DIGGING DEEPER - Get to Know Your Pilates Exercises: Elephant

by Amanda Turner

Elephant by Excel Pilates Annapolis clients: Christine & Scott

In theme with back to school, welcome to my version with a “back to basics” edition of your monthly exercise.  Subject: Elephant.  As a beginner, this exercise can be quite confusing and scary - it’s the first time you’re introduced to standing on the Reformer.  Conversely, as an advanced student, it’s easy to breeze through this exercise as it is “easier” than the other exercises in this particular series.  When you begin to add on to your Reformer workout, Elephant joins a series of exercises called the Long Stretch Series. Elephant isolates your abs and stretches the back of your legs, which is great for all Pilates students.  
Set up is really key here - you want a rounded middle and lower back. It’s common to hunch the shoulders, but do your best to keep them away from your ears.  Your heels should be digging down into the mat, lifting your toes up, and (as always!) you need to be scooping.  I like to imagine my belly button and my big toes are connected by a string - I scoop my abs in deeper, to pull my carriage closed.  And now, the movement itself - small, but mighty.  Open your carriage two inches and return the carriage to the closed position completely and SILENTLY.  Silently is the trick to ensuring you’re using your powerhouse and not momentum.  I find myself saying more and more often that the beginning repertoire is the most difficult to master.  Elephant really challenges scooping proficiency, but also feels really good on the lower back.  Take some time in your next session to really refine this movement. As always, you’ll find this position elsewhere in your Pilates work!

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