One Exercise, 100 Results

The Hundred:  This exercise is a favorite and every time I perform this exercise I remember that I don’t particularly like it because of its difficulty and that it is fast acting, giving results almost immediately.

The hundred is a classic Pilates mat exercise. The hundred is a dynamic warm-up for the abdominals and lungs.

Exhale: Bring your head up with your chin down and, using your abs, curl your upper spine up off the floor. Keep the shoulders sliding down and engaged in the back. Your gaze is down into the scoop of the abdominal muscles.
Stay here and inhale.

Exhale: Deepen the pull of the abs and extend your arms and legs. Your legs reach toward where the wall and ceiling meet in front of you. You can adjust them higher if need be, or lower for more advanced work. They should only be as low as you can go without shaking and without the lower spine pulling up off the mat. Your arms extend straight and low, just a few inches off floor, with the fingertips reaching for the far wall.

Hold your position:  Take five short breaths in and five short breaths out Simultaneously, move your arms in a controlled up and down manner – a small but dynamic pumping of the arms.

Do a cycle of 10 full breaths. Each cycle is five short in-breaths and then five short out-breaths.
The arms pump up and down — about a 6-8 inch pump — in unison with your breath.

Maria Davis, Director and Founder, Embodimove

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Swimsuit Ready Challenge

This exercise is part of our Swimsuit Ready Challenge (April 2-30, 2012). Do this exercise and comment below “I did this!” to be entered to win our $100 and $50 giveaways. You may enter up to one time per day through April 30th.

Also – be sure to share this on Facebook, Pinterest and other sites to let your friends cheer you on or – better yet – join in on the challenge so they can hang out on the beach with you this summer!