Class #4725

Day 8: I am Playful

35 min - Class
72 likes

Description

Welcome to Day 8 - I am Playful! In this class, you will move through playful and creative variations of Traditional Pilates exercises. By creating a sense of heat and spaciousness your spine will feel amazing after this class. Make sure you have space to move around and even to roll off of your Mat!

I allow myself to have fun in my Pilates practice and in life. I embrace every part of my journey with positive energy and enthusiasm because I find adventure in possibility.

Your journaling prompt is: My most recent playful experience was...
What You'll Need: Mat

About This Video

Transcript

Read Full Transcript

Welcome to day eight of our challenge. Today's theme is "I Am Playful." So let's have a little bit of fun with our Pilates workout. We'll start at the base of the mat with a traditional descent, or you have the option to just meet me on the mat. Heels together, toes apart, stabilize and ground your feet. Lift your powerhouse.

Reach your arms forward and stack your forearms. Press your head through the ceiling as you bend your knees, elbows and chin forward, hips back, heels together. And then with control, lower, and then sit back just a little bit. Knees bent, feet flat, press your hands to the backs of your thighs, and just grow. Press your head through the ceiling, the half roll back.

Curl your tailbone under, rolling back, searching for the mat with the backs of your hips. Once your elbows are almost straight, curl your tailbone under more. Try to keep your hips where they are as you round forward. Hold this shape. Meet your arms parallel to the mat.

Push your feet into the floor and roll back, stopping when your fingertips are level with your kneecaps. Hold here, scoop deeper. Take an inhale. As you exhale, pull your lower abdominals back as your arms go up to eye level. Inhale and lower.

Exhale. Your abs go in and up. Your arms slide up the wall in front of you, and lower. One more. Pull your navel back as your arms go forward.

Lower them to parallel. Scoop deeper, round forward. From your tailbone, roll back. Push your feet into the floor. We're gonna scissor our arms this time.

So curl your tailbone under, right arm and then left arm, stabilize your Pilates box. You have one more set. After the last one, reach your arms forward. Pull your hip points back as your head goes forward. Adding arm circles, and roll back.

Starting with your tailbone, try to get your hip points to face the ceiling. Arm circles. Scoop as you circle for three, exhale. Pull your navel back, two, and one. Reverse your circles.

Pull your waist back as your arms go forward. Last one. Keep reaching your arms forward. Roll to the bottom tips of your shoulder blades and freeze. Pull your waist into the floor.

Hug your knees into your chest. The hundred. Legs forward, waist back and pump. Inhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. And exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Inhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. And exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Reach from the base of your armpits and pull your waist back. One more set like this, changing the breath. Inhale, 2, 3, 4, exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Inhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Inhale, 2, 3, 4, exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Two more, 2, 3, 4, exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. One more. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Hug your knees into your chest. Set up for the roll up. I'm gonna grab my strap. Let's just flow through the roll up. So lie down.

Find the oppositional reach of your tailbone forward, naval back. Arms go up. Inhale, dive your head through your arms. Exhale, inhale. Pull your waist back, exhale.

Roll down one bone at a time. Arms go up. Pull your hip point back as you dive forward. Inhale, press your thighs down. Pull your waist back, roll all the way down.

Arms go up. Inhale, dive through your arms. Exhale, inhale. Press your legs down. Roll down one bone at a time.

Two more, arms up. Pull your hip points back, round forward. Inhale, roll to the back of your hips. Exhale, roll through your spine. Final one.

Pull your waist back, round forward. Pull your waist back. Exhale, down, arms go up and back. The roll over. Press your arms down.

Reach your legs forward and up. Press your arms down and then your spine. Lift your hips up and over your powerhouse. Open, roll down. Reach your legs forward together.

You have one leg now. Roll up. Open, pull your waist forward. Reach your toes back in opposition. Together and up.

Keep your gaze up at your thighs, and you're ready to reverse. Open. Lift your tailbone to move your legs. Pull your spine forward to move your legs. Again, roll your hips up.

Keep pressing your upper arm bones down into the mat. You have one more. Roll to your tailbone. Keep pressing your arms down. Reach your left leg down, press it into the mat.

Reach your right sit bone to your left inner ankle, single leg circle. Rotate your pelvis. Pull your navel back. Rotate your pelvis. Pull your navel back.

Anchor your arms and your left leg. Two more. Final one. And then reverse. Open.

Pull your waist back and reach your left heel forward. Like that left heel is reaching off the front edge of your mat. Two more. Final one. Ready to scissor switch your legs.

Pull your waist into the mat. Lift and switch. Cross your leg over. Pull your waist back and lift. Cross.

Pull your navel back and reach that right leg forward. Two more. Are you still pressing your triceps and your right hamstring into the mat to stabilize your box? Reverse. Open, cross and lift.

Open, cross and lift. Open. Rotate your pelvis and return. Two more. Rotate your pelvis.

Final one. Reach your leg forward and down, going into rolling back. Reach your arms up and back. Reach your tailbone forward. Hip points towards your ribs.

Arms go up, curl your head and shoulder blades up. Float your legs up. Now let's play around with this a little bit. Let's just do three rolling backs first. Roll back, exhale up.

Two more. Lift your powerhouse. After this one, you're gonna stick it in balance. Roll back. Find your balance.

Go into a teaser. Reach. Go back into rolling back. Open leg rocker. Lift your tailbone.

Then roll back. Roll up. Rolling back. Lift your tailbone up. Teaser.

Rolling back. Roll up. Open leg rocker. Roll back. Roll up.

Rolling back. Lift your tailbone up. Teaser without letting your spine move. Last one. Open leg rocker.

Lift your waist to roll back. Roll up. Bring your legs together. Bend your knees. You're gonna roll back into single leg stretch.

So roll back and extend your left leg. Create length from your leg all the way to the back of your waist, and then switch. Scoop to pull, and pull, and in and in. Keep pulling your waist into the mat. You have one more set.

Hug your knees into your chest. Rock up to seated. We're gonna play around with the double leg stretch. It's a rolling double leg stretch. Make sure you have space to roll.

I am going to turn to make sure I have space. I'm gonna demo it for you once. Sound effects are welcome. Okay, so hug your knees into your chest. Reach into your double leg stretch.

When I rotate to the right, I lift my left hip up, I make my body longer, and then hug my knees in. I reach, I lift my right hip up because I'm going to the left, and then hug my knees in. Ready? Okay, so set yourself up, go into your tight ball. Reach, create as much length as you can.

Press your left hip over your right hip and then rotate. Hug your knees in, reach. Press your right hip over your left. Make your body long, and then hug in. One more set.

Reach, press your left hip over your right hip, and then lift and rotate. Final one. Reach, and then hug everything in. Rock up to seated. Let's do the spine stretch.

So separate your legs a little wider than your hips. Reach your arms forward. Inhale, lower your chin, exhale all the air out. Empty your lungs. Inhale, roll all the way up.

Adding on, point your feet turnout. Curl your tailbone under, round back. Scoop your lower abdominals and float your feet up, and then reach your arms so far forward. You come back up to seated, spine stretch, inhale. Lower your chin, exhale, round forward.

Press your thighs down to roll up. Scoop your powerhouse. Round the back. Pull your hip point into your navel. Float your legs up.

Tip the top of your Pilates box forward to come up. Flex your feet. Lift, lower, exhale, round forward. Inhale, press your thighs down. Roll up.

Point your feet, hug your midline. Pull your waist back, and then scoop to float your legs up. Tip the top of your box forward. Sit up nice and tall. One more.

Lift, lower your chin, empty your lungs. Round forward. Press your thighs down. Roll up. This time, you're gonna catch your ankles.

Curl your tailbone under, pull your waist back. Float your legs up. Catch, open leg rocker. Three of them. Roll back, roll up.

Two more. Roll back, exhale up, one more. And then let's play around with this. Bring your legs together. Keep lifting your powerhouse.

Let's do three here. Roll back, press your inner thighs together and come up. And again, roll back. Press your inner thighs together to come up. One more.

Poll back, press your inner thighs together. Hold. From here, walk your hands down the backs of your thighs. You're ready for your corkscrew. Press your arms into the mat and then roll up and over.

Rotate your hips to the right, and then roll down the right side of your spine. Swing your legs around. Roll up the left side of your spine, rotate center. Reverse, rotate your hips. Roll down, like you're tracing your left arm, and then roll up and center, rotate.

Pull your chest bone away from your chin. Roll up and center. Rotate your hips. Make sure your gaze is still straight up towards the ceiling. One more set.

Use your arms like chest expansion. Press them through the mat. Final one. Press your arms down as you rotate. After this, you're gonna rock up to seated for the saw.

Dive your head forward. Come up to seated, the saw. Separate your legs. Reach your arms wide to the side. Grow, twist.

Look at your back hand. Round forward. Rotate your ribs back. Rotate your ribs back. Rotate them back.

Reach back to roll up, and center. Lift to twist. Press your arm up. Press your arm up as you rotate. Press, roll all the way up and center.

Lift to twist. Round forward. Can you press your right arm behind you? Press it behind you. Press it behind you.

Roll up and center. Lift to twist, round forward. Pull your left ribs back, pull them back. Can you press your left arm behind you? Roll up.

One more set. Twist, round forward. Pull your right ribs back. Pull them back more. Pull them back more.

Roll up and center. Final one. Round forward. Pull your lower abs back. Keep pulling them back.

Keep pulling them back. Roll up, center. All right, let's play around with the swan dive. No momentum for this one. So lie down on your stomach.

Thumbs go right above your shoulders. Elbow points next to your waist. Most important thing, maximum length in your spine. Press your head through the wall in front of you. Reach your tailbone back.

Pull your lower abdominals forward. Can you reach your legs further back? Inhale. Pull your chest forward and up. Connect your arms into your back by pressing your elbows down all 10 fingers.

Widen your collarbone. In one motion, reach your arms and legs up. Now can you lift your chest up higher? Now reach your toes for the wall behind you. Lift your chest up, legs back, and then send your chest forward, legs up.

One more. Slide your chest up the wall, and then press your legs up. Lower all the way down. Sit back on your heels for a beat. Let's do single leg kicks on our forearms today.

So prop yourself up with your elbows underneath your shoulders. Press down with your forearms. Pull your chest forward and up. I'm lifting my lower abdominals to the top of the wall. Lift your legs up as an option.

Kick, kick, switch, kick, kick. Keep lifting your powerhouse and opening up the top of your Pilates box. Kick, kick, one more set. Kick, kick, and kick, kick. Reach your legs back, the double kick.

Right ear goes on the mat. Grab your hand. Kick 3, 2, 1, press your thighs up. Chest forward. Other side, kick for 3, 2, 1.

Press your thighs up. Chest reaches for the wall in front of you. Switch hands, kick, two, one. Press your pubic bone down as your thighs go up. Can you make your legs longer?

Final one, 3, 2, 1. Reach back with your arms and legs, forward with your powerhouse and chest, lower. Sit back on your heels. Round. All right, let's play around with the neck pull.

So turn around. If you have a strap, slide your feet under the strap. If not, you know to flex strongly. Pull the soles of your feet back, interlace your fingers behind your head, and pull your neck up. Keep growing taller.

Curl your tailbone under, and roll just to the back of your hips. Keep sending your heels forward, and then round forward. Dive your head towards your knees. Press your thighs down. Roll all the way up.

Now we'll roll to your waist. Lift up. Curl your tailbone under. Backs of your hips touch first, and then your waist touches. Send your heels and tailbone forward to round forward.

Roll all the way up. Now you go to the bottom tips of your shoulder blades. Lift up. Backs of your hips touch first, then your waist, then the bottom tips of your shoulder blades. Recover, round forward.

Roll all the way up. This time, roll all the way down. Lift your spine. Roll to the back of your hips. As you pull the back of your neck up, your waist, bottom tips of your shoulder blades and head roll up.

Dive your head up and over, round forward. Press your thighs down and lift. Lift your neck, curl your tail under. Backs of your hips, waist, bottom tips of your shoulder blades and your head. Arms go by your side, bend your knees for the shoulder bridge.

I'm gonna play with this too. Press your upper arm bones and your feet into the floor. Start off with just a pelvic tilt. Pull your hip points to the back of your waist, and then go back into neutral. Add a pelvic tilt, a pelvic lift.

Sorry. Do your pelvic tilt. Press your arms and feet down. Lift just your hips up. But can you keep your waist on the mat and then roll back down?

Starting off with your pelvic tilt, rock your pelvis back. Deepen that pelvic tilt in order to lift your hips up, press your feet and your arms down, and then try to lift up even higher. Your ribs reluctantly leave the mat. And then roll down one bone at a time. Now we'll add the legs.

So you start off with your pelvic tilt. Press your feet and arms down. Pelvic lift. Your waist stays on the mat. Your ribs now reluctantly leave the mat.

Press your arms and feet down. Can you deepen the pelvic tilt? And then reach your right leg up towards the ceiling. Press your hips up and reach your leg forward and down and up. And reach it forward and down and up.

One more. Forward and down and up. Bend your knee, foot goes flat. Reach your tailbone towards your knees. Roll down one bone at a time, starting off with your pelvic curl, and then your pelvic lift, and then your ribs reluctantly leave the mat.

Press your arms and feet down. Push down in order to lift your left leg up. Lift your hips and lower and lift. Lift to lower and lift your leg. One more, lift.

Bend your knee, place your foot flat, and then deepen your pelvic tilt. Roll down one bone at a time. From here, hug your knees into your chest. Rock up to seated for the spine twist. Straighten your legs.

Pull the soles of your feet back. Interlace your fingers behind your head this time like the neck pull, and constantly pull the back of your neck up. Lift the bones in your back, and the new twist. 3, 2, 1, and return center. Pull the back of your neck up as you rotate.

Elbows stay wide, rotate. 2, 1, and center. Lift and rotate. Two, rotate more. Center.

Reach your heels forward, spine up. Final one. Lift to rotate. Center. Reach your arms forward.

Jackknife. Curl your table under, roll down, press your arms into the mat, legs go up. Roll to the base of your ribs. Reach your tailbone up, toes up, and then keep pushing the ceiling away. Roll down.

Reach your legs forward and pull your waist back. And again, roll to the base of your rib, chest expansion, press arms down, hips up, and then roll down one bone at a time. Reach your legs forward, waist back. One more. Roll to the base of your ribs.

Chest expansion, lift, and then roll down one bone at a time. Reach your legs forward and down. Roll onto your right side for the side kicks. So set yourself up so you're lined up with the back edge of the mat. Let's start with your hand right in front of your waist.

Lengthen your spine, lift your legs, angle them forward. Lift your top leg to hip height. Lean into this hand a little. Open your chest. Kick twice to the front.

Kick, kick, press your leg back and scoop. And again, kick, kick. Press your leg back and scoop. Kick, kick, press your leg back to scoop. Three more, kick, kick.

Can you lengthen your neck? Final one. I think I lost count, let's do one more. And again, kick, kick, press it back and hold it back. Stack your legs one on top of the other.

Try to seal your legs together, and lift both legs up off the mat, and then lower. Seal them. Lift them both up, and then lower. Lift them both up. Your top leg goes behind you.

Find your scissor, switch, and switch and switch. Try to stabilize your hips, and switch and switch. One more set, switch and switch. Bring your legs together. Lower them down.

Transitional heel beats. Lengthen your spine as you flip onto your stomach. Root your pubic bone down, as your upper inner thighs lift up 10 beats, and go. Five. Lower your legs down, and let's go onto the other side.

I'm gonna spin to face you. Line your whole body up with the back edge of your mat. Place your arm in front of you. Lift your legs, angle them forward. Anchor your bottom leg.

Lift the top. Swing your leg twice to the front, kick, kick. Lift your lower abdominals to press your thigh back. And again, kick, kick. Lift your lower abdominals.

press your thigh behind you. Kick, kick. Pull your navel all the way up to your hand behind your head. Three more. Keep pulling your navel up the length of your spine.

I keep losing count. Let's say two more. Press your leg back and lift your powerhouse. Final one. And then press your leg back.

Can you scoop deeper? Make your legs longer. Stack your legs one on top of the other. Steel the backs of your upper inner thighs. Pull your neck like you did a neck pull.

Lift both legs up, and then lower. Lift both legs up, and then lower. Now you got to lift and hold. Press your top leg back, front leg forward. Make your leg longer, and then scoop and switch.

And switch and switch and switch. Keep pulling your navel into your hand behind you. Last one. Bring your legs together, lower all the way down. Teaser.

Come all the way up to seated. We're gonna just play around with teaser one a little bit. Press the backs of your upper inner thighs together. Hands next to your hips. Lift your waist, just like you do for open leg rocker transition, curl your tailbone under.

Pull your waist back and float your legs up into teaser. Reach your arms forward. Can you reach so far forward that your legs float down like you would in boomerang? And then place your hands next to you. Lift your powerhouse.

Pull your waist back. Float your legs up to eye level. Arms are parallel with your thighs. Now reach so far forward that you tip back. And then one more.

Lift, curl your tailbone under. As you pull your waist back, your legs float up. Reach your arms forward, and now hold here. Lift your waist. Reach further forward.

Float down with control. Last one you'll roll all the way down to your back. Scoop your powerhouse. Pull your waist back. Float your legs up to eye level.

Reach your arms forward. Now lift your waist to lift your arms. Pull your waist behind your shoulders. Roll all the way down one bone at a time. Hip twist on our forearms.

Prop yourself up. Press your forearms down, and then pull your lower abs into the mat. Extend your legs up. Pull your abs in deeper. Twist your hips.

Pull your lower abdominals in and center. Twist your hips. Pull your navel past your triceps, center. Rotate. Pull your navel past your triceps and center.

Twist. Pull your navel back and center. One more set. Final one. Move your legs from your powerhouse.

From here, float your legs down, let's do swimming, but we're gonna swim only with the bottom half. So reach your arms long in front of you, but as much as they reach forward, pull your shoulder blades away from the forward reach of your fingertips. Reach your tailbone back. Inhale, pull your powerhouse forward. That will slide your hands closer to you.

Anchor your palms and all 10 fingers. Pull your triceps back and pull your chest further forward. Now reach your tailbone and your legs up and swim. Inhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, and exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Inhale 2, 3, 4, 5, exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5.

One more set, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, reach. Lower your legs. Sit back on your heels and pause. Okay, so let's play around with leg pull front.

Look forward at your hands to make sure your index fingers are parallel to one another, and then shift your weight forward so your shoulders are over your wrists. Pull your triceps back and the crown of your head forward. Look down at the space between your hands. As you push down through your palms and all 10 fingers, tuck your toes under, reach your tailbone back and pull your lower abs forward. Point your left foot.

Lift and lower. Lift and lower. Lift and hold. Now press your hips back. Press your right heel down and your left toes up towards the top of the wall behind you.

Keep pressing through the pads of all 10 fingers. Start to shift your weight forward. Bend your knee into your chest. Step it between your hands and pause. Reach your sit bones towards the wall behind you.

Stack your hands on your knees. Then push down on your knee and do a pelvic curl, to roll up into a lunge. Reach your arms up towards the ceiling. Keep lifting your powerhouse like you're lengthening your lower back. Lift your hip points up into your navel.

Send your right heel back. Keep growing taller, and then reach up, round forward. Place your hands on the mat. Push your palms and all 10 fingers into the floor. Extend your left leg back.

Find your plank. Point your right foot. You lift, lower, lift, lower. Lift and hold. Press your hips back.

Push through your hands and reach your leg up. I'm pressing my left heel down, and then lift your heel. Pull your knee deep into your powerhouse. Step between your hands. Stack your hands on your knee, and then reach your sit bones back to square off your hips, and then push down, curl your tailbone under, and roll up.

Keep pushing down with that front leg. Reach your arms up. Now, instead of sinking into your lower back, push down with your front leg, lift your hip points up into your navel. Send your left heel back. Lift your powerhouse, round forward, push through your hands, reach your leg back.

Find your leg pull front position. Lower to your knees and then sit back for a beat. All right, let's work on leg pull back. So extend your legs. Place your hands behind you.

You have two options. Your fingers can either point forward or they can turn out to the side. Scoop your powerhouse. Push through your heels and your hands, and send your tailbone and your toes forward. Try to make a flat line with your spine, and now pull your lower abdominals in and up and try to lift your right leg up.

And then lower, same leg. Push your left heel down, lift your right leg up and lower. One more, lift and then lower, other side. Push down with your hands and your right heel, and lower. Reach your tailbone to the bottom edge of your mat.

One more, and then lower all the way down. You're ready for kneeling sidekicks. Come up to a kneeling position. Knees go underneath your hip point, extend your left leg out to the side. Reach your arms into a T.

Lift your waist, curve over, and your hand goes to the back of your head. Keep reaching this left elbow up. Lift your leg. Try to keep your hip over your bottom knee. Swing your leg to the front, press your head back as your leg goes back.

Swing your leg to the front. Press your head back 'cause your leg goes back. And again, front and back. Swing it to the front and back. One more.

Swing it to the front, press it back. Lower your foot down. Push the heel of your hand towards the wall on your right. Get the stretch. Windmill your arms up and then replace your knee.

Extend your right leg out to the side. Lift your powerhouse, curve over. Place your hand down, but keep reaching this top elbow up. Lift your top leg up. Swing your leg to the front.

Press your leg back and lift this elbow up. Swing your leg to the front. Exhale, press it back. Swing it to the front, press your neck and your thigh back. Swing it to the front, neck and your thigh go back.

Final one, and then lower your foot. Push the wall away with the heel of your hand, and then windmill your arms up. Bring your knees all the way together. Mermaid. Shift your hips to the right side of your heels.

This is not comfortable for me. You can stay in this position. I'm gonna change it into the stag position. Ground both sit bones. So feel like you're pulling your inner thighs together.

Left hand grabs your ankle. Reach your arm up, first you grow. Can you keep lifting up out of your sit bones, scrape the ceiling, reach for the top of the wall on your left, keeping your arm pinned against your head, and then lift up. Open your arms, lean on your right elbow. Reach your left sit bone to your left heel and get the stretch.

Windmill your arms up. Ground your sit bones by hugging your midline. Lift up out of your waist. Curve over to get that stretch on your side. Keep reaching up and then lift up.

Open your arms, lean on your elbow. Push the wall away with your hand. Windmill your arms up. Grab your ankles. Try to sit on your sit bones and then lift up to curve over.

Reach for the top of the wall. Lift up, final one on your elbow. Reach, pull your lower abdominals in. Push the wall away and try to get your left sit bone on your left heel. Come all the way up.

You pass through teaser to transition. Hands go behind you. Swing your legs to the front, and then go into your stag or your seated mermaid. Right hand holds your ankle. Hug your midline, reach your arms up.

Lift up, curve over. Try to reach for the top of the wall. Lift up, lean on your left elbow. Push the heel of your hand into the wall as your right sit bone reaches for your heel. Lift up.

Grab your ankle, ground your sit bone. Grow taller. Reach up, scrape the ceiling, and then reach for the top of the wall. Lift up, curve over. Reach your right sit bone towards your right heel.

Final one, lift up. Lift your spine. Try to grow. Keep lifting, curve over, lift all the way up. Reach, push the wall away with the heel of your hand.

Sit bone towards your heel. Come all the way up. Swing your legs to the front of the mat. You're ready for boomerang. Let's do four.

Press your upper inner thighs together, hands here. This will feel like the teaser we practiced. Lift, roll back, pass through your teaser. Return to your teaser. Arms go back, press your arms up.

Float your legs down. Round forward, lift up. Scoop, find your teaser, and then roll back. Switch, roll up. Find your teaser.

Press your arms up, round forward. Roll up, two more. Roll back. Find your teaser. Press your arms up.

Round forward. Roll all the way up to seated, final one. Waist back, legs up, switch. And then press your arms up. Round forward.

Come up to seated. Grab your ankles. Press your inner thighs into your arms. Arms into your inner thighs. Lift your powerhouse.

Clap three times, 3, 2, 1, roll back. 3, 2, 1, roll up. Clap, two, one, roll back. Clap, two, one. Try to suspend on your shoulder blades and pull yourself back up.

One more. Pull yourself up with your powerhouse. This time you can come all the way up to standing. Cross your ankles. Come up to standing, and finish in your Pilates stance.

And then you'll turn around, face the back of your mat, and we'll work on walking out into our pushup position. So go heels together, toes apart. Ground down through your inner heels. Reach your tailbone towards your heels. Arms go up.

The standing roll up. Lower your chin to your chest. Try to keep your hip points facing the wall in front of you as you round forward. If it's available to you, press your hands on the backs of your calves. Press your hands into your calves.

Lift your waist up off of your thighs, and press the backs of your upper inner thighs together. Keep the lift in your lower abdominals. Reach your arms forward. Press your palms into the mat like you're doing elephant. Press your hips forward to the front edge of the mat.

Walk forward three steps, 3, 2, 1, and you're in your plank position. Press your head forward, tailbone back, triceps back. Dive your nose into your ribs and then walk back for 3, 2, 1. Press your heels down. Pull your lower abdominals back, roll up one bone at a time.

Come all the way up to standing, and we'll go again. Lift your waist and round forward. Imagine there's a wall behind you so you can't lean backwards. Place your hands at the backs of your legs. Press your hands into your calves.

Lift your waist and feel the backs of your upper inner thighs. Lift your waist. Plant your hands in front of you. Press your hips forward. Walk forward with your heels pressed together.

Find your plank. Are you pushing the floor away with your palms and all 10 fingers? And then dive your nose into your ribs. Walk back for 3, 2, 1. Press your inner heels into the floor.

Tailbone towards your heels. Hips forward, waist back, roll all the way up. You have one more. Lift your waist, round forward. Don't let your hips go backwards.

Keep them right over your arches, and then grab the backs of your legs. Press your leg. Lift your waist. Scoop your waist up, hands go down. Press your hips forward and walk forward for 3, 2, 1.

Find your solid plank, and then dive your nose into your ribs. Walk back for 3, 2, 1. Find your elephant. Press your heels into the mat. Pull your waist back and roll up one bone at a time.

Hips forward, waist back, hips forward, waist back. Now lift your waist past your fingers, tailbone towards your heels. Open your arms wide to the side to lower. Let's finish like this. Bring your feet parallel and underneath your hips.

Parallel and together, I should say. Hands go on your hips. Ground your feet. To do that, roll to the outer edges of your feet and the inner edges. Three more.

After this last one, roll to the outer edges of your feet, the inner edges of your feet, and then find the balance on both sides. Lift all 10 toes up off the mat, and then press the mound of your big toe into the mat. The mound of your small toe, lengthen your toes, and really reach through your feet. Press your head up towards the ceiling. Arms go forward.

Stack your forearms, lift your chest. Keep that rooted feeling in your feet. Lift your right knee up to your arm and put it right back down. Try to put it right back where you started. Other leg, lift and lower.

Other side, lift and lower. Lift your leg from your powerhouse. Pull your lower abdominals up. Lift, switch, lift, switch, lift, switch. A little faster, lift, switch, lift, switch, lift, switch, lift, switch.

One more, each side. Here we go, right leg, left leg, and pause. Turn into Pilates stance. You'll do the same thing. Your knee will go to the side.

I'm aiming for my elbows. So root down through your feet. Lift your powerhouse. Now root down through your left foot and lift your right knee up. I already rolled to the outer edge of my foot.

Ground your whole foot, and then lower. Other side. Ground your whole foot to lift, and lower. A little faster, lift, lower, lift, lower. The lift comes from here.

Lower, lift from here. A little faster, lift, lower, lift. Keep growing, keep growing taller. Lift, lower, lift, lower, lift, lower. One more set.

Heels together, toes apart. Relax your arms for a second. Separate your legs so they're wider than your hips. Ground down to the three corners of your feet, tailbone down, hip points up into your navel. Reach your arms forward and up.

Lift them up so much that your chest lifts up towards the ceiling. As you bend your knees, send your head and fingers forward, reach for the top of the wall behind you, and then reach higher, reach higher, reach higher. Push your feet into the floor. Come up to standing. Lift your chest up.

Tailbone goes down. Reach forward, and reach. Two, three, push your feet down. Come up, lift your spine. Arch back, reach up and forward.

Bend your knees, reach for the top of the wall. Reach for the top of the wall, come all the way up. Lift up, arch back. Final one, lift, bend your knees and reach up. Reach up higher.

Reach up higher. Push your feet down. Come up to standing. Lift your chest. Reach your tailbone down.

Come all the way up. Bring your legs into Pilates stance, arms by your side. Thank you. So today's theme was, "I Am Playful." I hope you allowed yourself to play and have fun. The mantra that I want you to walk away with is, "I allow myself to have fun in my Pilates practice and in life.

I embrace every part of my journey with positive energy and enthusiasm because I find adventure in possibility." Today's journaling prompt is, "My most recent playful experience was. My most recent playful experience was." And share in the comments, if you're willing to.

Comments

Laughing hard, just the other day!
Lina S
My most recent playful experience was...practicing various balance poses in a yoga class and finding it fun!
As we celebrated a late Christmas with three of our grandkids (4.5, 3.5, 
6 mos) we were all laughing as we were on the floor and they were climbing all over me..... very playful and loads of fun!
Sofie van der Sommen
thank you Kira,I love this "playful workout", the rolling in combination with the double leg stretch was fun! Me most resent playful moment was with me dog :) but ..I'm going to play more in me daily pilates practice , thank you!!!
Erica Young
My most recent playful experience was...skydiving! 
This class was so fun...and sweaty! Thank you, Kira!
My most recent playful experience was having fun with my son and watching a hilarious movie! Laughing out loud is always part of my life and I enjoy it very much. I love your variations of the different exercises and how you combine them together. Thanks so much Kira!
Diana B
My most recent playful experience was sledding down a steep hill with my 7-yr old and catching major air at the bottom. Wheeeee, this 47-yr old still feels like a kid sometimes. 
Ivana S
my most recent playful experience was running into 30 cm of snow just because I want have fun and laugh...
Laughing with my children ….I need to do that more. 
Thank you for this challenge….
Ruth S
My most recent playful experience was doing this class with you Kira - thank you 
1-10 of 17

You need to be a subscriber to post a comment.

Please Log In or Create an Account to start your free trial.

Footer Pilates Anytime Logo

Move With Us

Experience Pilates. Experience life.

Let's Begin