1. Shoulder and Arm Stretching Techniques: When pulling the arms, do not lower the head, always maintain a straight line between the head and the spine, contract the abdomen, and keep the body upright. Mental guidance: Imagine a magnet attracting the elbow joint to the top of the head. (1) Sit cross-legged naturally, straighten the spine, extend the hands to the sides of the body, lightly touch the ground with the fingertips, and prepare by inhaling; raise the hands over the head, interlock the fingers.
(2) Exhale and bend the elbows, pull the left hand with the right hand to align the elbow joint with the top of the head and hold for 15 seconds. (3) Inhale and straighten the arms upward. (4) Exhale, bend the elbows, pull the right hand with the left hand for an opposite direction stretch, and hold for 15 seconds. (5) Inhale, straighten the hands, exhale, and pivot the hands in a circle from behind to the front around the shoulder joint, returning to the upward arm stretch position. Repeat the exercise twice, exhale, and relax the hands back to the sides of the body.2. Waist and Side Stretching Techniques: Contract the abdomen, keep the buttocks close to the floor, and avoid lifting the buttocks off the ground due to waist movements. Mental guidance: Imagine sitting against a wall with your back, sliding down and bending along the wall. (1) Sit cross-legged naturally, straighten the spine, extend the hands to the sides of the body, lightly touch the ground with the fingertips.
Then inhale, stretch the left hand upward over the head. (2) Exhale, bend to the right, support with the right hand on the ground, and inhale to hold. (3) Exhale again, bend the right hand, place the elbow, forearm, and palm on the mat to increase the stretch, and hold for 15 seconds. (4) Inhale, return upward, stretch the right hand upward over the head. (5) Exhale, bend to the left, support with the left hand on the ground, and inhale to hold. (6) Repeat the previous right hand movements to increase the stretch, hold for 15 seconds, alternate left and right stretches as one repetition, repeat the exercise twice, exhale, and return the arms. 3. Knee Bend and Arm Stretching Techniques: When bending the knees and raising the arms, the upper body remains straight. (1) Stand with legs apart, about a fist’s distance, raise both arms laterally, palms forward. (2) Then bend the elbows, keeping the upper arms level with the shoulders, and the forearms perpendicular upward, maintaining palms forward. (3) Squat on bent knees, raise both arms upward and clap hands at the top of the head, hold for 2 seconds, release, and return to the arm-raising position while straightening the legs. When performing Pilates movements, accuracy is essential, so pay special attention to the following aspects: 1. Proper posture: Proper posture involves concentrating appropriate strength in the abdomen and back, allowing muscles to support the spine. Strong abdominal muscles form a ‘power zone’ that supports the spine. When you properly engage your abdomen and back and strengthen the effort of other muscles, the entire body reaches a natural and ideal state. Such postures help muscles move appropriately.2. Good breathing: A good breathing method should be carried out with the mind, body, and spirit. This can eliminate the physical and mental stress of practitioners. The timing of breathing must be correct. Different from our usual breathing, in Pilates exercises, when breathing, inhale when exerting force (at this time, your abdomen is in an extended state), and exhale when tightening the abdomen.