"This [classic Pilates move] is great because it engages your entire core," says Tracy Green, a certified Pilates and barre instructor at Baptist Health-Milestone Wellness Center in Louisville, KY. "Focus on the percussive breathing here — it's five sharp, quick breaths in, then five strong, quick exhales. Each breath further engages your abdominals."
Pilates instructor Gia Calhoun, former vice president of Pilates Anytime, agrees, saying the Pilates Hundred is designed to "fire up your core."
- Start lying on your back with your legs in tabletop position. Engage your deep abs to round your lower spine into the floor.
- Exhale and lift your upper back off the floor, until the bottom tips of your shoulder blades are just touching the floor. Straighten your legs to a 45-degree angle, making sure your low back is staying connected to the floor. Reach your arms toward your feet, about two inches off the floor.
- Pump your arms up and down with a small range of motion, keeping your elbows straight. Inhale for five arm pumps, and exhale for five pumps. That's one set or cycle. Over time, work your way up to 10 cycles.
