We have compiled many of the original Pilates mat exercises for you. Known as classical Pilates, these 34 movements were part of Joseph Pilates' original sequence of exercises, which was previously known as Contrology.
The Hundred
The Pilates Hundred is a foundational exercise that focuses on building core strength, endurance, and control through a rhythmic breathing pattern while holding a position that enhances the entire body. It is important because it enhances stability, promotes flexibility, and improves overall body performance.
The Roll-Up
The Roll-up in Pilates is a mat exercise that targets core muscles, particularly the abdominals, through smooth, transitional movement. It helps improve spinal flexion from a lying position to a seated position, with controlled, smooth movement. It helps improve spinal flexibility and strength while engaging the entire core.
The Rollover
The Pilates Rollover is a mat exercise that involves lifting the legs overhead, rolling the spine off the mat, and then bringing the legs back down to the starting position. It helps improve spinal flexibility, core strength, and coordination while also engaging the shoulders and upper body.
Rolling Like a Ball
Rolling like a ball involves sitting with your knees pulled into your chest, then rolling back on top of your shoulder blades while keeping your spine rounded. You use your core muscles to return to a balanced seated position.
The Single Leg Stretch
The single-leg stretch is a Pilates exercise that strengthens the abdominal muscles and enhances coordination by alternating the extension of one leg while the other is drawn toward the chest. This movement not only challenges core stability but also stretches the hips, promoting flexibility.
Single Straight Leg
The Pilates single straight leg stretch targets the core, hip flexors, and hamstrings while improving flexibility and strength. It involves lying on your back, lifting one leg at a time, and alternating pulling it towards your chest while maintaining a controlled and steady movement.
Double Straight Leg
The double straight leg exercise strengthens the core, hip flexors, and lower abdominal muscles while enhancing flexibility. In this exercise, you lie on your back, lift both legs straight up, and alternate lowering them toward the ground while keeping the core engaged and maintaining control.
Criss Cross
The Criss Cross targets the obliques, hip flexors, and core while improving rotational flexibility and strength. By twisting the torso and alternating elbow-to-knee movements, this exercise enhances coordination, strengthens the abdominal muscles, and improves overall spinal mobility, making it crucial for building a balanced core.
Open Leg Rocker
The Pilates Open leg Rocker is a dynamic exercise that challenges balance, core strength, and flexibility by rocking the body back and forth while holding the legs extended and apart. It enhances spinal articulation, strengthens the abdominal muscles, and improves coordination and control.
Swan Dive
The Pilates Swan Dive is an advanced exercise that strengthens the back, shoulders, and core while improving flexibility through a fluid, rocking motion. It's great for enhancing posture, balance, and coordination by engaging multiple muscle groups.
Bicycle
The Bicycle is a dynamic exercise that targets abdominal muscles, obliques, and hip flexors while improving coordination and balance. It is important because it enhances core strength, flexibility, and stability, while also promoting better posture and controlled movement.
Scissors
The Pilates Scissors targets the core, hip flexors, and legs while improving flexibility and stability. It strengthens the abdominal muscles, increases hamstring flexibility, and promotes control and coordination in lower body movements.
The Shoulder Bridge
The shoulder bridge is a Pilates exercise that targets the glutes, hamstrings, and core while improving spinal mobility. It involves lifting the hips off the ground while keeping the shoulders and feet planted, forming a straight line from the knees to the shoulders.
Spine Twist
The spine twist is a Pilates exercise that focuses on improving spinal mobility and strengthening the obliques. It enhances flexibility and promotes better posture by engaging the core and enabling controlled twisting of the torso.
SideKick
The side kick is a Pilates exercise that targets the hip flexors, glutes, and obliques while improving stability and flexibility. It involves lying on your side, kicking one leg forward and back, engaging your core to maintain balance and control.
Leg Pull Front
Leg Pull Front is a Pilates exercise that targets the core, glutes, and shoulders. It involves starting in a plan position and then lifting one leg off the ground, holding it while keeping the body stable and maintaining control, which helps strengthen the entire body and improve stability.
Neck Pull
The Pilates neck pull is an exercise that strengthens the core, stretches the spine, and improves posture by focusing on controlled movement and alignment. It is important because it helps enhance flexibility, stabilize the muscles of the neck and upper back, and promote spinal mobility and coordination.
Teaser
The Teaser is an important Pilates exercise because it strengthens the core, improves balance, and enhances flexibility by requiring control and coordination of the entire body. It involves lifting the legs and torso into a "v" shape while maintaining stability, which challenges both the abdominals and the hip flexors.
Leg Pull Back
The side kick is a Pilates exercise that targets the hip flexors, glutes, and obliques while improving stability and flexibility. It involves lying on your side, kicking one leg forward and back, engaging your core to maintain balance and control.
Hip Circles
Hip circles in Pilates help improve hip mobility and flexibility by gently strengthening and stretching the muscle around the hip joint. This movement also engages the core, promoting stability and proper alignment throughout the body.
Rocking
Pilates Rocking is an exercise performed on the mat that targets the back, glutes, and core muscles. It involved lying on your stomach, reaching back to grab your ankles, and rocking back and forth, which helps to improve spinal mobility and strengthen the lower back.
Single Leg Kick
The Single-leg kick (or one-leg kick) is an exercise performed on your stomach, where you kick one leg towards your glutes while keeping your upper body stable and your core engaged. It's great for strengthening the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings, while also improving flexibility and posture.
Double Leg Kick
The double leg kick is an exercise where you lie on your stomach, kick both legs toward your glutes, and then extend them while lifting your chest off the ground. It's excellent for strengthening the lower back, glutes, and shoulders, while also improving spinal flexibility and posture.
Push Up
In Pilates, the pushup is a full-body exercise that emphasizes core stability, shoulder strength, and proper alignment. It involves performing a standard pushup while maintaining control and engaging the abdominals to support the spine throughout the movement.
Seal
The Seal is a Pilates exercise that combines core strength, coordination, and flexibility. Performed sitting on the mat with the knees bent and feet listed off the ground, you clap your feet together and roll back and forth along the spine while maintaining balance and control.
Jacknife
The Jack Knife targets the core, hip flexors, and shoulders while improving flexibility and strength. It involves lifting the legs overhead and then rolling the body up to create a V-shape, engaging the core for control and stability throughout the movement.
Boomerang
The Boomerang is an advanced exercise that combines flexibility, strength, and coordination, involving a dynamic movement that requires core control. It helps improve spinal articulation, balance, and overall body awareness by flowing through a sequence of roll-ups and controlled stretches.