March Matness Week 2

[ChannelRunner2]

Well, there we are already in week 2! It is fun to follow along as you (re)discover Pilates!

We are practicing the original exercises Joe Pilates developed and the only ones he actually captured in writing. So we know fairly well what he was trying to get us to do. We don't know the modifications he offered, though the current Pilates teachers are offering plenty, some of them undoubtedly passed down from Joe himself. After all, he did encourage starting out with a basic move, so feel free to keep your head + upper body on the mat in The Hundred or don't go overhead in The Cork Screw, for example.

The summary post from last year can be found here and the individual exercise posts contained options for modifications (in a slightly edited version since, of course, a link had to be broken...): healthunlocked.com/strength...

‼️Please share in the comments your experience with the first seven exercises! And do let me know if you come across any more broken links... ‼️

🎉

And now 🥁 this week's exercises ⤵

☆

March 8 - The Spine Stretch: healthunlocked.com/strength...

March 9 - Rocker With Open Legs: healthunlocked.com/strength...

March 10 - The Cork Screw: healthunlocked.com/strength...

March 11 - The Saw: healthunlocked.com/strength...

March 12 - The Swan-Dive: healthunlocked.com/strength...

March 13 - The One Leg Kick: healthunlocked.com/strength...

March 14 - The Double Kick: healthunlocked.com/strength...

[Wine 30D Graduate]

March the 8th exercise done

[ChannelRunner2]

Marjon van Grunsven posted a version of the Spine Stretch 🥳

(via facebook.com/marjon.grunsven )

Marjon van Grunsven doing the March 8 exercise, Spine Stretch Forward

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

This is such a great resource, ChannelRunner2 . Thank you, again for putting these together.

Tried corkscrew today after a row. I can’t lift my lower body as high, but still felt good doing it.

[Wine 30D Graduate]

i had to do the modification for the cork screw and the rocker was difficult even with the modification 😊

[ChannelRunner2 in reply to Wine]

I am still struggling with the Open Leg Rocker after 4 years!!! 🤣

[Wine 30D Graduate]

the saw done ..i liked this so i might have been doing it wrong but i followed her video but i loved doing this

[ChannelRunner2 in reply to Wine]

Reminds me of the comment one Pilates teacher likes to make in class: "If it's not hard, you're doing it wrong!" 🤣 I do think some exercises are easier than others, so I try to enjoy the break they give me!

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

I seem to forget to post when I do these exercises, as I often just add them at the end of a stretch.

Managed to explore all this week, but I’m going to skip the swan dive, due to my split linear allba. I remember this one to be very uncomfortable for me.

But loved specifically the spine stretch, cork screw and saw. Looking forward to leg kicks, as I remember liking them!

Happy Pilates-ing!

[ChannelRunner2 in reply to CBDB]

Thanks for the update, CBDB ! Glad you're enjoying it!

An alternative to doing the swan dive is to watch a swan do it 😉

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to ChannelRunner2]

🤣🤣🤣👍🏽🦢

[ChannelRunner2]

This is how the Swan Dive will look after decades of practice! Marjon studied with Roman who studied with Joe... So she's been doing (and teaching!) this for a while...

(Source: facebook.com/marjon.grunsven )

Marjon doing the Swan Dive on the Mat

[Wine 30D Graduate]

omg swan dive that is definitely not me at all I only budged a very little definitely can see with practice I could improve on it but never to the extent of the lovely lady on the video I much preferred lying on a pillow just to give me more elevation and then went into child pose wow

[Wine 30D Graduate]

i very much liked the one leg kick felt it in my glutes not the calves so again i think i did it wrong ..also don't seem to have a gap re the femur she was talking about ...definitely like this exercise

[ChannelRunner2 in reply to Wine]

You'll definitely feel this in the glutes! Not sure if I feel it in my calves... Getting the thigh off the floor is very challenging - and something I still aspire to. It's also hard because at the same time, you're trying to pull your stomach off the floor...

[ChannelRunner2]

Marjon showing the Double Kick...

(Source: facebook.com/marjon.grunsven )

Pilates teacher Marjon doing today's exercise

[Wine 30D Graduate]

wow on the double kick ..also arms not so high up but can feel something happened..now to week 3