5 Pilates Wall Exercises for a Workout
“Civilisation impairs physical fitness.” ~ Joseph Pilates
It’s no surprise that our DOing our modern life takes a toll as human BEings. Hours staring at our computers, hunched over our desks, stresses of job-bing. Yep, I turned it into a verb. Pilates is known to reverse our natural physical decline, and years after Joseph Pilates has left this Earth, his methods are still a potent antidote, and is still very current and very applicable to our lives today (maybe even more so than when he was alive).
I picked 5 Pilates exercises to practice at the wall because there is no better template than a wall to give you feedback on what a tall back feels like. These 5 exercises are a perfect way to transition from your work life to your personal life. Try this sequence the next time you return home, just after walking through the door, to do something good for yourself. Maybe 5 min, 10 min at most!
1 – Roll Up
- Stand with straight legs together at a distance from the wall, and place your torso at the wall, from your tailbone up to the back of your head. If your head cannot get to the wall, that’s ok. Don’t force it. Keep your chin level with the floor.
- Press your feet into the floor, and squeeze inner thighs together.
- Lift the low belly up and in.
- Breathe into the back of your ribcage to see if you can get more ribs to touch the wall.
- With your arms up, roll your head, shoulders, ribs, waist off the wall. Stop before your butt slides up the wall, and roll up to the wall, finding more length in your spine, out through the top of your head.
- Repeat 6x.
2 – Star
- Stand to the side of a wall, and more than an arm’s distance away, so you’ll be in a side plank position. Squeeze parallel legs together.
- While pressing the hand into the wall, and pressing the feet into the floor, take your outside arm and outside leg out to the side at the same time. Be mindful – “Stand” in your arm and leg using your muscles, not locked elbows and locked knees.
- Then, reach the outside arm and outside leg to the front at the same time.
- Then, reach the outside arm to the front, and the outside leg to the back at the same time.
- Repeat 3-5x, then switch sides.
3 – Saw
- With your back pressed into the wall, walk your legs out a few feet away from the wall. Stand with straight legs slightly wider than your hips at a distance from the wall. If your head cannot get to the wall, that’s ok. Don’t force it. Keep your chin level with the floor.
- Press your feet into the floor, and energetically squeeze your inner thighs towards each other even though the legs are apart.
- Lift the low belly up and in.
- Breathe into the back of your ribcage to see if you can get more ribs to touch the wall.
- Place fingertips on top of your shoulders, and twist your rib cage towards one leg. Pulse 3x leaving both hips at the wall. Return tall to the wall, then twist to the other leg.
- Alternate sides 3-5x.
4 – Wall Squats
- Stand with straight legs hip distance apart and away from the wall, and your torso at the wall, from your tailbone up to the back of your head. If your head cannot get to the wall, that’s ok. Don’t force it. Keep your chin level with the floor.
- Press your feet into the floor, and energetically squeeze your inner thighs towards each other even though the legs are apart.
- Lift the low belly up and in.
- Breathe into the back of your ribcage to see if you can get more ribs to touch the wall.
- Squat down, keeping your back at the wall, and reaching your tailbone down to the floor. Hold the position for 5-10 seconds.
- Press through the heels to straighten your legs.
- Repeat 5-10x.
5 – Wall Push-Ups
- Stand at a straight arms distance, shoulder height, to the wall, and move your legs out a distance from the wall so that you’re in a plank position.
- Press your feet into the floor, and squeeze inner thighs together.
- Lift the low belly up and in.
- Inhale into the back and sides of your rib cage while bending your elbows back. Keep them narrow by the sides of your rib cage. Exhale, straighten your arms without locking your elbows.
- Repeat 6x.
Pilates is a full body workout, and this month’s list of exercises starts at the feet, and finds a long, tall spine (including the head, if possible) at the wall. Did you know you can do almost the entire Pilates mat sequence at the wall? Occasionally, a wall is used as a prop/tool in my group mat classes. Have FOMO? Sign up here!
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