Top: Starting position for teaser. Middle: Begin curling forward off the floor, reaching your arms beyond your knees. Bottom: Balance at the top while reaching the legs — a very controlled movement!

Photo by Matt Wilson

Today’s exericse is another classic Pilates exercise: teaser! This exercise is more advanced than most of the exercises I have brought you this month. I will be teaching a slightly modified version of the exercise that is a bit easier and safer for the spine, but be gentle with your body as you move through this exercise. Move smoothly, and don’t use momentum to get yourself up off the floor.

NOTE: Don’t try this one without professional supervision if you have ever had a spine injury or surgery.

Starting position: Lying on your back with your legs at a tabletop position (a 90 degree angle at your hips and knees) and your arms reaching by your ears. Make sure your low back isn’t arched forward in this starting position — you should feel that your abdominals are engaged already.

Exercise: Inhale and reach your arms to the ceiling, beginning to nod your head off the floor. Next exhale and slowly peel your spine off the floor, reaching beyond your knees with your arms. At this point, you may not be able to peel all the way forward without using momentum and “hiking” yourself forward — if you cannot complete the curl forward smoothly then just go as far as you can before rolling down.

If you were able to curl all the way forward off the floor then put your hands on your ankles or shins (wherever they reach) and inhale as you slowly straighten your legs (or get as close to straightening them as your flexibility level allows). This moment takes a lot of control — you are trying to balance, and you must make sure that your low back does not arch. Once you have reached the balance point, then inhale and bend your legs back to their tabletop position and exhale to slowly roll your spine back down to the floor — still with control and keeping the legs in tabletop. Complete up to five repetitions, but stop sooner if you begin to lose your form and your control.

Tomorrow’s exercise will be another slightly more advanced exercise, this time for your back muscles. It will help to balance out this abdominal exercise. See you then!

Heather Glidden owns Willow Wellness Studio in downtown Ann Arbor where she teaches Gyrotonic and Pilates and practices massage. She is passionate about helping people to learn more about their bodies. Got a body question? Email her at info@WillowWellnessStudio.com and she will do her best to answer it or find someone who can!