Pilates Mini Mat 3

This is our Pilates Mini Mat series finale! In this video we will be covering our final 3 exercises, focusing primarily on the upper, middle, lower back muscles, as well as your glutes and hamstrings. If you want a long, lean, and most importantly, STRONG backside, you will love the results of dedicating your get-fit time to the exercises below!

Single Leg Kicks

Pilates Mat Exercise - Single Leg Kick

This exercise will simultaneously strengthen the back of your legs along with stretching the front of your hips. It is very important to keep your abdominals engaged and rib cage closed. When performing the more advanced levels, the arms will also be working to hold your body weight up. It seems like a simple move, but it takes a lot of coordination and concentration to keep every inch of your body focused and engaged!

Heel Beats

Pilates Mat Exercise - Heel Beats

This is a variation of the Pilates Mat exercise called Double Leg Kick – which comes directly after the Single Leg Kick in the traditional mat work sequence. I have added this to our Mini Mat 3 workout to challenge your entire backside for each minute that it is being performed. There will be moments where you can’t get your legs up, or you can’t keep your arms squeezing and lifted, but I will be right there with you to get us through it…remember to press those hips into the mat and lift your legs up as high as you can!

Swimming

Pilates Mat Exercise - Swimming

In the traditional Pilates Mat, we usually do this exercise towards the end of the hour, after intensely working our abdominals from prior exercises in the mat work sequence. This exercise will strengthen your back muscles while lengthening your stomach muscles. It’s important to not bend the arms and legs, and to keep your gaze ahead with a long neck. As I mention in the video, you can always rest your head and neck, but keep your abdominals and glutes engaged.

Throughout the video, your lower back will start to get fatigued, so it is also important to sit back on the heels in between each exercise to relieve the tension in the back and then you can get right back into it…CLICK BELOW to join me and let’s get to it!!

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