SECTION: Pilates Taster Short Course: Your 7 a Day Slice of Goodness

4. Taster: Side Bends

So lesson three side planks. And there are so many variations with the side planks, whether we're going to be
on our forearm, whether we’re going to be up on our hand, which can be tricky for the wrist. And then we've
got beginner, intermediate advanced level with the leg position as well. The reason I've chosen this exercise is
because this with the core strength exercise, the abdominal exercises and the back exercises that we do help
build a girdle of strength around the body and that will really help support the spine. Okay, So we're going to
start on the forearm and then I will move you on up. The position of your body should be shoulder hip, ankle
in line, so the shoulder is well away from the ear. The elbow is underneath the shoulder. Check that and then
depending on your mat, if you've got a nice spongy mat like me, it's not going to make too much difference.
But on a hard surface, sometimes you feel your elbow digging in. Just changing the position of your hand or
your fist will make that a bit more comfortable. So level one then beginner level is knees in front of the body
because we want the knees bent and we want the, as I say, the ankle in line with the hip. Get yourself into a
nice neutral position to start with. So learning neutral position away from the supine position is quite tricky,
but you will pick it up pelvic floor, lower belly drawn back navel to spine. Keep the chest nice and open. Inhale
to prepare. As we exhale, we lift the hips and as we inhale, we lower the body down. The hip almost touches
the mat, but not quite. And then off you go again. So that is a beginner level and its upper body strength as
well as strengthening the lats and the external obliques and working the core. A little bit of mobility for the
spine there as well. But you get much more mobility when you're up on your hand. Level two, we just stretch
your leg out. So as we exhale, we come up and start to put some weight through that top leg and you're going
to start to feel the inside thigh work as well. Exhaling up. So finally, your level three would be stretching out
the lower leg as well. You almost touch the mat. Not quite. And then up you go and then you just kiss the mat.
And again lifting up and then just kiss the mat. And we'll be building to about ten of those. Now, if you don't
have any wrist issues, another level up because of the balance, you've got less of your body on the mat. So it's
going to make it more difficult, and your range is going to be that much bigger. It starts to get a lot tougher for
your shoulder as well as all the other muscles. So, to make the transition from forearm to full arm, you would
do what you can on your hand and then you would come back down and finish the set on your forearm. Okay,
So to get up there. You can still have your knees together for level one and then you would come up and this
time your hip isn't going to touch the ground. And then level two would be your top leg to here. Always check
wrist under shoulders, shoulder away from the ear, core muscles engaged and then level three. Would be your
foot stretched all the way out, coming down. Take care. And then moving all the way back up.
External obliques, big major muscles wrapping themselves around here, the lats all the way down here. And
then of course you've got all your other core muscles working there as well, as well as a great upper body
workout, little bit of bit of mobility into the spine. So that's your side plank, your side bend.