Practising Wall Pilates

Refine and enhance your movement practise this fall season. All you need is a wall and these four specific wall Pilates poses to create an efficient total-body experience that is both challenging and easy to follow. This wall Pilates routine works major and minor muscles throughout the body, from the arms and legs to the core.

Begin with two stretches for the warm-up and then practise the wall Pilates poses one at a time repeating each pose individually two to three times. You may create a full sequence flow, moving through all four movements in succession and then repeat the sequence again two to three times. Complete your workout and cool-down with the same two stretches that you warmed up with.
Each pose has a modified and progressive version for you to choose from. Stay present and aware of what your body needs and what it is ready for as you begin your wall Pilates journey.

WARM-UP AND COOL-DOWN

POSES

1.SUPINE HIP ABDUCTION AND ADDUCTION WITH UPPER-AB CURL
12-15 reps—inhale and exhale consistently throughout the exercise

Modification

1. Lie down in supine position with knees bent.
2. The closer you place your hips to the wall the more stability and mobility is required.
3. Maintain a long neutral spine.
4. Align your feet with your knees and hip distance apart and push your feet into the wall.
5. Open and close the legs (abduct and adduct), push and glide the feet along the wall.
6. As the legs separate, reach your arms straight ahead, draw in the chin, float your head and shoulders up off the ground and perform an upper-ab curl.
7. Reach your arms straight ahead and roll back down to the floor as the legs engage then zip up to return toward your centre.

Progression

1. Bring your hips right up against the wall.
2. Straighten your legs up the wall.
3. Abduct and adduct with straight legs, push and glide the feet along the wall.
4. As the legs separate, add the straight-arm reach and upper-ab curl, as the legs return to centre, straight

Works abductors, adductors, gluteus medius, rectus abdominus, internal obliques, external obliques, transversus abdominas. arms reach and roll back down through the spine.

2-WIDE SQUAT WITH ALTERNATING SIDE BENDS
12-15 reps per side—alternating, inhaling and exhaling consistently throughout the exercise

Modification

1. Face away from the wall.
2. Stand with back against the wall and legs wide, arms by your side or hands at the back of your head.
3. Press your hips, mid-back and the back of your head into the wall.
4. Push your feet into the ground.
5. Lengthen the spine and your side waist up the wall.
6. Alternating sides, lengthen to side bend to the right, lengthen to return to the centre, lengthen to side bend to the left, lengthen and return to the centre.
7. Maintain your hips, mid-back and head pressed against the wall as you move from side to side and engage your rhomboids (squeeze shoulder blades toward centre).
8. If your hands are at the back of your head, push the elbows toward the wall and glide the elbows along the wall as you go side to side.

Progression

1. Stand against the wall and squat deeply.
2. Press your hips, mid-back and the back of your head into the wall.
3. Hold the squat position while you alternate your side bends from right to left and left to right

Works abductors, adductors, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, rectus abdominus, internal obliques, external obliques,
transversus abdominas.

3-STANDING HOVER PLANK TO STRAIGHT-ARM TRICEPS EXTENSION
12-15 reps—inhale and exhale consistently throughout the exercise

Modification

1. Face the wall, stand with legs hip-width apart and slightly back from the wall.
2. Bend your elbows and push hands shoulder height and distance into the wall, elbows shoulder distance and in line with the lower ribs, forearms push into the wall.
3. Inhale — lengthen your spine and side waist, push palms into the wall, extend the arms to straight (feet flat or heels up), work the arms toward straight until the wrists and shoulders line up.
4. Exhale — engage the core, bend the elbows and place forearms back on the wall.

Progression

1. Stand back further away from the wall creating a deeper incline plank.
2. Align your hands on the wall shoulder distance and height.
3. Elbows lined up with the lower ribs and shoulder distance apart.
4. Bend and extend the elbows from the wall (wrists and shoulders line up when the arms are straight).

Works rectus abdominus, internal obliques, external obliques, transversus abdominas, spinal erectors, latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, deltoids, triceps.

4-INVERTED STRAIGHT-ARM PIKE WITH ALTERNATING STRAIGHT-LEG EXTENSION
8-10 reps per side—Alternating, inhaling and exhaling consistently throughout the exercise

Modification

1. Plank with straight arms, shoulder-width apart, legs straight, hip-width apart, ankles flexed, toes spread on the floor and heels up against the wall.
2. Walk your hands closer to the wall and pike your hips toward the sky until you are in a downward dog position (pike position).
3. Glide and scissor one leg up the wall, pushing the bottom heel into the wall.
4. Lengthen your spine and waistline.
5. Scissor your legs, spiral your inner thighs in and up, extend both legs, tone the quadriceps around the knee.
6. Push your hands into the floor, energize them toward centre, spiral your biceps toward the sky.
7. Alternate leg extensions with 2-3 breaths in between.

Progression

1. Plank with straight arms, shoulder-width apart, legs straight, hip-width apart, ankles flexed, toes spread on the floor and heels up against the wall.
2. Walk your hands closer to the wall and walk your feet up the wall, move your hips forward over your shoulders, walk feet up the wall until they line up with your hips.
3. Align your hips over shoulders, shoulders over wrists (letter ‘L’ against the wall).
4. Lengthen the spine and the side waist.
5. Alternate leg extensions with 2-3 breaths in between each side.
6. Try to extend your leg upward so the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder and wrist are all aligned at the top of the extension. Push the other foot into the wall to deeply scissor the legs apart.

Works abductors, adductors, gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps, rectus abdominus, internal obliques, external obliques, transversus abdominas, spinal erectors, latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, deltoids, triceps.obliques, transversus abdominas.

Photography by Klaudia Delmer

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