THE ROLL-UP

INTERMEDIATE

Practice control over the legs and hips while targeting the abs. The Roll-up is a classic Pilates exercise that really works the abdominal muscles, toning them far faster than even standard ab crunches.

Lie on your back in supine position with your legs lengthened and adducted together, feet flexed.

Inhale, reaching your arms forward while keeping your shoulders down. Exhale, gently lengthening through the back of your neck, and lift your head and shoulders. Peel your spine off the mat, pulling your navel in toward your spine.

Exhale, curling all the way up to a sitting position, rounding the spine and lifting out of your waist.

Inhale and begin rolling down. Exhale, allowing the lumbar region of the spine to press into the mat first, then articulating the spine the entire way down while lengthening through the heels.

Repeat four to six times.

ANNOTATION KEY

Bold text indicates active muscles

Gray text indicates stabilizing muscles

* indicates deep muscles

DO IT RIGHT

LOOK FOR

• Maintaining a slow pace in the movement to decrease pelvic movement.

AVOID

• Lifting your shoulders to help raise your torso.

• Raising your legs off the mat with the roll-up motion.

BEST FOR

• rectus abdominis

• rectus femoris

• adductor longus

• tensor fasciae latae

• transversus abdominis

• obliquus externus

QUICK GUIDE

TARGET

• Abdominal muscles

BENEFITS

• Strengthens the abdominals while mobilizing the spine

NOT ADVISABLE IF YOU HAVE

• A herniated disk