Stay on the move this winter
The Hundred is a classic Pilate’s mat exercise. It is also one of the most challenging and dynamic moves in the mat repertoire. You will often perform this exercise at the beginning of a Pilate’s class as a dynamic warm up and to engage the various systems of the body.
Aside from getting the blood pumping, this exercise has many other benefits. These include improved circulation, increased spinal mobility, better breathing habits and stronger abdominals. The Hundred is named after the number of beats your arms make during the exercise. So, once you find the starting position, start to pump your arms up and down. As you do so, sync these movements with your breath.
One of the quickest ways to beat the winter blues before your workout is starting your Pilates exercises with the hundreds. Practicing Pilates each day can help to relax both the mind and the body, making it easier to fall asleep at night. Staying active also improves the quality of sleep and REM cycles. With a longer night and a deeper sleep, you can focus better during the daytime and won’t have to worry about mental fatigue.
There is a specific breath pattern in this exercise. And it goes: inhale for five seconds, exhale for five seconds. Repeat inhaling and exhaling this way ten times and there you have it: the Pilates Hundred. And it’s true, performing the hundred can result in aches and pains in the neck and shoulders. These complaints are especially common in Pilate’s beginners.
Of course, if you have constant neck pain or you believe it is getting worse, then seek advice from your health care provider. But if the discomfort is only due to weaknesses, inflexibility or performing the exercise incorrectly, then a few simple adjustments can make all the difference.
The Pilates Hundred exercise
The Hundred is a move that requires coordination of breath and movement. Control and precision are two other important features of this exercise. For those of you unfamiliar with the Pilates hundred, here’s how to execute it.
• The first step of this exercise involves getting into the right position. From supine ( flat on your back) on the mat find table top legs position. This is when the knees are bent so that the thighs are perpendicular to the floor and the shins
are parallel to the floor.
• The next step involves reaching your fingers towards your toes. As you do so, your head, neck and upper spine should curl up into a “C” shape. And they stay there for the duration of the exercise! At this point your arms will be hovering a few inches off the ground.
• Finally, straighten your legs so that
they are suspended above your mat.
You can lower them towards the ground for greater challenge to the abdominals or higher for less challenge. Please note that, learning Pilates from other than a real live instructor is not easy and does carry some slight risks. You should, in addition to the routines I will share with you, attend a Pilates class with a certified Pilates instructor and don’t hesitate to visit your doctor for clearance before you start a Pilates class.