The key is finding exercises you’re likely to stick with in the long haul. If carving out time to work out is difficult, learning a few productive moves you can do at home can make all the difference in the world. After all, any bit of exercise is better than none at all.
“Pilates is one of the most well-rounded forms of exercise because it combines strength, mobility, flexibility, balance and breath into every movement. Instead of isolating one muscle group, it trains the body to move as one connected system. This translates directly into everyday life by improving posture, reducing aches and pains, increasing stability and making daily activities like bending, lifting, reaching and walking feel easier and more efficient,” explains Nicolle Lopez-Lamberty, a certified Pilates instructor specializing in strength, mobility and core stability and founder of NuPilates Fitness.
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You may be surprised to learn that many of us don’t know how to breathe in an efficient manner. Poor posture, stress and long hours being sedentary can result in shallow chest breathing instead of full, functional breaths, Meade explains.
Connecting to your breath can be a total game-changer, helping you stand taller, move better and feel stronger.
How To Do the Hundred
Start by lying flat on your back with your legs extended.Place your arms by your sides.Lift your head, neck and shoulders off the mat, gazing toward your hips.Lift your legs to a 45-degree angle.Begin to pump your arms rhythmically up and down to coordinate with your breathing.Perform 100 counts or breath, or 10 cycles of 5-count inhales and 5-count exhales. As you breathe in, expand your rib cage; as you breathe out, draw your abs in toward the center of your body.When the Hundred is performed properly, you should feel deep core engagement while keeping your breath steady and controlled. According to Meade, your shoulders should remain relaxed, your neck should feel supported, and your ribcage should expand laterally as you breathe in.
Just like any other Pilates exercise, there are certain mistakes to avoid. A big one is sacrificing form to make the movement more challenging. According to Lopez-Lamberty, this could be lowering your legs too far, causing your lower back to lift off the ground, or creating unnecessary tension in your shoulders and neck.
Related: This Is the Safest Way To Start Pilates After 60, According to Instructors
What Makes the Hundred Well-Suited for Daily Practice?
“While many movements focus on strength alone, The Hundred teaches people how to coordinate breath with movement while maintaining deep core engagement. It targets the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, obliques, pelvic floor, diaphragm and other deep stabilizing muscles that support the spine and pelvis,” Meade says.
Related: ‘I’m a Pilates Instructor—These Are the 5 Moves I Give Every Client Who Wants To Lose Weight After 50′
“The Hundred also teaches something many workouts overlook: how to breathe under load. Learning to maintain deep core engagement while breathing fully is a skill that carries over into everyday life, workouts and even stress management,” Meade explains.
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Nicolle Lopez-Lamberty, certified Pilates instructor and founder of NuPilates FitnessLyndsey Meade, founder of BODY Hot Pilates and certified Pilates instructorHence then, the article about this 2 minute move is one of the best things you can do for your core instructors say was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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