Mat Sculpt

Hi. I am Laura Hanlon back on the mat for a sculpt Pilates class today using a ball and a light set of hand weights. Minor three pounds. You're gonna see me struggle with those. Two, one, whatever you have. Maybe even a set of ball of bangles, if you don't love holding on, you want something attached to you. We'll start seated facing either end of the mat.

To set up right away, we're gonna bring this ball in between our inner thighs, somewhere between the knees and the hips, and then I'm going to place one way off to either side of my mat. That way once we're down there, they're in a hands width, hands reach distance, not too far away from where you need to be. Sit bones anchored right in the middle of the mat, heels digging down into the floor, hands behind the back of those hamstrings. Roll the shoulders back, start with a beautiful lift of the chin and the chest here, shining heart forward shoulders pulling back and down deep breath in, exhale start to squeeze the ball as you round and contract back, opening up through the spine, letting that chin tuck over the chest hanging away from the legs. We'll do that again, pressing the heels down, pulling the shoulders down, lift through the heart, lift up with your gaze, and exhale. I hate to say it, but it's like you got punched in the gut right away engaging the core opening up those sticky spots low in that back once more shoulders away from the ears, gaze goes up breathing. I have exhaled to round and contract. From here in this half rollback position, reach the arms forward, palms face inward shoulder blades slide down away from the ears, inhale to bend the elbows, and exhale to extend the elbows starting really simple without any weight in the hands so we start to wake up our low transverse abdominals. Think beneath where your waistband would be beneath where your seat belt would lie.

You pull that area back as you reach your arms forward inhale to bend. Exhale to extend. I'm driving my heels into the floor. I'm pulling my waistline back towards my low back to really engage deeper into the core one more time inhale elbows bend exhale elbows extend holding this control deep breath where you are. Axle to curl back up, think belly button pulls back shoulders over the hips, lengthening up tall at the top.

The more we squeeze the ball, the more we work those inner thighs, adding one way in either hand starting the same way with the arms. Fish reach forward, maybe fingertips forward, palms face inward deep breath in to prepare, exhale to round and contract. I like to think of my weights passing about mid thigh, passing the knees somewhere that you feel you can maintain. And he'll bend the elbows back. Acts, he'll extend the arms forward. Now, our goal here again is to wake up and warm up those low belly muscles, but also to help release in the tops of the hips and the thighs. The more again we squeeze the ball, the more we work our inner thighs, our adductors, giving our low belly, and high inner thigh connection to help us support the legs and get out of those hips.

Inhale elbows draw back exhale abdominals pull back for two. One more time bent and extend holding those arms straight. Deep breathe where you are. EX, I'll begin to lower back down into the low back and then to the middle of the back trying to keep arms in line with the shoulders. We find a hovered at the tips of the shoulder blades, gaze is at that ball, give it a squeeze on the breath in.

Exhale to curl right back up using that low belly, dig the heels down, reach the arms long, sitting up tall at the top. Palms stay facing towards one another but then as you bend your elbows, they'll face almost more towards your chest. Try to keep your elbows lifted like hug a tree arms like you're hugging a big beach ball. Squeeze that ball between the legs, deep breath in, exhale round and contract about halfway back adding a little more arm work here holding that half rollback arms open about the width of your mat, exhale arms close, inhale to open, exhale to close punching those fist towards one another, keeping elbows lifted, but shoulder blades down. Really feeling the tops and the bottom of those arms starting to work a little bit more with this added weight for three and close.

And squeeze one more time. Punch the weights together this time. Hold them together. Squeeze your inner thighs together. Breathe in its center and then exhale twist to the outside of that right thigh back to center inhale.

Twist to the left on the exhale, inhale center, exhale, we twist right, inhale center, exhale to the left, keeping those knees straight up to the ceiling, making sure our pelvis stays really square, sit bones stay anchored to the mat that we were twisting from our waist from our obliques inhale last time to the left exhale. Come back to center. Reach those arms along. Keep them long and strong at shoulder height. Begin to lower back down to the tips of those shoulder blades, taking our time opening up through the low back, through the middle back, find the hover, deep breath in, exhale curl right back up, heels dig down, belly pulls back inter thighs squeeze into the ball as you lengthen up and then this time flip those palms to face down.

If you're starting to feel this in the neck and the traps here, maybe you do this without those weights, they're always just an optional add on deep breath in. Exel, we round and contract halfway back, pulling back in the waist, squeezing into those inner thighs, shoulders pull away from the ears, right arm lifts up to the sky, deep breath in, exhale to press it down and hover it over that right leg, left arm lifts up, Exale to press. Can you pull the belly deeper, squeeze the ball tighter, inhale to lift? Exhale to press. Make sure it's not a swing. You're working on the way up and resisting the weight and gravity on the way down one more time each arm lift.

Net the ribs a little tighter, tie that corset a little tighter, left and lower. Should both arms move together, inhale reach up. XL, can we tighten up through that waist squeezed tighter into the ball really working slow and controlled for four. Press to lower. Try not to rush. Use your breath.

XL to resist. Pulling that belly a little deeper for two. And reach. One more time arms reach up. Arms press to stay.

Holding strong here, deep inhale. Excel we lower to the tips of the shoulder blades. Fight for these moments, reach your arms forward. Pull your belly back. Find the hover to stay.

Acts out to curl right back up shoulders over the hips, lengthen up tall arms stay strong last moments here. Squeeze that ball inhale. Round and contract back as you exhale, shoulder stay away from the ears, belly pulls back to the spine. This time this right elbow rose back, it stays lifted, think a 90 degree bend, abs pull back, arm extends long, left elbow pulls back breathing. Axle to extend imagine you're sliding your forearm along a tabletop squeeze between the shoulder blades, squeeze the ribs and the inner thighs together.

We bend. We extend. We take both elbows together here squeeze into the back. Draw the ribs tight. Think of that corset sensation for three. Reach it long.

Feel the back working, arms working too. Belly pulls a little deeper. One more time, inhale bend. Exale extend this time those elbows bend to the sides, deep breath in, exhale squeeze the elbows to the waist, knit your ribs together, squeeze the inner thighs together everything to the midline. Everything opens on the inhale and closes tighter on the we lift, belly pulls in as those elbows squeeze in, open and close.

For three. Squeeze a little tighter. For two. Can we pull the belly a little deeper? Maybe get a little lower one more time open and squeeze to hold from here. Draw your elbows back.

Lower your forearms with control to the floor. Make sure you don't just collapse and then place those weights off to the sides of your mat just out of the way for now. Palms press down. Your forearms press down so much that you lift your heart a little higher. You squeeze your shoulder blades together, but you keep that corset around your waist so we don't arch through the back.

Squeeze this ball deep breath and pull your waistline in to float those legs up to table top. Now continue to squeeze the heck out of this ball. Imagine you're gonna pop it, chin off the chest, heart is lifted. Legs begin to float down and away toes may be hover or tap the floor, abs sink down and in to lift those legs back up, knees over the hips. We're keeping this 90 degree bend of the knees.

They're not going further away or closer towards us. We're just creasing right at that hip without shifting the pelvis forward or back. Lower with control. Can we draw the ribs tighter? Can we squeeze the ball tighter and not sink into those shoulders? It's a lot to think about.

Use your breath, slow and controlled yet again, lift. Deep breathe into lower. Deep breathe out. Pull the belly a little deeper. Squeeze that ball a little bit tighter.

Once more inhale down and exhale up. Holding it here. Give that ball one more tight squeeze deep breath at the top. Exhale to slowly lower the feet again making sure they don't just collapse. They gently get placed into the floor. Not too close, not too far away. Think about where they were before for that half rollback.

Squeeze into the ball. Pull back in your waist. Now, can we stay where we are and simply reach our arms forward and hold. Do not move. Challenge yourself. Use your breath inhale. Xhale squeeze the ball tighter.

Pull your belly deeper. Two more breaths to stay inhale. Soften the neck and the shoulders tighten up through your core. One more breath in. One more breath out.

Inhale to hold. XL with control, we slowly lower all the way down your fingertips reaching forward, your belly's zipping up like a tight pair of pants until the palms and the head release heavy into the mat. Let the head stay down, palms stay down, and then slide those heels a little closer towards your seat. Heels are in line with the sit bones, knees straight up to the ceiling, when open up the spine in the front of the hips a little more with some early glute bridge work here, squeezing into that ball, still working adductor inner thighs, deep breath in. Using the low belly initiate a small tuck of the pelvis curling up from the core, then engage your seat, sit bones, butt cheeks squeeze together, and these reach straightforward over those middle toes. Aiming for this long diagonal knees to hips to shoulders.

It allows us to open up our hips and thighs, which should feel good after what we just did. Can we squeeze sit bones, butt cheeks, squeeze the ball a little tighter into the midline breathe in? Exhale to roll down, chest away from the chin, move through the upper back, through the middle back, through the low back, releasing the hips at the very bottom. Again, just like this and deep inhale to prepare, exhale abdominals pull down first that curls that pelvis to hover off the floor, then start to drive the heels down more firmly into the floor, squeezing the glutes tighter, lifting the pelvis up working from the back of our hamstrings and glutes deep breath in. Exhale slowly roll back down bone by bone, continuing to draw the ribs together, inner thighs together, feeling our hips heavy into the mat and our spine lengthen a little longer. Maybe reach those fingertips further to your heels, lengthen through the neck deep breath in.

Exale again, we tuck and curl the hips up. At the top, making sure our belly stays pulling down. Our ribs stay together, so we're not arching through the spine, press your feet more firmly into the mat, take a breath in, exhale squeeze the ball tighter, and that the ribs tighter. Small pulse of those hips down just an inch inhale, up an inch as you exhale, lower an inch. Squeeze from the seat, lift an inch.

Two more lower. Wake up the back of those legs, lift one more time, lower an inch, lift an inch to stay. Drive the right heel into the floor, extend your left leg long, thighs stay parallel to one another. Same thing lower an inch inhale, filled out right glute and hamstring, lift us up on the exhale for four abs pull down pelvis lifts evenly to the ceiling three, pressing down into those palms for support for two. One more. Hold those hips high, give that ball one more tight, tight squeeze, and with control, place that left foot gently onto the mat.

Thight should be even, pelvis is still lifted and square. Think about that seat belt, abs pull down, left glued engages, right leg floats out in a way long diagonal, lower an inch inhale squeeze right underneath that left, sit bone and butt cheek to lift for four. Obs, pull down, hips, lift high, three. Keeping chin lifted away from the chest, beautiful open neck and throat to lift and squeeze one more time lower, lift and stay. Take another breath in at the top.

Try not to rush here. Squeeze that ball gently place the right foot back onto the mat, equal weight into the heels, to the palm, squeeze the ball boost your hips up, take a breath in. XL to slowly melt back into the mat, bone by bone, Again, feeling the spine, a little more open, a little longer, hips stay heavy into the floor here, and then we'll draw those knees all the way into the chest. Give them a squeeze for a moment, a little rock, maybe back and forth side to side will continue to work from our inner thighs, but take this ball and slide it up the legs or down the legs depending on how you look at it. So it's between the ankles from here.

I want my pelvis to stay neutral and anchored. That might mean a soft bend in the knees. Or maybe a deeper bend in your knees. If that allows you to release more in your quads, the goal is to work inner thighs, low belly. If you can, legs are extended straight. You reach down for those weights, somewhere by your sides. Again, always optional.

Arms reach straight up to the ceiling. From here, think fingers and toes reach up, shoulders, belly pull down, squeeze that ball as you inhale, curl up to the tips of the shoulder blades, palms lower to hover off the mat by the hips as we act sail. Now this time as the head lowers down and arms reach up, the legs will lower forward. Again, these could be bent or straight. Think arms straight over the chest, head is down, legs are low. Squeeze into the ball, deep breath here. Exale curl back up to the tips of the shoulder blades.

Pull the belly deeper as you squeeze that ball tighter. Again, slow and controlled, always here. Use the breath, inhale lengthen. Exhale zip up through the waist. Cinch that corset tighter around your midsection. Three more like this, lengthen through fingers and toes if you can.

Pull the belly button deeper to the spine as you curl up and forward. For two and lift. One more time. Curl all the way back up to the tips of the shoulder blades. Stay lifted option to use the weights or not.

I'm gonna opt out today. Start to pump those arms breathe in through the nose for five. And exhale out. Two, three, four, five. Focus on the lift of the chest. The inner thighs squeeze into the ball.

If you can, you start to lower those legs back down on that diagonal using the breath, using the low belly. Inhale through the nose for five. Exhale out, two, three, four, five. Can we squeeze our ball tighter? Maybe lower those legs a little bit further.

Four more breaths in. Maybe those toes get down to eye level shoulder blades just hovering off the mat for three. And exhale out. Last two. And exhale out to three, four, five.

One more deep breath in. And exhale out to three, four, five. Stay hold reach squeeze one inch tighter into those legs, pull the knees in, give them a hug and once again release the head back. Maybe shake your head a little side to side, loosening up through the neck and the shoulders, through that cervical spine. We're gonna keep the ball where it is between the ankles, and then open those arms towards a low v or kind of t shape.

Nees will come back to tabletop using inner thighs, using the low belly. Again, trying to release as much as we can in the tops of thighs. Actively press into your palms. We'll begin to shift those knees at a 90 degree bend over to the right, keep your left shoulder anchored, but your left hip might lift. This should feel good like a nice kind of side stretch for that side waist. However, we use our obliques. We use our core to control it and lift us back through center. So I'm not just collapsing my legs to the floor. Take a twist over to the left.

Right shoulder pulls down. Right hip might lift, deep breath in. Pull back in that right waist to bring the legs back to center. Again, one time each side, lengthening out of that shoulder, out of that waist, out of that hip and thigh, pull the belly down, knit the ribs together to draw back to center. Taking it up and over to the left, deep breath in, pulling right shoulder blade down, use the waist to lift you back to center. From here, legs extend a little bit or all the way straight. We move into our cork screw.

Squeeze the ball starting the same way. Those legs go to the right. Maybe that left hip starts to lift, lower the legs down in a circle over to the left. Right hip lifts a little bit. Pull your belly down to lift those legs back to center.

Squeeze the ball legs go left inhale. Take it down and around. Center and squeeze again each direction. Inhale lengthening out the outer thigh. Pull the belly down as you move through center.

Pull that waistline down as you lift back up to square it off. Last time to the left, exhale down and around. And up. From there, bend those knees all the way back in, take the ball out. Bring it back between your palms, legs will extend long, toes reach towards one edge of your mat, squeeze inner thighs together, fingertips reach to the backside of your mat, really find length through the limbs, through the fingertips and the toes, pressure into the palms, into the ball, inhale arms reach this kneeling, exhale, we round and roll up. Full roll up first one of the day might feel a little sticky. You could always ditch the ball and hold on behind the legs.

We continue to reach through fingers and toes, chin tucks over the chest lengthen through the spine and the limbs, deep breath, and exhale to roll down bone by bone, lengthen longer forward through the legs, pull further back through your waist. Shoulders pull away from the ears that belly pulls a little deeper to the spine before lengthening head and arms all the way back again inhale arms up exhale to roll up. Palms, press together, ribs in it together, inner thighs squeeze together, really find the midline of the body here. Reach a little further forward on the breath in, exhale to roll back down, lengthening through the front of those legs, really opening up through the head through the thighs, through the back, through the arms and the shoulders. Once more inhale, we reach up, exhale round and roll up.

Making it as smooth and controlled both directions as we can. Never using momentum here. Really working on the way up and on the way down equally. This time we'll hover at the tips of the shoulder blades. And so once we arrive there, keep pulling the belly down.

Draw your right leg to tabletop, place the ball onto the right thigh, right palm presses into it left hand behind the head elbow wide. So you can curl a little higher over the ribs, really press the leg and the palm towards that ball. Then if you can, you have the option to hover left leg to eye level deep breath in, exhale twist, left elbow towards the right palm and ball inhale to center, up and over to the right center. Lift and twist. Using the breath, using that right oblique to curl a little bit higher for it to lift and twist. One more inhale.

And exhale hold the twist, left elbow into the ball, right hand behind the head breathe in. See if you can lift a little higher, hold this twist, chest stays open, left knee bends into tabletop, left leg stems along. Nothing else moves. Pull the left knee in, thighs meet, leg lengthens out. For two, belly pulls a little deeper, lengthening out through that thigh.

One more inhale. And exhale. Maybe left leg stays straight and kick straight up and then lowers straight down. Can we curl higher over that right rib cage reach the right elbow further back to the back of the mat for two belly button pulls a little deeper one more time. That left leg stays hovering off the mat. We pulse the chest up and up option to extend that right leg up scissor long legs for eight first seven pulling right oblique down and in to curl over the ribs last four.

Three. Two. And one from there. Hands back to the ball. Lower the left leg down.

Release the head down that right leg stays as straight to the sky as it can be. Palms press into the ball, fingertips reach up, shoulder blades pull down, square off through the hips and pelvis, take a breath to prepare. Press the palms together, begin to take that right leg across the body, down to the mat, over to the right for our leg circles and straight back up. Inhale press into the palms, exhale circle the leg. Palvesties really anchored in square inhale.

XL, we circle pulling that belly deeper to reach those toes a little higher at the top. One more this direction across down, out, lengthen to lift and hold. Inhale, exhale reverse to the right. Down. Over lengthening outer hip and thigh. Pull the belly in to lift those toes higher for three.

Cinching that core sit a little tighter. For two. Around and up. One more time we circle. Lift and stay.

Take a breath in. Ball into the right hand, curl up towards your right thigh. Hover that left leg off the floor. Switch the ball into the left hand, scissor switch the legs, ball back into the right hand. We switch inhale. We switch exhale.

These could always be bent here. We're working to lengthen out the front of the hips and thighs, open up through the back of the legs, continuing to work that core stability, pelvic stability for four. Keep breathing three. Last two. Last one. Hold it here, lift up a little higher with control right leg to the mat.

Left knee bends. Release the head for a moment. Place the ball onto your left thigh between your palm and your left thigh. They're really pressing into that ball to work deeper into that core. We curl back up with the support of the right hand at the base of the neck and skull, and then we have the option to hover that right leg to eye level. Tea, breathe in to prepare, curl a little higher, twist elbow to ball.

Back to center on the inhale, we twist on the exhale. I'm thinking about a seat belt across my hip bones the whole time really working to stay stable, lift as you twist. Inhale center. Lift as you twist working from the breath, exhale that air out to stay, ball between the right elbow and left thigh, left hand to the base in the neck and skull. Can we curl a little higher? Start to bend that right knee in.

Lengthen that right leg out. Pull it in. Twist a little deeper, lengthen that leg a little longer. Resist. Keep pressing into the ball, into the thigh last time with a bent knee. Now maybe that right leg stays straight or almost straight as it lifts and lowers.

Again, lots of options here. You could choose just to hold this crunch for two. One more lift. And lower. Little pulses up into that ball.

Left elbow reaches further back. Maybe left toes reach higher to the sky. Final eight, think of scissoring legs together. Six lifting chest a little higher chest stays open for three. For two, hold up on one, start to come back to center, take that ball into the left hand, reach the arms up, lower the right leg down, take a breath to prepare, press the palms together, circle that left leg across the body, down to the left shoulders, pull down belly, pulls down toes reach up.

We cross, take it down, out, and up for two. Think of zipping up through that low waist to lift the leg higher at the top. One more really use your core to do the work here as you open up through the hip, inhale to stay, exhale to reverse, out down across, lengthen to lift. Out, down and around, pull the belly deeper, reach those toes a little higher for two. And, one Marwee circle, lift and hold, inhale, exhale curl up ball into the left hand, hover that right leg, switch hands inhale, switch legs exhale continuing to alternate the scissor of the legs and the ball from hand to hand option to flex through the feet, get even more stretch for the back of the hamstrings and calves.

Breathe it. Breathe out to crawl a little higher. Reach a little higher. For three. Last two.

Last one, lift both legs up and hug those knees back in letting the head release, and then with control releasing those feet back to the floor. We'll place the ball back between our inner thighs once again, very much feeling that inner thigh connection from what we've done thus far, and then option to take one weight in either hand once again. We've done a little bit of bridge work pelvic press Now, we're gonna add on using the hand weights. Anytime you're lifted and more weight is on the head back of the neck area, make sure your gaze stays up. You're not turning your head here. Feet press down.

Arms reach up. I think fist towards the ceiling right over the shoulders. Shoulder blades pull down inner thighs squeeze tight. Take a breath and exhale tuck and curl the hips back up into that bridge pose. Now we've been here before, but without the arms pressing into the floor, becomes a little more challenging for both our balance, our stability, our glutes from here with control, start to float those arms back overhead, remembering that movement's always optional, and then exhale reach the arms straight back up to the ceiling as you maybe squeeze the glutes, squeeze the ball a little bit tighter. Moving from our shoulder joints here opening up through the armpits out through those arms, exhale that the ribs tighter reach those arms back to the sky. Two more times. Arms float back.

Arms reach up. One more arms reach back. Arms reach up. This time bringing the hands and the weights all the way down to the thighs, placing the weights onto our hips for a little added glute work with that added weight, pelvis lifts up hip bones press into the weight, squeeze into the ball, drive your heels into the floor, maybe wiggle your toes a little bit. We pulse the hips down an inch, and up an inch, inhale lower, exhale lift. The more weight you press into your heels, versus your toes and balls of the feet, the more we're gonna work the posterior chain backside of the body.

We wanna work the hamstrings, work the glutes here as we lengthen out the front of these hips and thighs. Three more lower and inch inhale. Lift up as you exhale, pelvis presses into the weights to the sky one more time lower, lift and hold. Keep driving the feet down, reach the arms back up over the chest. From here, option to add one leg at a time. Our right foot presses into the floor.

Our left leg extends long. Now you should feel equal weight into both shoulder blades. If not, maybe you choose to opt out of that leg lift or the arms being lifted. Press the pelvis a little higher, squeeze the ball a little tighter. Bend your elbows wide for a wide elbow row on the inhale, press those arms up on the exhale inhale to bend, ribs draw together, inner thighs squeeze tighter together inhale to bend, exhale to extend. Inhale. Can we press the pelvis a little bit higher than add a small pulse, hips lower an inch as the elbows bend, hips lift as elbows extend only three more.

Think ribs draw together, inner thighs squeeze together really working our obliques. Everything draws to the midline too. One more. Lift that pelvis up. Keep those thighs and hips square.

Hold it. Slowly, bend that left knee. Left foot drives into the floor, shoulders drive into the mat. Right leg extends long. Making sure you're square and stable here. We change our palm facing.

Palms pressed together, weights pressed together. This time elbows bend right over the shoulders, think head of the weight, thumb towards the crown of the head, arms extend back up high to the sky. Inhale elbows bend. Exhale elbows extend. We should be feeling this underneath that left sit bone and butt cheek, first and foremost, lift the pelvis a little higher, squeeze the ball a little bit tighter.

Elbows bend, belly pulls down elbows extend, adding that small pulse to the hips, lower niche, squeeze the seat, squeeze the ball, lift an inch. For three, lift and squeeze. Two more. Lift and squeeze. Can you tighten a muscle a little bit more. Maybe it's the ball.

Maybe it's the core knit the ribs tight, squeeze the ball tight, hold at the top with control right foot onto the mat, equal weight into the heels, press the pelvis a little bit higher. Open those arms back to shoulder width flip the palms to face your legs, take a breath in, and with control, melt back down into that mat, bone by bone, working all the way down. Instead of collapsing, can you keep squeezing your glutes keep squeezing the ball? Until finally your pelvis releases heavy on the mat from here. You feel your pelvis heavy on the floor. Give it a little wiggle. Yeah.

That sacrum only flat bone in your body is flat on the mat. You use your low belly, your pelvic or your pubic bone pulls down into that sacrum to support you as you float your legs back to tabletop shoulder blades still stay down into the back into the mat. Breathe in exhale curl up to the tips of the shoulder blades. Think of reaching your weights and your arms towards the outside of your knees, squeeze the ball tighter as you inhale. Begin to curl all the way up. Now we're aiming to find a balance in a bent knee teaser. Maybe you ditch the weights, maybe you hold on behind the back of your legs.

This is challenging. Squeeze the ball tighter as you breathe in, shins are parallel to the floor, lower back down to the tips of the shoulder blades. The arms stay reaching up, the belly keeps pulling back. Find that hover, hold it fight for it, inhale here. Exale, think of scooping out through your waist as you curl right back up.

One more time like that inhale, exhale lower to the tips of the shoulder blades. We're stabilizing our legs by really working inner thighs into that ball. One more breath in. Exhale to lift up and hold. From here, your palms flip up and then your arms lower down to hover off the mat by the hips and exhale scoop to lift them right back up.

Maybe you choose to opt out of the weights maybe you lower your feet to the floor for a little more support here. If you're balancing with me squeeze that ball, pull the waistline back as your arms reach up adding on for a little more challenge as the arms extend up the legs extend up nothing else moves knees bend to tabletop arms lower to hover by the hips, exhale belly pulls back arms and legs reach up. Try to keep a slight curl in your low back by pulling your waistline back, but keeping the heart and the chin lifted. One more time. Fight for it. Inhale. We lift and hold.

Take one more breath and squeeze that ball a little bit tighter. Bend your knees. With control, release the weights. If you have them, keep your legs lifted if you can, take the back of your legs and lift your heart forward. Right away, this position should allow your hips to release. Tuck the chin over the chest.

The more you squeeze the ball, the more you press your legs in the hands, hands in the legs, the more the front of those the flexors and thighs will release. We move into a rolling like the ball exercise in this shape. Roll back inhale. Chins stays tucked over the chest. Your head never touches the mat, gaze at that ball squeeze it tighter. Two more. Take it back.

Rock it up. I need that balance point. Even for a split second on the way back. Like a little shelf on your shoulders and pause for a moment option to continue like that, or extend those legs for open leg rocker. Maybe your hands go higher. You squeeze the ball.

You bend your elbows. Chint stays tucked. You rock back on that inhale. You rock right back up legs pressing the hands, hands into the legs. You're gazing at your ball.

Fears is pink and pretty like mine. So fun to look at. Really tuck that chin over the chest. Keep it there as you rock back and all the way up the top you hold. Take a moment. Lift through the heart, squeeze into the ball.

Reach your arms up. Find your teaser, find your balance and stay. Neil that landing. Take one more breath and lift up one inch higher through the heart, squeeze the ball. Let those legs release.

Take it out. Alright. Well, we're warm now. We're gonna take a moment in a butterfly stretch. Let the knees open. Just take a second to let your chest release maybe butterfly shake those legs out.

We're gonna continue to use the ball for a little bit of spine stretch. Make sure your weights are still off to the side of your mat. Your heels reach towards the front corners of your mat so those legs are like a pizza pie slice shape and that ball comes between the thighs. One hand and the other on top sit up tall, find your sit bones. Now, we're using our belly to lift out of the waist, to lift out of the hips and the thighs, a soft bend of the knees is always an option here. Take a deep breath in to prepare. Exale chin over the chest, pull the waist back as you round and reach up and over those legs.

And y'all coming all the way back up tall, exhale rounding up and over like you're curling over a bigger beach ball. Lengthen back up, think digging back of the heels down pressing the palms into the ball, round up and forward. One more time, inhale to lift through the waist, exhale to round and reach come all the way back up and exhale, relax those shoulders down. Think of the same thing, but with that ball to the outside for our saw. From here, I'm gonna take left hand onto the ball, reach that right arm forward, kind of over my right pinky toe, shoulders pull down inhale exhale start to slide the ball on the outside of that right calf as you reach that right palm back and flip that right palm up really feel that twist in your waist.

Slide back up to vertical. I think one arm over the other engaging into our packs breathe in. Exhale reach forward and back in opposition like someone's pulling you through the fingertips opening up through that right oblique but keeping both sit bones really anchored to the mat. Now if you want a little more, you could take that weight into your right hand watch the palm facing, watch your shoulder alignment deep breath in. X, so we start to open. That right thumb goes down and then that palm reaches up a little more work for that tricep.

Start to slide back up, watch your shoulder mobility here, take takes a lot of control. We don't want to hurt ourselves. Sholders can be kind of tricky if they're stiff, pull up in your waist, pull down in your lats, reach that right palm higher to the sky, press that left palm more firmly into the ball, lift through the waist. Think arm over arm squeeze and scissor them together last time inhale and exhale. Lift up and center.

Release that weight. Other side. Ball to the outside of the left knee, right palm onto it, left arm reaches forward, begin to twist and reach, think fingertips towards the left toe, left palm to the ceiling, left and square it off. Inhale and exhale. Think right ear towards that left thigh. Lift and center.

Option to add that weight in your left hand watch the shoulder mobility twist, thumb goes down, palm flips up, lift it higher, pull the shoulder blades down further, slowly rotate back to center using those obliques. For to reach up and back, lift and center. Last time, twist and reach and lift and center and rest. From here, we're gonna take the ball towards the front of our mat and the weights towards the front of the mat. I'm gonna spin around. We'll move into some swan working in a little more hyper extension of the spine opening up through the chest.

So my ball and my hand weights will be moved to the front side here, whatever way you're facing. And again, similar to the spine stretch palms will be on top of the ball. Forehead can release down, toes reach back, fingertips reach forward, fire up in those inner thighs and glutes yet again. Let your shoulders lift to your ears. Reach your fingertips to one side of the room here.

Your toes to the other. Big shoulder shrug up and then start to pull your shoulder blades down into your back. Fill your lats engaged. Let's do that one more time. Big shoulder shrug up to your ears, not to the ceiling, but maybe let your shoulder blades actually or your shoulders tops of them.

I should say touch your ear lobes. And then feel that ball slide towards the crown of the head as your shoulder blade slide into your back. Now can we try and keep them there as we breathe in, press palms into the ball, start to lift the chest up as we breathe out. Engage in your triceps, lift the heart, lift the bottom ribs, maybe the belly button a little higher from the mat, and then pull the waistline away from the floor as you lower and lengthen down. Think of instead of just lengthening down lengthening out, growing longer through the limbs.

One more time, deep breath in, shoulders slide away from the ears, press the palms into the ball, into the earth, lift your heart forward and up, deep breath in, exhale pull the waistline up, lower in length and all the way down and away. From here, we'll keep the ball there. Keep those legs connected tops of the feet pressing into the floor. See if it rolls away and then take one weight again optional in either hand. From here, pull your elbows back, think fingertips or thumbs or fist facing towards where that ball was, squeeze inner thighs together, start to hover your forearms as you inhale, and then hover your chest up as you exhale.

Little more upper back and arm work here starting with the right arm. We reach it forward, and then we pull it back. Inhale, left arm forward. Xhale pull it back, thinking about that shoulder mobility yet again. Release squeeze between your glutes, squeeze between your shoulder blades as you pull them away from your ears, one more with that left arm forward, and back option to take both arms together here for a total reach, pull and lift. The tops of the feet stay down.

The glutes stay connected. Last two. And pull one more time inhale and exhale. Hold it here. See if you can lift the chest a little higher. And then lower everything down with control.

Release those weights to the sides. Give your hips a little wiggle side to side. Palms press underneath the shoulders, inner thighs glued together, toes tucked underneath us. Option to always have your knees down on the mat here for a little more support. We take a breath in, and exhale press up into a plank position.

We'll hold it here for three breaths. Again, option to be on the knees, maybe on the forearms, deep inhale. Even deeper exhale. For two, inner thighs and glutes are connected, belly is lifted. One more breath in. Exhale to stay.

With control gently lower those knees down and take a moment to sit all the way back. These could be together or parted into a rest position child's pose. Fingerhips reach forward. Sit bones reach back. Open up through the chest and the shoulders.

Take a deep breath here and exhale let something go. Maybe roll out your wrists a little bit. We're gonna come up onto them for a little bit of work on all fours for our legs and our glutes. Palms start to come down shoulders over the wrists, feet and legs parallel tops of the feet pressing down, and then we're gonna take our ball. Slide it underneath your left palm to start.

So that palm is still underneath the shoulder. I'm hugging my elbows in to start working into my triceps, and then I keep my right shin foot and right palm rooted as my left leg extends back. Now right away, this ball is squishy. It's hard to stay stable. Pull the shoulders down, lift the leg a little higher, lengthen through the toes and the crown of the head on the inhale, pull that knee into the nose on the exhale lifting in your waist, pressing both palms into the earth.

Inhale lengthen through the spine and the leg. XL, pull the belly up. Try not to sink into the right hip or the wrist. I'm really working from my left arm. Inhale lengthen.

Exhale curl up and in. Once more, lengthen out. Pull the waistline up. Link then all the way out long to stay and hold. Shift slightly further forward, hug those elbows in.

We lower for a tricep push up. Elbows hug in towards the ribs, belly pulls up heart lifts up. Think forehead hovers off the floor as the left toe slide up the back wall, press them out away. Keep that left wrist really safe. You don't wanna roll back on to that wrist.

Keep it right underneath you. One more time, forward and down, and press to stay. Now we're gonna get off the wrist. Your right forearm comes parallel to the front of your mat. I'm pressing into this right forearm. I'm still pressing into the ball, and then I open my hips up I pull my shoulder blades down, lift that left leg a little higher, pull the left knee into the left tricep as you press left palm into the ball, inhale lengthen the leg back, exhale to crunch it in.

Two more like this, really finding a length and a stretch through the hip and the thigh, out through the knee and the toes, working from the left oblique here. Pull that knee in, lengthen the leg all the way back. And then exhale bring it all the way back down. Now we'll do the same thing, but with the ball into the crease of that left calf and hamstring. So make sure you really wedge it in there.

Come up onto your left fingertips to again protect that wrist, and then think about where you just were, but that left knee is now bent holding that ball. Really open up the hips. Pull the shoulders away from the ears. Drive that right forearm down, deep breath, and exhale left knee to left tricep lengthen through that hip. Crunch from the left oblique.

The crown of the head continues to reach forward the shoulder blades continue to pull down so I'm not rounding or crunching in the chest or the neck. I'm really just crunching that knee in from my left oblique adding on leg lengthens back and then it crosses. Think side to side knee to knee behind the other. Open up the hips inhale, exhale crunch back to the left, arm as we exhale, lengthen back, twist it underneath. Left thigh lifts.

Left obliques work to crunch knee to tricep two more of each. Open up through the hip. Think left knee behind that right thigh. Maybe it taps the calf open. Pull it in. One more time out.

And under and lift and pull it in from here. Link in that leg back, press into the left palm and right up onto your right palm. Now I'm working to square off my hips, lift in the waist. Shoulders are square, lift that left leg a little higher, squeeze that ball a little bit tighter, lower it down to hover off the mat, lift it right back up, lower inhale. Pull the belly up as you lift that leg up on the exhale for two. One more inhale. Exhale. We're gonna add a circle, take it down to start, then to the left, opening up the hip, rotate to square it off, and lower.

To the left up. Again, pelvis is square. Maybe challenge yourself. Could you hover that right palm off the mat? Maybe you even bring your right palm to the low back to stabilize. We reverse our circle. Lift the thigh. Rotate.

Take it down. Hips stay square core is lifted for three. Lower with control. Two. And down. One more time. Lift, circle, and lower.

Lift that thigh up. Last thing here, press them out of the way to save your wrist to lift in your heart to engage in the back. Tuck the right toes. Maybe you stay right here. If you can, you hover that right knee off the floor.

You pulse your left leg up a little bit higher. Final five, squeeze that ball for. Three, two, and one. Lower the right knee if it's lifted. Lower the left knee. Take that ball out and take a moment in your child's pose.

Maybe hands on the ball, lengthen through the wrist and the fingertips linking back through the hips, take a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. We have one more side to push through here. We can do it. Ball underneath the right palm. Shoulders over those wrists, hug your elbows in. I like to think of like two doorknobs and I'm turning away from one another so that inner elbow crease is forward.

It's gonna really work nicely into the lats to take some weight off the wrist. My left shin stays down. My right leg floats back, square it off, lift in the core, shoulders down, leg lengthens out on the inhale, pull the knee into the nose as you exhale. Inhale to stretch a little longer. Pull it up and into the nose a little tighter.

Really take your gaze back there. You're gonna challenge your balance, challenge your core strength and stability, and also loosen through the neck. For two. One more. Reach and contract, reach it out, shoulders away from the ears shift slightly further forward, hug those elbows in. We have our tricep push ups, inhale lower, exhale lift, trying our best to keep our pelvis square so we don't sink too far into that left hip.

It's a challenge. I know. Two. One more down. And, thread that left forearm parallel to the front of the mat. Come up onto that right palm on the ball, open your hips up, pull your shoulder blades down, lengthen that right leg a little longer, exhale crunch knee to tricep. Inhale, stretch out through the thigh.

Pull that right knee and using that right waistline for two. We know what's coming now, so use this moment to really lengthen all the way out through the leg, find that full extension. And then lower that right knee down, ball comes inside that right knee crease, right fingertips onto the mat, right away. Open those hips up. Pull those shoulders back. Open your heart up.

Deep breathe in. Squeeze that ball, exhale. Need to tricep. Inhale open the hips to that side wall, wherever you're facing, really feeling length in the front of the right hip and thigh, and then that engagement from inside that right oblique. I think right between the top of your pelvis and your right bottom rib crunching from that waist one more inhale and exhale.

We add our twist knee lifts. We twist our hips down. We tap the right knee behind the left calf. Open it up inhale. Crunch it in as you exhale.

Again, lengthen shoulders away from the ears long line of the spine. Crunch it in. Squeeze and hold on to that ball and pull it to the tricep. Two more lengthen and open. Crunch and twist, pulling back in that waistline open, and in last one lengthen, and twist, and lift.

And pull it in close, lengthen it all the way back. Hold it up there. Press onto your right palm. Press onto your left palm. Square off through the hips.

Think hip bones, collar bones pointed down. Belly pulls up heart lifts up. Knee lowers to hover off the floor, thigh lifts up ideally parallel to the mat, but not coming at the expense of sinking into that low back for two shoulders away from the ears, heart lifts between those shoulder blades one more down. And up, taking our circle starting down, then out to the side, then rotating up. Again, down. Maybe you hover left palm.

Try not to sink into that left hip, keep it over that left knee to Keep breathing one more. Then reverse to the right. Down waistline pulls up right glute squeezes to lift for three. You're almost there. Use that breath too.

And lift one more time. Lift and hold. Left palm is down. Palms press down. Maybe you tuck those right toes and press them down to hover that left knee.

Final little pulses right toes high to the sky, belly lifts up for four. For three. For two. And one. Gently lower both knees down. Take that ball out.

Whoo. It stuck to me. Take a moment to sit all the way back. Again, maybe letting your knees open. Let your chest release a little further between your thighs. Take a deep breath in and exhale. Let something go. From here, place that ball off to the side, your weights off to the side. We're gonna come up onto all fours for a brief cat cow stretch to release through that back a little more shoulders away from the ears, wiggle your tail, lift through your heart breathing.

Exhale rounding contract up. Feel that lift in the waist. Once more all together, inhale heart forward, shoulders slide down the back. Exhale rounding contract taking that gaze back towards your thighs, holding that rounded spine, tuck the toes on the inhale right away, lift the knees up, pike the hips up, find a downward dog as you exhale. From here, let's take a moment, bend into those knees a little deeper inhale.

XL, press both heels a little closer to the floor. Your chest a little closer to the thighs. Lift both heels up inhale. Exhale bend into the right knee, left heel closer to the mat. Taking a moment here, catching our breath, inhale lift, exhale right heel to the floor, left knee bends.

One more time, both heels high. Both heels all the way down to the floor. Slowly, walk your hands back towards your toes, feel your core lift up to do so. And once you arrive, meet me in a forward fold at the back of the mat. Keep your toes about fist distance apart between that big toe side inner side of your foot and then bring your heels together so your feet create a v pilates stance.

I like to think of a heart shape. Keep weight into your toes. Take a breath and begin to lift in your belly and round up through your spine vertebra by vertebra arms stay by the ears, taking our time in four. Try not to rush these moments. Can you squeeze your glutes tighter? Three.

Zip up tighter through your inner thighs. Everything we worked with that ball too. Lengthen through the crown of the head tall on one. Pull the shoulder blades down. Now begin to find or elevate a hover of your heels.

All that work we did with the ball squeezing in the inner thighs, working the back of the legs and the glutes. You have to use it here to balance lifting your waist. If you engage those muscles, you should just be able to hang out here. Cook your dinner here. Brush your teeth here. Challenge yourself.

Squeeze the buns, soften the shoulders, breathe in. Reverse where you just came from lead with the fingertips in the crown of the head. Keep the back of those legs zipping up, especially challenging. If you're on a nice squishy mat like this, pull up in the waist. Can you lift in your core? Think of rounding over again that big beach ball. Rounded, rounded, rounded, rounded through the spine.

Fight for it. Feel those shakes happen. That's when that change happens in your body and your mind. Once your fingertips come close to hovering or touching down, let them. Last moments here are finished strong. We crawl out we find our plank position and we hold. If you can, your feet stay in pilates stance.

If you need to swivel to parallel or go down to your knees, feel free to do so. Shift slightly forward over the fingertips. We have five tricep push ups, elbows bend to the ribs, inhale, press the earth away as you exhale for a four, lift in the heart, lift in the waist. Bund stay tight three. Last two.

Really make sure those elbows graze the side of the body hold. Press up. Fight for it. Pike your hips up and begin to walk your hands back. Can you keep the weight in the toes? Can you keep your heels hovering an inch or two from the floor? Squeeze inner thighs and seat together.

Lift in the knees. Lift in the thighs, begin to hover your fingertips. We roll up in five. Every muscle in the body is working here in four. Continuing to use the breath three.

Pull up tighter in the waist. Two. Find that beautiful length through the crown of the head, reach up through your fingertips, lift everything one inch taller to the sky, and with control, lower everything down. You should very much feel taller, more lifted when you started class, hopefully a little warmer and sweatier. Thank you so much for joining me.