Life gets full and busy, and maybe you just don’t have enough time to work out today, but you still want to get a little workout in. Exercise can calm the mind and get those endorphins flowing. Or maybe you’re on vacation and there isn’t a gym or good place to exercise/workout. What do you do?
Not to fear, the Vacation Five is here! These five amazing Pilates exercises can be done anywhere with absolutely no equipment! All you need is a towel and the floor, ground, or even the sand for these five great Pilates exercises. These were some of the first exercises we learned during my initial 450 hour Pilates training, years ago. We learned these five great foundation/core exercises and have found them quick, easy, and effective during my travel experience, or when I’m in need of a quick workout for the day.
What is Pilates and Why is Strengthening Your Mid Section/Core so Important?
Pilates is a fitness system developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 1900s. The Pilates system focuses on resistance and control and was influenced by yoga, tai chi, martial arts, and various other forms of exercise. The Pilates system creates a balance between mind and body, so that practitioners are aware of how their body feels and how to control it. Many people enjoy Pilates because it makes the body strong, yet lean, and improves overall general health.
Today we will focus on the five exercises that will help strengthen your core, or what some call you “Powerhouse.” Your core is the center of your body, the area between your bottom ribs and the top of your pubic bone. It includes the abdominals, the pelvic floor, the muscles around the hip joint, and the muscles of the lower back and your diaphragm.
Let’s see how the Vacation Five works.
We begin with an exercise called The 100’s. The 100’s is often considered a warm-up exercise. The 100’s challenges your abs, but also challenges your breathing and coordination.
Start lying on your back with your legs in table top position (hips and knees at right angles). Engage your deep abs to round your lower spine into the floor. Make sure you are not “pooching” your abs. Exhale and life your shoulders off the floor, until the bottom tips of your shoulder blades are just off the floor. Pumps your arms up and down with a small range of motion, keeping your elbows straight. Inhale for five count arm pumps and exhale for five pumps. That completes one set or cycle. Repeat cycle nine more times for a total of 100 pumps.
The Vacation Five Pilates Workout
Single Leg Stretch
Complete your set of 100’s Warmup. Return to that table top position with your legs, and rest your head and body on the floor. Now curl your head forward toward your chest, and bend your right knee and pull it in toward your chest. Place your right hand on the outside of your right ankle, and place your left hand on the outside of your right knee. Keep your left leg fully extended with your toes pointed. Raise your left heel about two to four inches off the floor. Now switch to the other leg, bend your left knee, and pull it toward your chest. Place your left hand on the outside of your left ankle and place your right hand on the outside of your left knee. Keep your right leg extended with your toes pointed. Raise your right heel about two to four inches off the floor. Continue to switch back and forth with a two count pulse for each leg each time. Complete 10 to 12 reps on each side.
Double Leg Stretch
Come back to that lying position on the floor with your legs extended straight out in front of you. Press your legs together and point your toes. Rest your ams along your sides with your palms facing down. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and let your belly drop towards the floor. Inhale as you pull your abs in deeply, sinking your navel in toward your spine. Curl your head forward, chin towards your chest, and simultaneously raise both legs 2 to 6 inches off the floor. Reach your arms overhead, keeping your biceps in line with your ears. On an exhalation, bend your knees and pull both knees in toward your chest. Circle your arms out to the sides and around to your legs. Clasp your lower shins with your hands. Keep your abdominal muscles scooped and your back flat. Hug your legs close your body. Inhale and return to the stretched position by extending your legs and reaching your arms overhead. Exhale and bend your knees, and pull both knees toward your chest. Repeat for 10 to 12 times.
Single Straight Leg
With your legs extended straight out in front of you, rest your arms along your sides with your palms facing down. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and let your belly drop toward the floor. Inhale as you pull your abs in deeply, sinking your navel in toward your spine. Curl your head forward toward your chest as you simultaneously extend your right leg straight up to the ceiling. Hold onto your right ankle with both hands. Extend your left leg in front of you, fully straightening the leg. Let your left heel hover about two inches above the mat. Keep your abdominal muscles scooped, your back flat, and your upper body curved throughout the movements. Inhale and press your spine deeply into the mat. Exhale as you pull your right leg closer toward your head with two short pulses. Exhale twice, once with each pulse. Inhale again and on your exhalation, quickly switch the position of your legs by “scissoring” them past each other. Hold onto your left ankle and repeat the movement. Inhale as you press your spine and exhale as you pull your leg close with two short pulses. Repeat 10-12 times with each leg.
Double Straight Leg
With your legs extended straight out in front of you. Rest your arms along your sides with your palms facing down. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and let your belly drop toward the floor. Inhale as you pull your abs in deeply, sinking your navel in toward your spine. Bending your arms at your elbows, place your hands behind your head. Stack one hand on top of the other. Curl your head forward until your shoulder blades lift off the floor. Simultaneously, lift both legs straight up to the ceiling. Point your toes and bring your legs together by squeezing your inner thighs together. Squeeze your buttocks and inhale as you lower your legs until they are about six inches above the floor. Let your tailbone come to the mat. Continue lowering your legs until the point just before your lower back begins to arch off the mat. Keep your abdominal muscles scooped, your back flat, and your shoulders lifted throughout the movements. Squeeze your legs together and exhale as you raise your leg straight to the ceiling once more. Repeat 10 to 12 times.
Criss Cross
Finally, return to lying on your back. Bend your knees and bring your legs back to table top. Place your hands behind the head, supporting the base of the skull. Keep your elbows wide. Use an exhale to pull your abs into a deep scoop, curl the chin and shoulders off the floor to the base of the shoulder blades. Your upper body is in a full curve, your abs are pulling toward your belly button, down to your spine. Reach your left leg out long and keep your elbows wide. Rotate your torso towards your bent right knee so that your left armpit is reaching towards the knee. Switch legs and bring the trunk through the center. Now switch sides by extending the right leg. Rotate your torso toward the bent left knee so that your right armpit is reaching toward the knee. Keep your chest open and elbows wide the whole time. Resist the urge to hold yourself up with your arms. Make this exercise about the abs.
Each exercise can be done for 10 to 12 slow reps, and then repeat all five exercises. If you’d like you can repeat this whole sequence again. This will take less than 10 minutes and your core, “Powerhouse,” will feel completely engaged the whole time. You should be able to feel this in every single part of your Powerhouse.
Here is a really great Youtube video featuring Alisa Wyatt, one of my favorite teachers doing the Vacation Five. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmAhOKKEUZI[/youtube]
Alisa has also developed an amazing online workout system at www.pilatesology.com.
Here are a few studios that we suggest you make your way to and give their classes a try.
Till next time, keep moving, breathing, and “living in grace.”
-by Michelle Gierst, Fitness Editor.
