Beginner Pilates for Nurses: A 5-Step Series to Help Strengthen Your Body

4. Double Straight Leg Lower, 5-10 reps

For this exercise you will keep both hands behind your head. As you inhale, bring your knees to your chest. Then extend both legs up to the sky and gently turn out your feet. (If a straight leg is uncomfortable, you can maintain a soft bend in your knee). Exhale as you curl your head, neck, and chest off of the mat.

On your next inhale gently lower your legs— to where your lower back remains on the mat— and with a big exhale bring your legs back up to your starting position.

Note: For an added challenge, hug/put your heels together as you lift your legs back up to activate your glutes and inner thighs.

5. Criss-Cross, 8-10 reps on each side

The key to the criss-cross is to keep it simple and small while still getting deep into your oblique muscles (the muscles that run along the sides of your core/stomach).

Inhale slowly and bring your hands behind your head and curl up with the knees into the chest. With control, extend your right leg out as you rotate your upper body to the left.

Do the same step above as you switch legs. (Think about bringing your right rib to your left hip.) As you switch sides, make sure to stay lifted and breathe!

6. Optional Step 6: The Plank

To seal the deal, finish with a plank. Start with holding it for 20 seconds and increase your time by 5-10 seconds each time you practice. With every exhale, keep your core activated by pulling that belly button in and feel your abs burn!

Stretching:

Stretching is one of the most important steps in every workout!  To stretch after this series, sit back in a child’s pose and breathe, enjoying the stretch.

Some Things to Keep in Mind:

• Keep your movements small and within a range of motion that comfortably allows your lower back to remain heavy on the mat. If you are having trouble doing that then try padding the arch in your lower back with a towel. We want to maintain our pelvic stability in order to work our core, not strain our back.
• Don’t forget to breathe.
• When working out, we often tend to tense up. To help you relax and relieve the tension in your shoulders, try to open your mouth in order to relax your jaw.
• If your neck begins to bother you during any of the exercises, place your hands behind your head and allow your head to be as heavy as possible to prevent neck strain.
• Make sure to always do what feels right for your body. You want your abs to burn without hurting your back and neck.

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