A popular type of exercise that has recently been propagated is a form of yoga called pilate. This popular exercise has been employed by many celebrities, such as Madonna, Courtney Cox, and Julia Roberts, and has lately been brought to the general publics' attention.
In the 1930's a man named Joseph Pilates introduced an exercise method to help strengthen and rehabilitate injured soldiers during World War I. His goal was to build a healthy injury-free body by using controlled and concentrated movements. The form of exercise was named pilate and its full body-conditioning program worked the entire body.
Pilates can use certain resistance focused equipment, or simply a mat on which the person does the movements. It is used to improve strength, flexibility, balance, control, and muscular symmetry to develop toned muscles. Below are some examples of pilate movements to strengthen your abdominal muscles. Note: if you have back problems, consult with your physician before performing the exercises.
Exercise 1
This movement strengthens the torso by requiring the back muscles to work in synergy with the abdominal muscles.
• Lie with your back flat on the floor, shoulders down. Point your feet and lengthen your body, leading the stretch with the top of your head.
• Keeping your back flat on the floor, raise both your legs and head off the floor. Be sure to keep your neck neutral and chin tucked.
• Keeping arms extended (fingers pointing forward), begin to lift and lower them about two inches from the floor, breathing in on the lift and out on the lower.
• Do this for 5 up-and-down beats. Repeat 10 times until you have done a "hundred."
Exercise 2
This roll up exercise strengthens your abdominal muscles.
• Lie on your back with legs straight and arms stretched above your head palm facing the ceiling.
• Keeping your back flat on the floor, slowly lift your arms toward the ceiling as you breathe in and move them forward.
• As you breathe out, slowly roll your upper body up and forward as your arms are moving forward, peeling your spine off the mat. Head remains straight, eyes focused forward. Stomach remains taut, not crunched.
• Once sitting, breath in, bend your knees and hug them then roll back on the mat while breathing out.
• Do not pause, but as you breathe in roll up again, to begin the second repetition. Do 10 repetitions.
Exercise 3
This exercise will stretch your leg as well as work your abdominal muscles
• Lie on your back with arms at your sides, palms facing down.
• Lift head and shoulders off the floor and bend your knees. Hug your knees then hold the right knee, while extending the left leg. (The distance between your raised leg and the floor will depend on your abdominal strength and the weight of your leg. If you are careful not to arch your back, you will not overextend your leg.)
• Slowly switch sides and alternate legs, grasping left knee and extending right leg. Breathe in for two changes; breathe out for two changes.
• Do 10 changes, or 5 moves per side.