITION, LOWER BOTH KNEES TO THE LEFT, THEN TO THE RIGHT. MOVE BACK AND FORTH, KEEPING THE ABDOMINALS ENGAGED.
10. HAMSTRING STRETCH:
LIE ON YOUR BACK, PLACE ROLLED TOWEL BEHIND ONE KNEE AND LIFT THAT LEG UP INTO THE AIR WITH THE KNEE SLIGHTLY BENT. AS YOU EXHALE, TRY TO STRAIGHTEN THAT LEG AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AND THEN DRAW IT CLOSER TO YOUR BODY. FEEL A STRETCH IN THE BACK OF THE LEG, BUT TRY NOT TO OVERSTRETCH.
10. RELAXATION POSE:
LIE ON YOUR BACK WITH YOUR LOWER LEGS RESTING ON A CHAIR. ALLOW EACH BODY PART TO RELAX AND RELEASE INTO THE FLOOR AS YOU FOCUS ON YOUR BREATH.
Pilates 