Shaped By Faith – Seated Pilates

The Saw is a classical Pilates exercise that strengthens the spine, tones the waistline, and stretches the hamstrings and hips. It uses the deep abdominal muscles to pull your upper torso forward, a practice that helps you learn to initiate movement from your body's center. Not only does this move strengthen your back, but it also improves posture.

Begin seated in a chair to modify this exercise. Sit up as tall as possible and engage your abdominals.

Raise your arms out to the sides at shoulder-height. Keeping your palms facing down, extend outward through your fingertips.

On an inhalation, pull your navel in toward your spine and lift it up. Imagine you are lengthening your entire torso and spine up to the ceiling through the crown of your head.

Initiating the movement from your torso, twist to the right as far as possible. Reach forward and downward as far as you can until your left hand crosses over your right foot, brushing your left pinkie finger past your right baby toe.

Exhale slowly as you stretch your body forward in three gentle, saw-like sliding motions (pulses).
Inhale as you draw your torso upright and return to center, keeping your arms extended.
Twist to the left and repeat the sequence.

To progress this exercise, sit on a mat and lengthen your legs out in front of you about the width of your mat. Flex your feet during the exercise or bend the knees if this is too intense of a stretch for your legs.

Complete five full rounds, reaching farther forward with each repetition.

To learn more about Pilates exercises, you can join me at Nona’s Downtown Market on June 6th at 9:15 am for a Community FREE Pilates Class! Hope to see you there!

Here is an encouraging scripture you can meditate on while doing the Pilates Saw.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Hebrews 12:2

Check out more exercises that you can do just about anywhere on my Shaped by Faith website YouTube channel at: www.shapedbyfaith.com

Watch the video Demo Here ----->