Energizing Athletic Mat

Hello, everybody. Welcome to my athletic matte series. Yes. Hopefully, you've tried all my other ones. This is going to be another edition.

This time, we're gonna bring my favorite friend along with me, my ball, Hopefully, my ball will behave today and stay still and not gush around. Well, there's no wind today, so I think we're fine. So The ball is behaving right now. Stay there for a few seconds. Alrighty. So let's get going. Alrighty.

We're gonna start with your feet are hit with the par. This class is gonna be going pretty briskly, so it's everybody to start with a squat. Alrighty? I say athletic, as they always say, Joseph Pilates was an athlete. So why aren't we doing a little bit more athletic Pilates?

Because that what he intended. So we're just gonna start with some squats here just to warm up those legs, get that heart rate going as always, and we're gonna do about 4 more of here. This, 4, and 3, and 2, Now hold it here, Pratt position, tilt the pelvis underneath, and that's going to some little pulses here. Beautiful. Tilt the pelvis underneath, your hips are back. Those thighs are warming up.

Now we're gonna bring the right leg to join the left leg. And then we take you back out again. So it's a count of 4, 3, 2, 1, bring it in 4. 3. Take it back again.

4, 3, 2, 1, ring, 4, 3. Now for two's takey two's, bring it center, dada, dada, and center. Dada. Feel those legs. They're burning.

Dada. Dada. The side for 4 and 4. 3, bring the legs together, squeeze the inner thighs. And we go. Steffied out. Get a little bit lower. Yes.

And bring it up. 6. Now for 2, take it 2. Bring it in. Woo hoo and 2. Bring it in, dada, and 2.

Let's do one more. Why not, dada? Now hold it here for 443, for 241, lift up. Balance. And we bend down. Bend your knees.

Come back up and balance. Woo hoo. On your mat. One more time. And balance. Now we're gonna step the right leg out. We tap it.

Tap it. Now we're just gonna add a little punch here Did I tell you, Joseph Pilates was a boxer? So this is not out of turn here. We spice it up a little bit. The athletic Pilates Tap it out. I'm gonna keep it a little bit more low impact today. Easy on the joints.

We're not taking up. Of course, if you wanna jump in Jack, Absolutely. But I'm keeping it a little bit low to the ground, getting that heart rate up. We already got 4 more. Woo hoo. 4, 3, two one switch at the side.

Elbows high. Ready. Whenever you're ready. Feels good. Doesn't it just just, like, punch forwards? Come on. Get that aggression out. You're feeling good.

Destressing ourselves, just moving that body and breathing, breathing, release his stress, lowers those cortisol levels down. Dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, 8, for 7, for 6, for 5, for 4. For 3. For 2. For 1, bring it in. Take it nice and wide.

You're in your plie position here. Plie. Plier. So in your leg work here, plier. Bring the arms together and open plier. Open. Now be mindful that your shoulders stacked over your hips. Go that imaginary wall behind you.

Now we're gonna hold it down, hands in front, little teeny tiny pulses, take the hands behind the head, Now we're gonna go side to side. We go right, left, right, and left. Right. Now we're gonna pop the right heel up. We go right heel, right heel.

Just popping that right heel up. Sound like Mary Popping's here. Pop that nail up. Back to center. Holdy here. Now we're gonna go the opposite direction.

Go other way. Dada, lift up, basset, heel up. Oh, feel those inner thighs. Whereas your obliques, your obliques are side bending. Can we do 4 more? Absolutely.

Let's go for 4 and 3. And 2 and one hold it here. Now we're gonna contract through those apps. Contract, release, So you're in that pelvic tilt, contract, release 3 more, 3, Come on a little bit lower. 2, you're gonna feel the burning in those legs. 1, hold it here. Extend those legs. Bring the legs together.

Heart rate is up. Fantastic. Let's pick up your best friends, the ball. Let's come down. We're gonna start with a roll down through the spine, bring the right thigh into your chest, right hand behind, On front of your ball, left hand behind your head. So the left hand is behind your head, right hand is on the ball, bring the opposite leg up to match it, lift your head and neck and shoulders off, and we go into single leg stretch here.

So the left leg He's reaching out and in. Now you're resisting the ball. So lift up your head, neck, and shoulders, and resist that ball. Your thigh is driving to your chest, but you're stopping it causing a little bit more intra abdominal pressure going on with those abs. Those abs are working super hard to stabilize.

Let's do a couple more. Now reach the leg out, go up and down. There we go. Now where's your eye focused towards your size, inhale down, exhale up, inhale down, exhale up, inhale down, exhale up, just a couple more, exhale in as the leg comes up, and then hold it here. Little pelvic tilt. Lower the leg.

Palvet tilt. Lower the leg. Palvet tilt look towards your size. Lower the leg. Exel.

Lower the legs. You got it. Couple more. Feel the lower abs. One more. Lower the leg, bring the legs in, drop the head, neck, and shoulders down.

Hands riding front of your thighs. We're gonna roll up head, neck, and shoulders off the mat, reach the ball out, bend your knees and come back down again. And we go up reach and then back. Excel, Linton. It's like a little mini pike here. This is gonna be coming in later.

It's gonna be a lot more challenging later We're gonna roll up into a v set later with that press down here. One more, press down and reach your head and their controls off the mat. One more. Hold it here and just do a little pulse, little lift up, fill those apps, drawing those habits in, push up, 4, 3, 2, Someone come down. Bend the knees opposite side now. So the left thigh Left hand on the ball, right hands behind your head.

Lift your head, neck, and shoulders and just bring the other leg to join. It's in your chair position. Right? Now lift your head and neck and shoulders off the mat. We're all there. Now reach that leg out and in. So in that single leg stretch leg going out, I'm re resisting that ball.

The knees drive into my chest, but I'm compressing the ball, your lats, your serratus, those abs are working as you draw those abs in, but you gotta breathe. Remember, breathing is important to really activate your deep transverse abdominis, couple more, one more, reach that leg up, drop that leg down, So we inhale down, exhale up. This is intense. I feel it just as much as you. Really support your head, neck, and shoulders. If you need to take your head down onto the mat, absolutely go and do that right now as a modification.

Couple more. Now ready. Here's your pelvic tilt. You're ready? Till lower apps. Lower the lag. Lower the apps.

That's it. Lower lower lower apps. Tilt the pubic bone towards the belly button. And resist the ball. Ready resist. There it is. And down. Ready?

It's like a little mini pike. You ready, guys? Mini pike? Ready? 2 more. One more.

And then bend the knee in drop your head, neck, and shoulders. Reach your arms out. Legs go out. Transition. Roll yourself up. Bend your knees. Pop your ball to the side.

It's gonna behave for me. We're gonna be here, hands are by your just in front of your shoulders there. Step back out. Step back. We're in our plank position here. Hold it here. Turn your toes out.

You're in a v position. We're gonna hinge back So you're in a diamond position. Can you see your diamond position? We're gonna go into your plank. Diamond, plank, diamond, and plank. Now reaching out, shooting out to the crown of the head in that diamond and plank.

Now we're gonna be adding on a little bit more intense Tensity here is coming up. One more. Holdy here. Hold. Now you can either stab or do like a little mini jump 2nd position, step back, frog. Got it.

We go reach forwards, Frog. Are you ready to jump or step? Step back. Frog forwards. Dah, dah, dah, dah, forwards back. Back, forwards, back, dead, dead, back, forwards, back, 1. Dada.

Back. Ford. Back. L. 1, 2 hips back. Plank hips back, second position, set it back. You gotta keep that rhythm going.

You should know it by now. You've got it. Add hold it here. Extend those legs. Did we do it?

Don't worry. I just want you to move and parallel. Drop the knees down, hinge, hinge, hinge, hinge back, pick up your ball. Just move. Just important that you move you'll pick it up later. Just move hands underneath the ball. Let's work that upper body.

So we're here. Your quadruped position. Your ball is underneath your left hand, your front hand. Step out with the right leg. Step out with the left leg. You're in your plank position.

We're gonna hold it here in that beautiful, strong plank, draw the pubic bond towards the ball of opening you in a slight pelvic tilt. Hold it there. Hold it. Not that easy. Now from here, we're gonna drop the hips slightly as we rotate. Come up, find that rotation, hold it there, it's about power and strength, and bring it back into your plank one more time. Rotate, slow and controlled.

You got your power Strength, hold it there, bring it back, reach out to the crown of the head, Drop the knees you in your quadruped position, switch the ball over. Now it's all in the minds. Think strong. You will be strong. Back leg. So you've got your left leg here. Now let's come up, right leg plank, and just hold it here.

Just holding in those positions are challenging. Draw the shoulder blades down, reach out to the crown of the head, zip up through those abdominals, pubic bone to belly button, slight pelvic tilt with the lower abs. Now rotate drop the hips just a little bit and hold it in that side plank. Yes. Your heart rate is up. This is good for you.

This is building strength. Come back into your plank. Hold it down. Alright. You got one more, and then we're gonna move again. Are you ready? Roll out to the side.

Lift up. Look forward. Lift your hips up, feel those obliques, pulling up against gravity. We come back or into our plank, And then we walk our feet to our hands, and we pick up the ball. We're gonna reach forward with that ball, and we're gonna bring it in and out. It's a classic little knee repeater here.

Just doing it to get that heart rate up. There we go. In that athletic I'm gonna move it to the side here. We're gonna do some balance work. We're gonna do 8 more here, though, already. Go. 8 7654321 reach Now elongate your arms forward, shoulder height, just below shoulder height, see if we can lift that leg back, find your balance, and tap the leg down and up.

The leg does not need to be high. Your hips do need to be square to the side there, so you're not rotating through your hips. We don't wanna go too high. We're working through the glute and the hamstring. Your stabilizing leg must be bent.

Compress the ball. Shoulder baits down, connecting your arms to your back will help you balance. It's all about balance. Now zip up through those apps. Don't let those apps go on vacation, We're pulling them up, and my heart rate is up just like yours, so let's keep going.

We love this. 4. And 3. And 2, and we holding it there because we can balance. Hold it. Hold it?

And bring it down. Let's go the other side. Gooch. There we go. Balance is super important. You may not be very good at it, but if you don't do it, it's gonna get worse and worse and worse.

So we have to step up, include balance into our repertoire. It's gonna make a big difference as we age. You ready? 8 more. 876543 2. Amazing. Reach those arms out just below shoulder height.

Compress the ball. Connect the arms to the back. Transferance of weight. Lift that back leg up. We have got it, and we tap it down and up.

So all the work, is that in your stabilizing leg, right, not the leg that's lifting. It's more in your stabilizing leg here. We're building strength in the glute medias, to help us with that balance. And then obviously from an aesthetic point of view of our nice perky butts, we all love that. Well, let's talk about function here and up and down, up and down.

It's always function, but aesthetics is also important too. 4 more here, 4, and 3, And 2. Alright. Can we do one more for good luck? Can we hold that balance? Can we pull the shoulder blades down? Can we go down a little bit deeper? Absolutely. We can do this.

8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1, bring it down. Turn around. Bull is in front. Ready. We roll down. Bend your knees.

Curled out. Now use your arms. Put the ball just onto your shins. We're gonna roll down. Head neck and shoulders off the mat. Bring the ball forward to here.

Now we're gonna go up into a v sit. Ball comes to the top, but I'm compressing the ball So I'm compressing, pressing down to really initiate the lats and the seritas and getting into your core up. So this is your step 1. We're gonna go up to step 2. But maybe just feel like staying at step 1 today, and that's totally fine.

And that's great. Or we can move it to step 2. So keep going if you want, or you're gonna come with me right now to step 2. We go up, push the legs out, and they come back. Head is off the mat.

Push. And back. Push. And back. Can you do two more? Ready? Push. Come back.

One more. Push. Bend the knees. Now we're gonna take the ball around. Hold it here, double leg stretch, exhale, bring it back up.

Take the ball the opposite direction. Ready double leg stretch. Bring it back up. And about to the right side. You ready? Double leg stretch.

Arms by your ears. Other direction. So I buy the ears that elongated feeling, whew, and again, Ready. Reach the arms by your ears. Looks towards your toes.

Come up. You got one more. Ready? Reach the arms up by your ears. Hakes. I lift up. Little circle around. Amazing.

And come down. Let's just take a little quick break. Absolutely. Did I say break? Hell no. Let's carry on. We're gonna roll down. Put the ball underneath your feet.

We're gonna go into hamstrings burn. Now if this is too challenging, just put that one leg down, do single leg bridge. There's always a modification, but we're just gonna go for it today. Feet on top of the ball. Pelvic tilts.

Lift up. Do you feel those hamstrings burning? Yes. Is your hips come up? And then roll down. Maybe some of you got a little cramp that kinda happens, right, that first one that cramp. So take a little break, but catch back up with me. There's your bridge.

Scroll down. Still don't forget about that spinal articulation there. And curling down. Those hamstrings are working to stabilize your back body there. Now one more, roll up into your bridge and do our little pelvic tilts, simplistic, but Oh, so intensified with those hamstrings definitely is a killer.

Alright. So five more. 4, 3, 2, and 1, cool down through the spine. Grab hold of your ball, lift it up. So your ball now is in between your ankle joint. We're gonna inhale, take the legs down, Bend the knees, like, into a little kick ball, reach over, extend the legs, and then kinda roll back down again. So lower the legs, squeeze the ball, bend the knees like a little little kick ball here, knees to chest, reach the legs over, and then elongate the legs as you roll down one vertebra at a time, but keep squeezing that ball.

Now bend the knees till the lower abs. Knees to chest up onto your shoulder blades, we reach those legs out and curl with control. Really love this exercise one more time, stretching out your back, but also working your core. Reach those legs out, and I'll hold it there. Grab your pelvis.

Now we can either do this with straight legs or bent leg will be a little bit easier, but we're gonna go straight up. And then straight back down. Hamstrings straight up. Straight back down. A couple more straight back up. Remember, this can be done with bent legs where we wanna focus on those hamstrings.

Lift up. Hold it there. And then slowly release your pelvis, roll down one vertebra at a time. Now we're gonna come up t position here now. Roll up in your chair. Hold it here, squeeze.

Now we're gonna do rolling like a ball just like this. We're gonna roll. Read those legs out. Curl balance, pelvic tilt, da da da, balance, curl, reach, And now we're gonna release the arms. Curl Pike.

Balance. I gotta roll down. Pike. Balance, curl, fake. Balance, shin's level with the sky, and that's challenging. Oh, no. Curl, fake. Use your powerhouse, your abs here, and you're ready?

Pike. One more. Excel. Pike. Holy for balance, drop the ball down, place the ball to the side. It's gonna stay there. And we're gonna stand up, bring the hands forward, curl yourself all the way up. Step out.

Plea position. Hold it here. We're gonna bring it in. Step. Bring it in. And in. In.

Back. Duh. So we're keeping it low impacts, kind of a little bit of a bounce, but you're good. You can just step it out if you want. Now at the arms.

We got it. Keep your shoulders over your hips. I know you're getting tired. Don't get sloppy, though. Keep it in control. I mean, my dance teacher always used to say to me, you're getting tired tracy.

Stop being sloppy. Show this over your hips. 876543 2. 1. Hold it. I'll curl down. Hold it.

Grab your ball. It's right there. It's behaving. Ah, totally there. Look out on the horizon. Now we're gonna go into some sideline work now.

So let's bring our legs together, and we're gonna roll down. For arm on your mat. Extend you underneath leg. The top leg is bent. Very innovative. You got the ball there, and we're gonna press down, lift your hips up to work the obliques.

So circle the hand around, Press the foot into the ball. Draw your shoulder blades down. Set yourself up for success. Now ready. Lift up.

Hold it out. Compress that ball. As you compress, your hips lift up higher, and then we come back down. We do 6 of those. Go.

And down. Compress the ball in our position, lift your hips up. Got that opposition. Press lift. Press lift. Press lift. Couple more.

Press lift. 1 more. Press lift. Hold it there. Now we're gonna add a little rotation. 4 of these.

Two more. Oh, one more. Hold it and then come back down. Bring your legs, wrap it around other side. So it's fun to do something a little different.

Still keeping the principles of Pilates, but just shaking it up a little bit. Press your elbow in to the mat, scapula pull down, lifting up, ready, hand behind your head. Compress the ball, lift your hips in opposition, and then lower down. Press, lift, and down. Keep the shoulder depressed. Press, lift.

I'm back. Breeze. Nice and calm. Controlled. I wouldn't say relax because we're certainly not relaxed. We are working 2 more.

One more. We're gonna hold it there, and we're smiling. Hold it. You got this. No. God knows. I'm on fire, but that's why you're here. You ready for your rotation? We've got it 4 more. 4, up, 3, up, 2, up, 1, hold it there. Compress that ball.

Lift you have bleeds up and up decision do not come out yet until I tell you to. Now you can come out. Amazing. Grab your bully. Come up. We're gonna go this direction. Put your hand forwards back into our quadruped position here.

The ball is in the back end. Ready. Hover. Hover. Grab your ball.

Punch for it. Punch for it. Punch forwards. Punch forwards now. Hips go back. Cross back.

Cross back into your hover. Hold it here. 2 of each. Ready. Hips go up. Cross. Cross. 1 of each.

Hold it here. Drop the legs down. Other side. Find your abs, lift up against gravity, pull your toes underneath. You're ready. Hover, we go. Hover, reach out to the crown of the head.

We've got this hips of square. 4. 4. Jap. 4 words. 3. 2. One, you're ready, hip lift, crossover to the opposite side.

2 more. One more. Ready now two of each. Cross. God and again. Cross. Now singles, god. Jap.

Cross one more. Jap. Cross. Holy there. Drop the hips down. Oh my my.

Reach those arms out. Holy that. Beautiful work. Come back. Roll onto your ball. Get your shins.

On top of the ball here. There we go. Your shins are on top of the ball. Hands are forwards. Now from here, we're gonna lift up. We're gonna inhale reach the legs out, look upon the horizon, excel all from your apps.

In how we reach out. Look out. XL apps. Needs to chest. 2 more. Look out. If this is just too challenging, take the ball away, and just go into a cat cow, head in, Drop the legs down, place the ball in the middle of your mat, and your ball is in your lumbar spine now.

There we go. Your ball is in your lumbar spine. Needs to chest. Reach the legs up. We're gonna go into a nice stretch. Now the arms and legs are gonna move away from the mid section here. Ready?

Arms and legs. Go. Now everything comes up. Pull. Arms and legs move away from the midsection, but my focus stays forward. Look. I'm reaching and looking towards my thighs.

Then everything comes up and I get a nice stretch. Inhale. Arms by your ears. Exhale. Pull back. 3 more in outreach. Excel pullback.

You got a couple more Breathe. Big range of motion. Last time. Breathe. Drop the left down.

Single scissors here. Hands behind the head. And 4, and 3, and 2, and 1 chair position, reach the hands behind the back of the knees, roll yourself all the way up, stand up, come up to center, grab your ball, reach forward to you in your squat position, hold it there, bend your knees, and we're gonna go. Step in, step out, step in, step out, step in, step out, step in. Now you can add, like, a little baby jump if you want. We'll just step in, step out.

We're nearly home. Lead with the opposite leg. So we make it even. Good. 4 more here. And 4, and 3, and 2, and one holdie here.

Reach up. Holdie here. Take a deep breath. Reach forwards, hips are back. Come forward, look out on the horizon. Hold it there.

Bend your knees back. Fantastic work. If I say so myself, you did amazing. Always feels good to work out, but work out hard with intention. Time is so, so precious.

You've got 30 minutes. You wanna make that 30 minutes work for you. Sometimes that means pushing a little bit further than what you normally would, which is why you're right here. With me right now, because I'm just pushing you a little bit further. Reach the legs out.

One more little bend in extension that you can get on with your day and feel great and feel revived. Distressed. Revitalize. That's why we love Pilates. Roll yourself all the way up, come back to center. We're gonna roll down through the spine, and out here.

Ex a roll all the way up. And, yes, I do the workout with you. There is no cuts I walk out with you. That's why my heart rate is up. Have an amazing day.

Hope you had a great class. That was fun class. Thank you. See you soon. Bye.