The roll up is one of the classic Pilates Mat exercises. Roll Up is a great challenge for the abdominal muscles, and is well known as a foundation exercise for the Pilates flat abs effect.
It has been said that one Pilates roll up is equal to six regular sit ups, and is much better than crunches for creating a flat stomach. If you are new to Pilates, or you have neck or upper back pain, you may want to begin developing your strength with Wall Roll Down and Supported Roll Back.
It has been said that one Pilates roll up is equal to six regular sit ups, and is much better than crunches for creating a flat stomach. If you are new to Pilates, or you have neck or upper back pain, you may want to begin developing your strength with Wall Roll Down and Supported Roll Back.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 5 min.
Here's How:
- Lie on the floor with your legs straight. Let your belly drop down toward the floor and make sure your shoulders are relaxed and away from your ears. Take a few deep sequential breaths to make sure that you are in good alignment and breathing fully.
When you are ready, leave your scapula anchored in your back and the ribs down, as you bring your arms straight up over your head so that your finger tips are pointing to the wall behind you. This will be your beginning position. - Inhale: Leave your scapula engaged in your back as you bring your arms up over head. As your arms pass your ears let the chin drop and head and upper spine join the motion to curve up.
- Exhale: Continue in one smooth motion to roll your body in an "up and over" motion toward your toes. Deepen the curve of the abdominals as you exhale; and finally, keeping the head tucked, the abdominals deep and the back rounded, reach for your toes.
Ideally the legs are kept straight throughout this exercise, with energy reaching out through the heels. However, a modification would be to allow the legs to bend a bit, especially as you come up and reach toward the toes. - Inhale: Bring the breath fully into the pelvis and back as you pull the lower abs in, reach the tail bone under and begin to unfurl, vertebrae by vertebrae, back down to the floor.
The inhale initiates this motion until you are about half way down. *Be sure to keep the legs on the floor and don't let them fly up as you roll down. Check that your shoulders are relaxed and not creeping up. - Exhale: Continue to set one vertebrae after another down on the floor.
Keep your upper body curve as you go down slowly and sequentially. The arms are still outstretched and following the natural motion of the shoulders as you roll down.
Once your shoulders come to the floor, the arms go with the head you continue to roll down to the mat. - Do Up to Six Repetitions: The roll up is one continuous controlled flowing motion, up and down. Try to synchronize with the breath. If you do this exercise with full attention, six repetitions will be sufficient.
Tips:
- Roll Up Modification: You may find that you don't have enough strength to curl all the way up off the floor without your legs flying up. If this is the case, begin with Wall Roll Down and Supported Roll Back and work your way to Roll Up, which is a difficult exercise to do well.
- All You Need is an Exercise Mat!
