Fitness fads come and go, but one has stood the test of time: Pilates. Dancers swear by this full-body workout as an effective cross-training regimen. The low-impact moves are easy on any nagging injuries and help keep you lean, toned, centered, and flexible. Dance Spirit turned to Youn Kyung Lee, owner of 21 Pilates in NYC, for four mat-based exercises that'll serve your dancer bod best.
Photos by Jayme Thornton. Modeled by Alicia McGinty.
The Pilates Hundred
1. Start on your back with your knees pulled into your chest.
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2. Curl your upper body upward, reaching your chin toward your stomach, until your shoulder blades are grazing the floor. Extend your arms straight in front of you, keeping them a few inches above the ground and aligned with your shoulders, and lift your legs to about a 45-degree angle.
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3. Keeping your ankles together, slightly bend your knees and activate your turnout, creating a diamond shape.
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4. Begin pulsing your arms up and down. Count to one hundred, inhaling for 5 counts and exhaling for 5 counts. Focus on pulling your abs and belly button in toward the floor.
The Roll-Up
1. Start on your back with your legs straight in front of you, your feet flexed, and your arms extended straight up.
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2. Inhale and, leading with your arms, exhale as you roll your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor.
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3. As your arms pass your ears, allow your head to drop and your spine to roll forward.
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4. Keeping your arms extended in front of you, continue rolling forward, reaching for your toes, while pulling your abs in and up.
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5. Inhale again and, keeping your abs engaged and pulled in, begin to unfurl your spine back onto the floor. Make sure your shoulders remain relaxed and your speed stays consistent throughout the movement.
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6. Once your arms pass your ears again, and you feel your shoulder blades meet the floor, lower your head and arms back into the starting position. Repeat this 6–10 times.
The Clam
1. Start on your right side. Extend your right arm past your head, and rest your head on top of it. Place your left hand on the floor in front of you.
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2. Keeping your ankles together and your hips stacked, bend your knees at a 90-degree angle.
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3. Open and close your left leg from the knees, like a clamshell. Repeat this 10 times. Switch sides and repeat the exercise with your right leg.
The Single-Leg Kick
1. Start on your stomach with your legs together. Hold your upper body up with your forearms, keeping them shoulder-width apart, and make fists with your hands. Keep your head raised and your gaze directed forward. Keeping your neck extended and your inner thighs activated, pull your abs in, up, and away from the mat. Imagine that your belly button is being pulled into your spine.
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2. Inhale and, as you exhale, kick your left leg in with a double beat towards your buttocks. Return it to the starting position.
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3. Repeat step 3 with your right leg. Repeat this move 8–10 times with each leg.
A version of this story appeared in the September 2018 issue of Dance Spirit with the title "Take It to the Mat."