The Pilates Wall Series

I’d like to introduce you to a great piece of Pilates equipment that everyone has at home…The Wall!
 
The Wall exercises are perfect for beginners so feel free to try these exercises even if you have never done Pilates before. They are also great for improving postural awareness for more advanced participants so everyone can take something from trying this.

Starting position

• Stand tall against a flat wall – walk your feet forward until the length of your spine (at least from tips of the shoulder blades to tail bone) is in contact with the wall. Heels are pressed together toes turned out.
• Draw the hips up and back into the wall, draws the abs into your back and feel the spine lengthen.

 
Pilates Hundred

• From your starting position wrap the shoulders down into your back and pump the arms breathing in for 5 pumps and out for 5 pumps until you have completed 100 pumps. 

Roll Down

• From your starting position begin peeling away from the wall. Drop the chin towards the chest and then start to peel away the shoulders. The arms hang loosely at your sides. Continue to pull the wast up and feel your low back pushing the wall away.
• Continue to roll down using the drawing in and up of the abs to allow just one vertebrae at a time to lose contact with the wall. Continue until you reach a point where it is difficult to do this. The belly continues to pull your mid – low back into the wall while the arms hang loose and free.
• Replace each vertebrae back against the wall as you rebuild your spine. Try to lengthen the spine as you carefully roll back up.
• Repeat this 2-3 times and on your final roll down circle your arms 4-8 times in each direction before rolling back  up. 

Arm Circles

• From your starting position, float your arms upwards and circle them around and down. Keep the arms within your peripheral vision, draw the hips up and back into the wall and keep the shoulders down throughout. Circle 3 times and then reverse the direction moving from the fronts of your thighs, out wide, up overhead and down.
• When you have completed your circles pull the shoulders back allowing the back of the neck to lengthen and feeling the back of the arms pressing into the wall. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds breathing naturally.

 
Squats

• From your starting position move your feet to hip width, toes and knees facing forward. Focus on pushing the hips up and back into the wall drawing the abs into the wall too. Start to bend the knees sliding your back down the wall until your hips are no lower than your knees. Push your feet into the floor as you slide back to your starting position keeping the hips pushing up and back into the wall.
• Repeat 3 times then a further 3 times adding arm raises.

​To leave the wall walk the feet back in, push the palms of your hands back against the wall and walk forwards.