Hello and welcome to Body Mind Soul TV. I'm Sol Walking, I'm a Pilates instructor, a
fitness model and journalist. I'm here in Manly in Sydney Australia and I've put together
a workout, it's going to be quite full on, 15 minutes that is going to work your abs,
your legs and your arms giving you that cinched in waist that all Pilates instructors have.
So let's get started straight away, let's get into it.
Lie down onto your back, on your mat, with your feet on the mat about sit bones distance
apart, arms are reaching by their sides and finding your mutual pelvis gentling flattening
the lower back and then arching it the other way, settling it in your neutral. Now let's
get started with the ab work. Arms come behind the head, elbows out wide, shoulders away
from the ears, take a deep breath in, on the exhale draw the belly button in towards the
spine, flatten the lower back and curve the upper body forwards and up, nice flat abs
here. Inhale to hold nice long neck as well. On the exhale deepen that ab contraction and
slowly lower it back down. We are doing that four more times. Inhale to stay, on the exhale
sinking the belly bottom lifting it forwards and up, shoulder blades come off, elbows wide,
hold it for a breath in really sucking in that navel, on the exhale lower it back down.
Three more times, inhale, exhale curve it forwards and up, shoulder blades lift all
the way and exhale drawing it down and in and lowering it back down. Last two, come
forwards and up on your exhale, hold it and exhale lower it back down. Last one we are
staying up. On the exhale we curve it forwards and up, hold it, flattening the lower the
back on the exhale bring the legs to table top, inhale stay here, lift on the exhale
tap both feet down to the floor, inhale to lift. Strong core drawing the belly button
in, lower back is flattened. We've got four more, three more, come up a little bit higher
if you can, last two, last one, going straight to our oblique work, stay up if you can, exhale
reach the right leg out, inhale drawing it back in, left leg reaches and back in, keep
that going, if you're adding on bring the upper body across right elbow to left knee
and then reverse. Over and over. Now pick up the tempo, go over and over for nine, nine,
eight, seven, six, five, lift the shoulder blades off, draw the belly button in, three,
two, last one, come all the way back to centre, don't lower it down just yet, ten little
pulses forwards, draw the navel in, shoulder blades lift for six, five, four, three, two,
one, lower it all the way down, hug the knees into the chest briefly and place the feet
straight onto the mat, we are going into our hip rolls. Arms come by the sides, palms facing
down, inhale to prepare on the exhale curve the spine off the mat, drawing the navel down
and in lifting it all the way, inhale to hold it here, exhale to lower it back down placing
it down one vertebrae at a time here. Just two more then we are adding on, exhale to
curve it off, finding that long line which feels as if someone is drawing your knees
away from you, on the exhale curve it back down. Last one, rolling up slowly and with
control, hold it and then curve it back down, adding in the legs. If this is enough for
you, you can stay with that, exhale curve it all the way up, inhale, exhale stay, find
a steady base with the feet, tighten the gluts, squeeze it, on the next inhale the right leg
lifts all the way up to the sky, exhale, flex the foot and lower it down. Inhale to lift,
keep the pelvis nice and high, exhale to lower. Last one, and place the foot down, other side.
Inhale to reach the toes up, exhale, flex the heel as you lower. Lift it up and lower.
Last one, squeeze that right glut, lower it down, place the foot down. On the exhale slowly
roll back down, well done. That was pretty full on. Draw the knees into the chest, we
are going to some more abs work straight away. Arms come out to the sides, palms facing down,
extend the legs up to the sky, the legs are together, they can be gently bent if you tighten
the hammys, everyone, reverse curls to start with, inhale to prepare, draw the navel in,
on the exhale curve the back off the mat, inhale lower, exhale feet go over to the right,
inhale draw it back to centre, exhale lift it up, inhale lower, exhale over to the left
with the feet keep the shoulders glued to the mat, inhale draw it back to centre, exhale
to lift. Stay with that, this is going to really create that cinched in waist you are
after so lift it high drawing the navel in and then go as far as you can without losing
control, draw it back to centre. Moving on the exhales only, stay with it, keep the legs
glued together and reach up. We've got three more, and up, two more, over to the right,
draw it back to centre, lift it, last rep here, slowly back to centre, lift and gently
bend the knees into the chest. If you thought we were done with the arms we are not just
yet, reach the legs up to the ceiling again to the sky, hands come behind the knees, take
a deep breath in, on the exhale curve the upper body forwards and up, draw that navel
in again, scooping it up, shoulders away from the ears, open chest, inhale to stay, on the
exhale scissor the legs, draw one leg towards you the other one away, inhale up to the sky,
exhale scissor it and go again, and inhale, now add in two little pulses, nice stretch
through the back of the thigh, draw the navel in, make sure it's not starting to bulge
up, last two. Stay with it, last one and lower it all the way down. We are going for a little
rock, rocking it backwards and forwards, a bit hard on the beach. Come all the way forwards
to the front of the mat, come onto your feet, just need the mike, hang on, hands come in
front of you, plant them onto the floor, take a breath in, on the exhale lengthen the legs,
push the heels into the floor, let the upper body relax forwards, inhale to stay, on the
exhale curve it all the way up slowly drawing in the waist, opening the chest, lengthening
the neck and then inhale, reach it up, look up, exhale to circle. Go again, reach and
circle, keep that core nice and connected, gluts squeezing, last one, ok ready for our
squats. We are getting our heart rate up a bit and we are working the legs and the arms.
Step the feet wide, so they are wider than shoulder distance. Your toes turn out about
45 degrees from your midline, nice and even weight through the feet, hands come onto the
hips to start with, just to make it a bit more simple. Now tighten the gluts so the
pelvis is nice and upright, zip up the core draw it up and in, draw the shoulders back
and down, neck nice and long and relaxed and then inhale, lower it down for squats, exhale
lift, sinking the tailbone down, lifting through the top of the head, stay with it, squeeze
the gluts on the way up, work those thighs, keep the shoulders drawing back and down,
waist drawing in add in the arms, arms out to the sides, fingertips reaching away, make
sure they are not just hanging there, you are reaching the arms out working them, keep
breathing really crucial here, exhale on the way up, inhale on the way down. We are adding
in a little bit more movement, if you want you can keep it simple, if you are adding
on reach it forwards and open, feel as if you are hugging a tree, gentle bend in the
elbow, still reaching the fingertips away, adding on again, we are going to lift the
arms on the next one, lift and lower and close and open, stay with that sequence, keep the
chest open, shoulders drawing back and down, working quite a bit of a sweat here, drawing
attention to your core again, that navel is still drawing in, now squeeze the gluts every
time you lift, squeeze it up, four more sets, three more, navel still connected, chest open,
last one, we are going to come all the way down on the next one, keep the arms out to
the sides, going to little pulses, if you need to lower the arms at any point, you can
bring them in front for genials, if you've still got it, if you are still working the
shoulders and arms, keep the arms out to the sides and now sit down into the pelvis as
low as you can, sinking down, drawing the navel up and in and we are going to slowly
twist the upper body over to the right. Keep reaching the arms out, open the chest to the
side, pelvis keeps facing the front and hold it here and come back to centre. Other side,
working the obliques, draw the navel up and in, squeeze the gluts and come back to centre,
ten low lifts, the Pilates jumping jacks, lift it up and lower it reaching the arms,
lift, six more, exhale on the way up, last two, last one, we are going to pulses again,
go all the way down, tiny pulses, now bring that left hand forwards and down until the
palm faces in, right hand over the head, keep pulsing and then lengthen that right side
out, shorten the left side of the waist, that top shoulder wants to go back and you've
got six, five, four, three, two, one, centre other side for six, five, four, three, two,
one, centre inhale to stay, exhale lift that right heel up, inhale to lower, left heel
lifts and lowers, lift it up and lower it, other side adding in the arms if you'd like
to add on, reach the opposite hand up and up, keep both sides of the waist nice and
long and feel that burning for four more, slide the shoulders back and down, draw the
navel in, squeeze the gluts, last two, last one, centre it, ten lower lifts, lift it up,
going to lower slow as you can, lift and lower, eight more, down and up, draw your attention
back to your core, still connecting the abs, still drawing up on the pelvic floor, last
two, last one, lift it all the way up, give it a bit of a shake. We've got a bit of
stretch, bit of a breather, bring your feet onto the mat about sit bones feet apart, a
few shoulder rolls, that feels good right now, give the legs a bit of a shake and then
stand nice and tall, take a deep breath in, wipe off the sweat. Exhale to slowly curve
it forwards and down letting the spine just unravel, we are going to our downward dog
full stretch and then to our plank, bring the hands onto the mat, you can bend the knees
if you need to, walk them forwards, shoulder distance apart and push back into your heels
lifting the sit bones up towards the sky, release the neck, give it a bit of a shake
if it's feeling tense. Two more breaths here, shoulders slide away from the ears and
then on the next exhale squeeze the gluts, lower the pelvis down to your full plank,
hands come directly under the shoulders, neck in line with the spine, waist drawing it make
sure you are not dropping the pelvis or sticking the butt up in a long line and smile, getting
a bit hard here at this stage, two more deep breaths, last one. We are winding down, knees
come onto the mat hands reach forwards, deep breath in, on the exhale circle your hands
back to your feet, relax the shoulders forwards three deep breaths in just allowing the body
to melt down into the mat, feel that inhale deep into the rib cage on the exhale drawing
the navel. Last breath, and then slowly roll up the spine on your exhale sitting back into
your heels. Give the shoulders a bit of a roll, almost done, hands plant onto the mat,
come onto your feet, push the heels into the floor, lengthen the legs, upper body just
cascades forwards, on the exhale stack up the spine, stand nice and tall, reach it out
and up inhale, exhale to circle it wide, lift and lower, last one and circle it wide and
then just stand with your feet about sit bone distance apart, give your shoulders another
roll and then close your eyes and feel into your body here, feet are firmly planted into
the floor, buttocks are gently squeezing, waist is drawing up and in, chest open, the
neck long and relaxed as if being drawn up to the sky by the top of the head, now stay
still but open your eyes, feel into your body for another second or two just feel that length
and strength through it and give the shoulders a little bit of a roll, you can move the head
from side to side, shake out the arms, the legs and if you have gotten as sweaty and
sandy as me, I'm covered in it, then let's go for a swim. I hope to see you next time
on Body Mind Soul TV.