Summer Holiday Pilates – My Go To Exercises for a Pain Free Break

Summer Holiday Pilates

Let’s face it, much as we are all dying to go on that longed for summer holiday the thought of the transit process to get there is putting many of us off !
Airport chaos, transfer waiting times and the general stress of asking our bodies to carry heavy cases and back packs that it is unused to is a recipe for unwanted back pain and general overall stiffness. Not the best start to the longed for holiday.
As a Pilates teacher I have a core of exercises that I use to unwind my body before finally allowing myself to take up residence on my sunbed. These help me to move my spine and loosen up of areas of tension.

Summer Holiday Pilates Exercises | Expert Tips for a Pain-Free Break

1. Pelvic Rocking – If the low back area is where you find the majority of stiffness resides in your body this is an exercise for you. • Lie on your back, knees bent up. Create a gentle arch in the lower back and feel the back of the pelvis heavy on the floor.

• Rock the pelvis, alternating allowing the lower back to drop into the floor by pulling the tummy muscles into toward the spine and gently arching the lower back away from the floor. • Perform 5-10 times or as comfortable.

2. Hip Rolls

• Begin hip rolls by performing a pelvic tilt as above. • Once the lower back is flat into the floor, continue to roll the spine away from the floor.

Roll up until the hips & spine are lifted and the back of the
shoulders are on still on the mat.
• From the top, the movement is reversed and you start to roll down from
the top of the spine to the bottom, returning to floor.
• Repeat x 5 or as comfortable.
My third and final exercise helps to combat the inevitable slouch from sitting
too long in airport lounges and on flights hunched over our mobile phones!

3. Sphinx Chest Lift

• Lie on your front with your hands to the side by your shoulders. Lift the chest, followed by your head away from the floor, elbows stay on the floor. • Feel as if the spine between the shoulder blades is pressing toward the front of the body as you lift.

• Lift the belly button away from the floor to support the lower back as you lift the chest. • Return to the floor. Repeat x 5

Repeat these as many times as you want throughout your holiday. Of course,
I have many others that I like to do but I would say that these three are my ‘go
to’s’ when time is short and there is a Pina Colada by the bar with my name
on it!
Try these out and enjoy your holiday pain-free!