Pilates for Stamina

Hi, I'm Kira Lamb. This intermediate Pilates class is about building stamina by seamlessly flowing from one exercise to the next. Now, the tendency is to hold your breath and rush, but instead, really try to breathe and move consciously even if you don't do the same number of repetitions as me. Let's start our workout on the mat. Go to the base of your mat with your back to the mat, and then go into your Pilates stance, heels together, toes apart, and make sure you're rooted down through the ball of your big toe, small toe and the center of your heel.

Reach your arms forward and then stack your forearms. As you press your arms into one another, lift your collarbone and press your head through the ceiling. Let's start by finding our internal lift. So start to pull your lower abdominals just above your pubic bone as far back into your lower back as you can. As you pull your lower abdominals in, you'll feel your tailbone just naturally drop.

Now, start to lift your lower abdominals. Feel as if you can slide them up the back of your ribs and press your head through the ceiling. And then we'll start with the traditional descend to the mat. Keep finding that internal lift. As you bend your knees, try to sit on your heels while sending your chin, chest and elbows forward.

Try to keep your heels down as long as you can. If you need your hands, use your hands. If not, lift your waist. Take a seat with control. Hands go behind you and then slide back.

Reach your arms in front of you and roll down one bone at a time. Reach your arms up towards the ceiling and back towards the wall behind you. Press your thighs into the floor, find that same internal lift. Reach your arms up towards the ceiling, and then as you exhale, pull your lower abdominals back. Curl up.

Stay here for an inhale. Can you make your legs longer? Pull your lower abdominals back deeper and lift up higher, and then reach your arms up. Rest your head, arms go up and back. Two more, scrape the ceiling with your fingertips and then pull your lower abdominals back to curl your head and shoulder blades up.

Reach your legs forward. Pull your lower abdominals back more, and then rest your head, arms go up and back. One more, reach your arms up. My chest bone sinks into the floor. Pull your lower abdominals back and reach forward.

Can you reach your legs longer? Pull your lower abdominals back. Curl up a little bit higher. I'm on the bottom tips of my shoulder blades. Rest your head and shoulder blades down.

Bend your knees into your chest. Press your legs together. Press your heels together. Peel your knees apart 'til their shoulder's distance apart. Reach your arms up towards the ceiling.

The hundred, get ready to breathe. Take a big inhale. As you exhale, curl up into your a hundred position and then start pumping. Inhale for five. One long exhale, empty your lungs completely.

Inhale, breathe into your lower back. As you exhale, press these upper abs down and the crown of your head up. Inhale into your lower back. Reach your wrists past your hips. That's three, inhale.

And exhale. Counting mentally in your head. And exhale. Inhale into your lower back. Exhale, halfway there.

Breathe into your lower back. Exhale, pull your lower abdominals back. Always finding that internal lift. Three more sets. Inhale, two, three, four, five and exhale, two, three, four, five.

Inhale, breathing into your lower back. Exhale, find your internal lift. You have one more. Inhale for five. Exhale, two, three, four, five.

Hug your knees into your chest. Rest your head. We'll set up for the roll up. I'm gonna grab the canvas strap at the end of my mat. Your legs are straight, feet are flexed like you're standing on the wall in front of you.

If you have the strap, reach your heels as far forward as you can and then reach your arms up towards the ceiling and back. Five roll ups, reach your arms up. Inhale, pull your lower abdominals back, heels forward. Inhale, lift your lower abdominals and then roll down. If you don't have a strap, make sure you're pressing your heels into the floor.

Exhale, round forward. Inhale, lift your lower abdominals. Exhale, roll through your spine. Three more. Arms go up.

Inhale, pull the soles of your feet back. Pull your lower abdominals back and then lift. As your legs reach forward, your lower abdominals pull you back. Last two. Curl your chin to your chest.

Lift your lower abdominals. Roll back. Make sure you feel your waist press into the mat on the way up and the way down. Arms go up, press your waist into the floor. Round forward.

Find your internal lift and then roll all the way down. Arms go up and back. Reach your arms up, lower them by your side and then we'll go into single leg circle with your right leg. Pull your foot against the strap and press your heel into the floor. Leg goes up towards the ceiling in front of your nose.

Inhale. Exhale, around and lift. Inhale, into your lower back. Find your internal lift. Three more.

Make sure you're pressing the back of your left leg into the mat. That's your standing leg or your balancing leg. Final one. And then reverse. Pull your lower abdominals in and scoop.

Pull your lower abdominals in and slide them back. Three more. Keep making that left leg, that standing leg even longer. Final one. And then bend your knee.

Slide that leg straight or hook it underneath the strap. Pull the sole of your foot back and then reach your left leg up towards the ceiling. Press your arms down. Inhale to cross, exhale. The whole time, try to find your internal lift.

I'm pulling my lower abdominals in. Sliding them all the way off the back edge of the mat. Last one. And then reverse. Open, cross and lift.

Four more. As you open, press your opposite arm firm into mat. Last two. Final one. And then slide your foot underneath the strap or press your legs together.

Reach your arms up and back. We'll do a roll up. Arms go up, curl your head and shoulder blades up. I'm pulling my lower abdominals back as my head rounds forward. Sit up nice and tall, rolling back.

Bend your knees and place your feet flat. Lift your hips into a pelvic tilt. Circle your arms, grab your ankles. Now, lift your naval up to the top of the wall behind you. Lift your feet, five rolls.

Inhale, lift your lower abdominals to roll back. Pull your heels to your seat to come up. Lift your lower abdominals. Pull your heels to your seat with the strength of your arms. Three more, roll back.

Exhale to come up. Inhale, internal lift. Scoop even more to come up. One more, you know what's coming next. Exhale, come up, find your balance.

Series of five. Place your feet down, hands behind you. Slide back, round forward. Squeeze your legs together. Find your internal lift and then from your lowest abdominals, roll down one bone at a time.

Your legs are reaching forward. Powerhouse back. Right knee comes into your chest. Pull your knee to your shoulder. Reach your left leg forward.

Curl your head and shoulder blades up. Make sure you have even weight on both sides of your ribs. Left leg goes up. Pull your lower abdominals and then switch. That's set one, four more.

And pull, and pull, and pull your naval back as you reach your leg forward. You have one more set. Going right into double leg stretch. Hug your knees into your chest. Inhale, reach.

Can you reach your legs through the wall? Circle your arms, hug in. Inhale, pull your lower abdominals back. Circle, exhale. Inhale, pull your lower abdominals back and in.

Last two. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale into your lower back. Exhale, rest your head.

Bring your legs together. Single straight leg. Take an inhale into your lower back. Exhale, curl up to the bottom tips of your shoulder blades. Grab the back of your right ankle with both hands.

Left leg reaches through the wall. Drop your tailbone. Pull twice, pull, pull. Scoop to switch, pull, pull. Legs up, pull, pull.

Legs up, pull, pull. Three more sets. Energy goes up. Up with your legs, down with your lower abs. One more set.

Bring both legs up. Hug your knees into your chest. Rest your head. Double straight leg. Stack your palms one on top of the other like this.

They make an X, they go right at the back of your head. Lift your elbows slightly off the mat. Side your shoulders away from your ears and then curl up to the bottom tips of your shoulder blades. Legs up, abs down. Squeeze your legs together from your sit bones to your heels.

Reach them forward. Make your legs longer and lift them back up. Four more, inhale, reach your legs forward. Make them longer. Exhale and lift.

Inhale, curl up. Top of your head goes up, legs go forward. Exhale, lift. Last two, top of your head goes up. Keep lifting up.

Exhale, lift, final one. Reach, pull your lower abdominals back. Reach your legs longer. Lift them, bend and rest your head. Crisscross, legs are together.

You can switch the cross of your hands. We're gonna do three repetitions with control. Take an inhale into your lower back. Exhale, curl up to the bottom tips of your shoulder blades. Inhale, reach your left leg through the wall.

Now exhale, rotate. Stay here for an inhale. Rotate, find the back edge of the mat. Switch, inhale to rotate. Exhale, rotate a little bit more.

Switch, pull your right knee into your chest. Exhale, rotate more and then switch. Rotate, pull your lower abdominals back. Rotate more. One more set.

Rotate, find your back elbow. Last one, rotate. Pull your lower abdominals in. Hug your knees in, rock up to seated. Now we get to breathe for the spine stretch.

Separate your legs a little wider than your hips. Squeeze your sit bones. Feel like you're dragging your sit bones, inner thighs, and inner ankles together. Reach your arms forward and grow. Inhale, chin into your chest.

Exhale, deflate your lungs and round forward. Slide your lower back up the wall behind you. Now, push your heels into the floor. Roll all the way up. Exhale, two more.

Take your time and breathe. Chin into your chest. Empty your lungs 'til you have no more breath in you. Then you fill up your lungs as you inhale. Heels forward, spine up.

Exhale, final one. Lift, chin to your chest. Exhale, keep lifting your lower abdominals. Find the internal lift even here, and then roll all the way up and exhale. Open leg rocker.

Slide your legs together and then bend your knees into your Pilates stance. Hold onto the tops of your ankles. As you push your feet down, grow taller. Find your internal lift and a pelvic tilt. Lift your spine and lift your feet up off the floor.

Keep finding that internal lift. Extend your legs up into a V as wide as your shoulders. Push your upper arm bones down. Lift your lower abdominals up. You have five rolls.

Inhale, roll back. Now, press your triceps towards the wall in front of you to come up. Inhale, roll back. Push your triceps forward and lift your chest. Yikes, three more.

Inhale, roll back. Push your triceps forward and lift. Last two, inhale, roll back. Keep tensioning your body. Final one, lock your arms, lock your legs.

Find your balance at the top. Bring your legs together for a teaser. Even here, can you push your legs away from you? Push your triceps down and now lift your lower abdominals. Walk down the backs of your legs.

Roll to the backs of your hips, your waist, bottom tips of your shoulder blades, head, bend your knees. Press your arms into the mat. Legs are parallel and together. We'll do a cork screw prep. Keep your gaze up, arms down.

As you inhale, peel the back of your left hip off of the mat. Keep your left lowest rib on the floor and then exhale like someone's pressing your front ribs into the floor. Draw your knees back. Other side, I peel the back of my right hip up. I'm trying to keep my lowest left rib on the floor and then exhale like someone's pressing these ribs down.

It brings my knees up. Two more sets. Inhale into your lower back. Feel your knees reach up on a diagonal. Exhale, press your ribs into the mat to return.

Inhale, the rotation is from your waist down. Your ribs are grounded. Exhale, use this opportunity to breathe. Inhale, rotate. Gaze stay straight up.

Exhale, all the air out to return. Final one, inhale. Just peel the back of your right hip up. And then exhale, return. Rock up to seated for the saw.

Just like the spine stretch, separate your legs, but feel like you're dragging them together and reach your arms out to 180. Look over your right shoulder and twist. Sweep your arm down. As you reach your left arm forward, can you pull your left lower abdominals back? Hold this shape.

Feel like someone's playing tug of war with your arms. Reach them in opposition and then reach back with your right arm to come up into a twist and center. Other side, look over your left shoulder. As you round forward, pull your right lower abdominals back, right arm forward. Hold the shape.

Reach your arms in opposition to one another. Reach back with your left arm to come all the way up and center. Lift to twist, round forward. Now hold. Pull your right ribs towards your right hand.

Pull your right ribs back. Pull your right ribs back. Roll all the way up and center. Lift to twist. Round, forward, forehead on your knee.

Now pull your left ribs back, left ribs back, left ribs back. Roll all the way up. One more set. Lift to twist. Try to get your left shoulder in front of your hips.

Round forward, find the opposition in your arms and then reach back and then return center. I rotate, my right shoulder is in front of my hips. I round forward and pull my abs back and I twist. I twist a little bit more, a little bit more. I reach back and then come all the way up to center.

We'll flip onto our stomachs. Swan prep. Lie all the way down. Stack your hands one on top of the other. Forehead on your hands.

Reach your sit bones back, lower abdominals forward. And slide your chest up the wall. Hold here. Keep standing on the wall with your legs. Lift your hands up to your forehead, shoulders down your back and then lower.

Two more, starting with the internal lift. Remember that feeling. Sit bones and tailbone reach back. Lower abdominals, pull up, sorry, hands stay down to start. Then lift up.

Now pull your lower abdominals forward. Then lift your hands up, lower all the way down. I want you to remember that lift. Pull your lower abdominals forward to lift. This is your extension.

And then keep your chest where it is. Lift your hands up, shoulder blades down your back, and then lower. Transition your hands into fists right above your head. Push your knuckles into one another. Slide your shoulder blades down your back.

As your triceps pull back, pull your lower abdominals forward. Tailbone and sit bones reach back. It's the same extension. Here we go, single leg kick. Kick, kick, switch.

Each time trying to kick closer so it's not about big kicks, it's about controlling. And again, pull your lower abdominals forward. I kick, kick it closer. I kick, kick it closer. Pull your lower abdominals forward and up.

One more set. Reach your legs back. Find that internal lift here. Circle your arms, hook your thumbs into one another. Stack your fingers and pull your elbows and shoulder blades together.

And chin forward. Squeeze your heels and pull your heels towards your hands. Keep squeezing your shoulder blades. Reach your chest forward, legs back. Spin your triceps up towards the ceiling.

Bend everything together. My heels press together. Notice, my chin is reaching forward. Now, reach your hands back. As your tailbone and legs go back, my chest goes forward.

Final one, pull your lower abdominals forward. Bend everything in unison. Try not to let your shoulders collapse. I'm lifting my elbows up towards the ceiling. And now reach back.

Chest goes forward. Keep a micro bend in your elbows. Spin your triceps up. Now, can you lengthen both ends of your spine more? Lower all the way down.

Sit back on your heels. Round. Come up to a seated position. We'll do a modified neck pull. Hold onto the backs of your thighs.

Press your hands into your thighs. Push your feet into the floor and grow taller. Find that internal lift. From that lift, you lean back with a straight spine and then bend your elbows, round your spine like the half roll back. Pull your lower abdominal back, round forward.

Find that internal and come back up. Two more, lift your lower abdominals. I'm pushing my inner thighs forward. Bend your elbows, bend your spine, round forward. Internal lift rolls you up.

One more. Find your lift. Push your inner thighs, oops, straight spine. Lean back with a straight spine. Bend your elbows, now round your spine and then round forward.

Find your internal lift to come up. Reach your arms forward. Find that same internal lift, hinge back. The top of my head is reaching for the top of the wall behind me. Now, round your spine and roll down one bone at a time.

And you're ready for shoulder bridge. Slide your ankles underneath your knee joints. Press your arms and feet into the floor. Pelvic tilt. Drive your heels down.

Sitting bones go up towards your knee creases. Find that internal lift here. I'm pulling my lower abdominals under the backs of my ribs. I roll down on an exhale. Tailbones still pointing up between my knees.

You have two more. Pelvic tilt, push through your feet. Push through your arms and your hands. Roll up, finding a diagonal line from your knees, to your hip points, to your shoulders. Keep your hips up.

Use these glutes and then roll your spine down. My hips are still elevated. Keep rolling down one bone at a time. Last one, pelvic tilt. Press each bone into the mat before it lifts up and forward towards your knee creases.

Keep pushing down with your arms and your feet. Your booty should be on fire. Keep pressing your hips up. Sit bones forward and up. Now big exhale.

Melt your spine into the mat one bone at a time. Once your tailbone drops, hug your knees into your chest. Side kicks. Rock up to seated. Turn onto your right side.

Your right hand goes behind your head. Left hand goes right in front of you. Stack your shoulders and your hips. Now, lengthen your legs out of your waist to lift them up. Angle them forward, and then lower them down.

Turn your legs out. This top hip reaches away from your armpit. Lift your top leg up to hip height and then press your leg behind you, and I am pulling the back of my neck towards the wall on my right for more length. Can you find that internal lift? Now, swing your leg to the front and hold.

Kneecap points up and then exhale. Find your internal lift and press it behind you. Six swings front and back. Front, exhale, press it back. Inhale, front.

Exhale, press it back. Breathe into your lower back. Find your internal lift. Three more. Can you keep making your spine longer from one end to the other?

I think we have one more left. Final one. Press your leg back and hold it back. Lengthen both legs. Pull your lower abdominals into the hand behind your head.

Stack your legs one on top of the other. Flip onto your stomach. Stack your hands for heel beats. Reach your sit bones towards your heels, lower abdominals towards your hands. And then tuck your toes under.

Flex your feet. Try to push your heels back, pubic bone down. Notice how my thighs came off the floor. Keep them that high. Lift your legs up or point your feet and then beat 10 times.

10, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Lower, same thing on the other side. So you can come up, turn yourself around. Line the back of your body up with the back edge of the mat. You cup the base of your skull with your hand and your other arm goes in front of you.

Create length, it's your standing position, but you're balancing on your side. Lift your legs up and your top hip reaches away from your ear as you lower your legs. Lift your waist, lift your top leg to hip height. Then press your leg behind you. Hold, find your internal lift.

Pull your lower abdominals up the backs of your ribs and now swing your leg to the front and pause. Turn this kneecap up like you want it to point towards the ceiling and then press it behind you. Find your internal lift. Six kicks, swing it to the front. Exhale, press it back.

Swing it to the front. Pull your lower abdominals into your hand. Front, exhale, back. You have three more. Top hip is away from your ear.

Last two. Keep anchoring your bottom leg. And then hold. Reach your leg longer. Pull your lower abdominals all the way up the backs of your ribs.

Stack your legs one on top of the other. Let's play around with some teaser. Come up to a seated position. Bring your legs all the way together. Hands go next to your hips.

Lift your hips, take a seat directly behind your heels, like you're gonna do rolling like a ball. Grab your ankles. Find a lifted C curve. So I'm pulling my lower abdominals into my lower back. I'm sliding them up the backs of my ribs and now lift your feet up.

Press your heels together and then lift your gaze. Keep finding that internal lift and balance on both sit bones. Reach your arms forward and up on a diagonal. So I'm not squeezing my shoulder blades together, I am reaching that my shoulder blades slide into my armpits. And now pull your lower abdominals in.

Lift your legs up into a tabletop teaser. Can you curl your tailbone under a little bit more to bring your knees closer to you? And then bend everything in. Find that internal lift, balance on both sit bones. And then lift your gaze.

Lift your lower abdominals. Reach forward. Now do a deeper pelvic tilt. Pull your knees into your armpits. Find your tabletop teaser.

Now, try to keep your spine exactly where it is. Pull your lower abdominals in and up and try to straighten your legs without moving your spine. Maybe you get to here, maybe you straighten all the way. And then pull your lower abdominals in. Bend your knees, grab your ankles.

Place your feet down. Now, let's work on a modified teaser. Feet go parallel. Slide back a little bit and then roll down one bone at a time. Bring your legs and feet together.

My anchor is the three corners of my feet, but I'm also pulling my legs together from my sitting bones to my inner knees, to my inner ankles. Arms are parallel to my thighs. Find your internal lift, and as you curl your head and shoulder blades up, slide your lower abdominals off the back edge of the mat. Now, pull your lower abdominals in. Can you press your waist down and curl up even higher?

Now, push off of your waist and lift your chest up towards your fingertips. Find your internal lift. Press your legs together and then roll down. Keep that internal lift on the backs of your hips, your waist, the bottom tips of your shoulder blades and your head. And again, squeeze your legs together.

Pull your lower abdominals backwards as you curl up. Press your waist into the mat by curling up a little bit higher. Now pull your waist into the floor and then like you're pushing off your waist, you lift up. Keep squeezing your legs together and then reach your arms forward as you pull your navel behind your shoulders to roll all the way down. You have one more like this.

Press your legs, find your internal lift. Curl your head up and forward and then press your waist into the mat to roll all the way up. Find your modified teaser. Press your legs together, find your internal lift. And then lift your lower abdominals and pull your waist behind your shoulders.

Roll all the way down. Let's challenge it a little bit more. Extend your left leg so your thighs are pressed together, but turn your leg out. Once again, I'm squeezing my sitting bones, my inner thighs and my knees together. And then find that first curl.

Curl your head and shoulder blades off the mat. Equal weight on both sides of your ribs. Pull your lower abdominals back. Roll up with your arms parallel to your thighs. Find that internal lift and then pull your waist away from your foot as you roll all the way down.

Two more, squeeze your legs together. Curl your head and shoulder blades up. Press your waist into the floor. Roll all the way up. Lift and then lift your lower abdominals.

Reach your arms past your foot as you pull your waist behind your shoulders to roll all the way down. One more, curl your head and shoulder blades up. Equal weight on both sides of your ribs. Push down with your waist to roll all the way up. Feel that internal lift and then pull your waist back.

Roll all the way down, rest your head. Now you do the other side. Extend your left leg. Turn it out. Press your right foot down, squeeze your legs together from your sit bones to your inner knees.

And then curl up to the bottom tips of your shoulder blades. Make sure you're even. Pull your waist into the mat, roll up. Find your internal lift, and then lift even more and then pull your lower abdominals back as you reach your left leg forward and up. Two more, anchor your right foot.

Curl your head and shoulder blades up. Keep pulling your sit bones and inner thighs together and then roll up into your teaser. Lift your waist so you're not compressing your ribs into your pelvis. Create space for your internal organs and then squeeze your legs. Roll all the way down.

You have one more. Curl your chin downwards. Curl up, press both sides of your waist into the mat. Roll up, now hold. Find that internal lift.

Lift your right leg, squeeze your legs together and then pull your lower abdominals back. Roll all the way down. Rest your head. Let's rock up to a seal. Come all the way up to a seated position.

Lift your hips and tuck your tailbone. Reach your arms through your legs. Wrap them around your ankles and grab your feet. Press the soles of your feet together. Press your elbows into your inner thighs, inner thighs into your elbows, but also feel like you're squeezing your sit bones.

Roll back and come up into this position. So I keep squeezing my legs together. I squeeze them together to come up and then I clap twice. Clap, clap. Roll back, keep squeezing your sit bones all the way down to your feet.

Clap twice, three more. Roll back, squeeze your sit bones and your feet and clap, clap. Keep that slight bend in your elbows. Push your elbows into your inner thighs. Final one.

Roll back. Come all the way up and clap, clap. Come up to standing position with control and find your Pilates stance for standing chest expansion. Root down through the ball of your big toe, small toe, center of your heel. Find that internal lift, so pull your lower abdominals all the way to the back of your ribs and to the base of your skull.

Keep that internal lift and then shift your weight forward like you're skiing down a slope. So I'm hinging at my ankles. Once you hinge, can you press your inner ankles down or inner heels down? Find your internal lift and then shift back. And again, find your internal lift.

And then shift your weight forward by hinging at your ankles. Reach your inner heels down. Pull your lower abdominals up and then shift back. We're gonna add on. Find that lean like you're leaning into the wind, press your inner heels down.

Now, really lift your lower abdominals as your arms float up. Inhale, press your arms behind you. Send your chest forward. Hold your breath. Look over your right shoulder to stretch.

Look over your left shoulder, center. Inner heels press down, lift your lower abdominals and reach. Inhale, reach your arms down and back. Chest goes forward and up. Keep your shoulders square as you look left.

Shoulders square as you look right. Look center, exhale. Can you lift your lower abdominals and reach your tailbone towards your heels? Two more. Inhale, reach down and back with your arms, forward and up with your chest and then look over your right shoulder, over your left shoulder, center.

Drop your heels and your tailbone, lift your lower abdominals. Final one. Inhale, breathe into your lower back. Hold your breath and look one direction, the other direction, center, exhale. Now, pull your lower abdominals in.

Keep your weight forward. Reach your arms up towards the ceiling. Keep that forward lean. Keep reaching your tailbone and inner heels down. Lift your lower abdominals up.

Now, shift your weight to the center of your feet. Keep that internal lift. Keeping your arms in your peripheral vision, circle them wide to the side and lower them all the way down. Ah, thank you so much for joining me today.