Kelli: I love Boomerang because of how dynamic it is. But my favorite thing about Boomerang is when you curl over your crosses legs as it stretches the exact lines of energy that hold the most tension in my body and I imagine it running like a river out of my feet.
Matt: Boomerang is mine too! Having to really use your abdominals to lift the ribcage and control your arms. Plus the leg crossing stretches my rotators and hamstrings.
Sarah: I am partial to Open Leg Rocker! I love the isometric contraction of the deep abdominals, the stretch in the hamstrings, and the back massage that happens while rolling back. Yummy!
Lyra: I love Jackknife, it lets me indulge in the opening of the whole backline of my body while letting me go upside down (which feels magical) but also wakes up my core by asking it to control my spine and long a** legs. It leaves me feeling connected and supple.
Fanina: I like the classic “Rolling like a Ball” exercise, it’s deceptively hard to execute well and is a great example of the opposition found in Pilates Mat work. It’s not just about pulling yourself into a tiny ball and rocking back/forth, you must find the push and pull in the flexed shape to keep your shape steady. As you “pull” your legs into your rounded spine you can also “push” your legs away from your deepening abdominal curl, bringing the focus into your powerhouse center!
Andrea: My favorite mat exercise is Bridging! It’s such an awesome one-stop shop for working the hamstrings and glutes, opening the hip flexors, and strengthening the abdominal and back muscles. It can be modified for any body and using any prop.
Ash: This changes for me every year or so, but right now I’m very into Saw. Before we see the Saw in the classical order, the only other time we do rotation is Criss Cross…so by the time we do Saw, my body is really ready to rotate! I love the shoulder blade opening from the internal rotation of the back shoulder and arm. Cue: palm to the ceiling and push up. Saw is also fun to do with a Magic Circle to help open up my thoracic spine.
What’s your favorite Mat exercise?
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