1. The Powerhouse
All exercises in Pilates emanate from the powerhouse--the area of the abdominal muscles. These stomach muscles go deeper than just the six-pack of bodybuilders. The muscles referred to in Pilates here are beneath and behind the six-pack muscles. The powerhouse is your center, the place where you feel things. These muscles criss-cross the front of our body in layers and strengthen our backs and all of our major organs. It is from this center that we gain strength, confidence and balance emotionally and physically.
2. The Hundred for a Warm-Up
The Hundred is a good exercise for beginning a routine for strengthening the stomach muscles. Lie flat on your back and pull your knees up to your chest, lifting your head slightly. Use your powerhouse muscles to pull your chin into your chest and wrap your arms around your legs. Keep your back muscles flat to the floor. Lift your legs high and straight to a 45-degree angle to the floor; straighten out your arms keeping them off the floor. Breathe in slowly to the count of 5 as you vigorously pump your arms up and down like automatic hammers. Exhale slowly to the count of 5. Repeat the exercise until you have counted to 100.
3. Roll-Ups for Centering
Your powerhouse muscles connect to everything in your body. Lie flat on your back with arms stretched behind you over your head and legs stretched out straight with feet pointed in front of you. Breathe in and roll your upper body up with and arms outstretched in front of you. Pull your ribs and stomach muscles in using your powerhouse muscles. Breathe out as you stretch your arms out over your legs, head bent toward your knees. Breathe in again and lower and roll your upper body back to the floor in a very disciplined manner, one vertebra at a time.
4. The Double Straight Leg Builds a Strong Stomach
Lie flat on your back on your Pilates mat. Clasp your hands behind your head. Raise your legs into the air to a 45-degree angle to the floor. Inhale keeping your legs together as you lower them to the floor to as far as you can without your lower back lifting up off the floor. Lower your legs to a count of two, and raise them back up to a count of one. Repeat 10 times.
5. Use Abs in Spine Stretch Forward
Sit up straight with legs outstretched shoulder-width apart. Lift the arms up and out in a sleep-walking affect. Contract your powerhouse-abdominal muscles into your spine while you inhale curving your back into a C-formation, arms stretched out in front of you. Exhale. Lower your head and reach for your toes as you are able. Inhale and roll back into a tall, upright position. Repeat three times.
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