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The Beginner's Guide to Pilates

Plank Prep

Upper back, shoulder, and abdominal muscles are key for proper posture. One of the most effective way to strengthen and stabilize these muscles is to challenge their endurance in less stable positions.

The following exercise can be conducted in sets of 4 to 6 repetitions:

1. Kneel on your hands and knees, with your knees underneathe your hips, and your hands underneathe your shoulders. Keep your spine level with the floor.
2. Move the heels of your hards forward and lean on your hands, without moving your knees.
3. While breathing in, straighten one leg so that the knee on the other leg is bent, and is touching the floor.
4. While breathing out, straighten the other leg, so that you are in a push-up position. Your toes and the palms of your hands should now be supporting your weight. Hold this position and focus on keep your abdomen muscles up.
5. While breathing in, bend your first knee to enable you to kneel again.
6. While breathing out, bend your other knee. You should now be back in the position you were in during step #2.

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