Stretching and Core Activation: A 10-Minute Pilates Routine for Full-Body Flexibility and Deep Muscle Engagement
Strengthen Your Deep Core and Improve Joint Flexibility with Lia Bartha's 10-Minute Pilates Routine
For individuals seeking a strong, solid core that promotes good posture, balance, and stability, exercising with traditional stomach crunches may be less beneficial. Instead, targeting deeper abdominal muscles like the pelvic floor, diaphragm, and the muscles surrounding the spine is essential. With this goal in mind, Lia Bartha, a certified Pilates teacher and the founder of B the Method, offers a 10-minute deep core routine designed to not only strengthen muscles but also introduce rejuvenating movement to joints from head to toe.
As explained by Bartha, our bodies can grow sore and immobile due to habitual movements or lack thereof. Prolonged sitting, holding stress, poor breathing habits, and slouching can all contribute to strained muscles, particularly in the deep core area. Fortunately, regardless of fitness level, this deep core can be attended to at any time.
Bartha stresses that the focus should be on gentle, low-impact movements that restore balance, as opposed to forcing stretches or pushing through pain. In a world demanding movement that strengthens and releases simultaneously, her routine offers a way to satisfy the body's need for rejuvenation. Here's an overview of the six steps in the routine:
- Grounding with Pelvic Breathwork (60 seconds) Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Inhale, gently expand your ribcage and let your belly rise, then exhale, engage your core, pulling the navel toward your spine. While exhaling, perform a gentle pelvic tilt, pressing your lower back into the mat, and inhale to return to neutral. Hug your knees into your chest and rock gently from side to side.
- Cat-Cow to Thoracic Rotation (1 minute and 30 seconds) Begin on hands and knees, maintaining a flat back with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips. Arch the spine, pushing your shoulders back and looking up, then round the back, tucking your chin in and looking down. Inhale as you twist the torso, lifting your right arm overhead, and exhale as you thread the arm under the body, past the left armpit. Repeat this motion while twisting to the other side, threading the left arm. Sit your hips back into child's pose at the end.
- Active Hamstring with Inner Thigh Mobility (45 seconds per side) Start with your left knee on the floor directly under your left hip, and your right foot on the floor pointing to the side. Elongate your spine and maintain pelvic neutrality. Exhale as you shift your weight over your right leg, reach over your body with your left arm, and feel the stretch up your side. Repeat on the other side.
- Z Shape Hip Opener with Lateral Reach (1 minute per side) Position your right leg in front, knee bent, and left leg out to the side, knee bent so lower leg points behind. Inhale while raising your left arm, reaching up and over to the right. Maintain pelvic stability, add an oppositional lateral reach on your next inhale, sweeping your right arm overhead to your left side. Repeat these movements for the prescribed time before switching sides.
- Prone Scapular Activation with Thoracic Lift (1 minute and 30 seconds) Lie on your front, arms extending forward. Lift your arms slowly, activating the rhomboids and lower traps. Engage your core, inhale gently lift your chest without crunching the lower back, and hold for the allotted time, taking breaks as needed.
- Supine Figure Four Stretch with Breath Reset (1 minute per side) Lie on your back, cross one ankle over the opposite knee. Inhale while keeping the pelvis neutral and exhale as you gently draw the supporting knee toward your chest. Rock gently from side to side to enhance hip capsule mobility. Repeat these steps on the other side before extending your legs and taking a full breath in, followed by a gentle exhale.
By consistently practicing these movements, you'll activate your deep core, restore balance in your joints, reduce tension in sore and strained muscles, and enhance overall flexibility. Embrace the need for movement that revitalizes and empowers your body with this mindful and low-impact Pilates routine from Lia Bartha.
This Pilates routine by Lia Bartha, a certified Pilates teacher, targets the deep core muscles, such as the pelvic floor, diaphragm, and the muscles surrounding the spine, promoting wellness beyond traditional stomach crunches. It incorporates gentler, low-impact movements that foster joint flexibility, improving health and overall wellness. By regularly practicing this mindful routine, you can rejuvenate your body, reduce tension, and enhance flexibility, making it a vital part of your fitness-and-exercise regimen.
