Video:5 Pilates Stretches to Increase Flexibility

Transcript:5 Pilates Stretches to Increase Flexibility

Hi, I'm Donna Zaloom, owner of Longevity Pilates in Verona New Jersey, and I'm here for About.com to show you 5 Pilates stretches to increase flexibility. I'm going to show you a few stretches that will help your all-over flexibility.

Helpful Pilates Stretches to Increase Flexibility

We are going to start on our hands and knees, we are just going to take a big inhale, we're going to pull the belly all the way up. Tuck the bottom under and lower the head. Feel that stretch through your spine. Now as you exhale, I want you to bring your belly all the way down, lift your bottom up, and lift your head up.

More Instructions for Pilates Stretches

We are going to sit back on our heels, walk our hands forward and lower the head. Sitting back up, we are going to do mermaid. Sit on the heels and then bring the bottom over to one side. You are going to bring one leg in front and the other leg behind you. You want to keep both of your sitting bones down on the floor, which is challenging. Holding onto your back ankle, we are just going to lift your arm up and stretch over. It feels really good. Inhale and come up. You are going to bring the hand down as you exhale, bring your elbow down, bring the other arm up and stretch over. I would do a few of these to both sides.

Continuing the Pilates Stretches to Increase Flexibility

Now change legs, bring the other leg in front, holding onto the back ankle. Again lengthen both sides. Reach over, keep the shoulder away from the ears. If you want to increase this stretch, when you come down, bring the forearm down and stretch over. You can also put a nice little turn in there and walk forward. Your hip will come up on this one, it is impossible not to. Then, turn and come back up.While you are sitting up, bring your legs out long, bring the arms up, stretch and lift the chest. Being your arms to shoulder height, take a big inhale and lift your chest. Exhale, pull back on your belly and stretch over. Inhale, sit up, bring your arms out.

Other Pilates Stretches That Increase Flexibility

Open your legs, take a big inhale, We are going to do "saw." As you exhale you are going to bring your pinky finger to your opposite pinky toe. You are going to reach that back arm away and press the other side of your bottom into your mat. Inhale. Now exhale and we are going to do the same to the the other side. Reach those arms, press both of your sitting bones into the mat. Now inhale and come up.

Thank you for watching, for more information go to Health.About.com.