Purpose Of The Roll-over Pilates Exercise

Pilates is a low-impact method of body conditioning that involves stretching and strengthening exercises developed in the 1920s by Joseph H. Pilates. While most Pilates exercises, which call on participants to work with precision and control, are safe and modifiable for beginners, one of the classic exercises known as the roll-over comes with some risks, especially if executed incorrectly. Understanding the purpose of the move will help you decide whether you should perform it, or choose an alternative option.

Execution

The roll-over begins with you lying supine--on your back--on an exercise mat. Squeeze your buttocks and inhale to lift your legs off the mat and over your head. The legs are parallel to the ceiling and mat, and you should be balanced on the backs of the shoulders. Open your legs hip width apart and use abdominal control to slowly lower the legs back toward the floor. Allow your arms to pin your body to the mat while you feel your spine stretching longer and longer. Pause just before your legs hit the ground and your back arches, then repeat. A traditional Pilates practice calls for between three and five repetitions. Then, you reverse the movement---opening the legs as you extend them up and overhead and squeezing them together on the way down for three to five more repetitions.

Considerations

Before doing the roll-over, you should be warmed up. Perform a round of the hundred, roll ups and some spine stretches before the roll-over. To lift your legs into the over-head position, it is essential you use your abdominals and hips, rather than momentum to make the move effective. Brooke Siler, author of "The Pilates Body," writes that you should never roll onto the back of the neck. If you are unable to do the roll-over without dropping your feet to the floor or bending your knees, you are not ready to execute it at all.

Benefits

The roll-over stretches and articulates the spine. It also helps you learn how to control your movements. The abdominals, particularly the deep muscle known as the transverse abdominus, work hard to keep you from simply flopping into the mat. The move also teaches you how to stabilize during Pilates exercises by pressing into the mat with your arms and squeezing your legs together.

Warning

The roll-over is not appropriate for people who suffer from neck, low back and shoulder problems. If you perform the move improperly by rolling all the way to the neck, the roll over can cause injury to the cervical vertebrae of the neck, warns Michele Olson, Ph.D, on the IDEA Health and Fitness Association website. Make sure you have mastered basic Pilates exercises before attempting the roll-over and seek instruction from a qualified instructor.

Modifications

While the roll-over offers benefits, leaving it out of your practice will not prevent you from getting a lot out of your Pilates practice. As an alternative, do more repetitions of the roll up or the spine stretch forward---both of which help you learn how to articulate the spine.
If you are an advanced Pilates practitioner, you may try making the move even more challenging. For an additional stretch, place your toes on the mat when your legs are extended overhead and press back into your heels. On the last roll over in your series, try bringing your hands around overhead and grabbing hold of your feet.