Week 1: 100s
Lashley Pulsipher, a Pilates instructor at Exhale fitness studio in Dubai, demonstrates the first exercise in our eight-part weekly series of Pilates workouts. Do this move alone, or incorporate it into your own fitness routine or watch this space over the next seven weeks to create a comprehensive regime.
Go here where we collect the workouts and post video demonstrations.
"A fundamental warm-up exercise in Pilates, done in every class to produce heat in the core of the body."
Bring your knees into a tabletop position, raise your arms above your chest and then lift your head and neck off the mat.
Curl up, lifting your shoulder blades off the mat and extend your legs to a 45 degree angle with your arms alongside your thighs.
Move your arms up and down like you are beating pools of water. Inhale for five counts, exhale for five counts.
Top tip: "Do ten sets of the breaths, inhaling for five counts and exhaling for five counts which totals 100."
Mat Pilates classes at Exhale start from Dh60; Reformer Pilates costs Dh400 for a package of five sessions or Dh750 for 10. For details and timings, visit www.exhaledubai.com or call 04 424 3777
Photos by Lee Hoagland / The National
