Intermediate Pilates - Hamstring Curls

Dori: Hi I'm Dori and this is intermediate pilates. Right now I'm going to show you to do a pilates hamstring curl. So seat yourself towards the back of the mat, walk your hands forward and stretch yourself right along length of the pilates mat, put one hand on top of the other and then you are going to go ahead and place your forehead on top of your hands. Take a big deep breath in and as you exhale, I want you to rotate those hips under, engaging those abs and pushing those pelvic bones into the pilates mat. Once you feel comfortable doing that I want you to curl those legs just at the knees, flex the feet and make sure those heels are connected and bring those knees together as close as possible and now you are simply going to do is going to be a really small move, just force those heels up towards the ceiling. So, again forehead down to hands, take a big deep breath in, engage those abs and lift those legs, try and keep those knees as close together as possible and right away you should feel your hamstrings engaged and slowly lower. Inhale, exhale, lift pause and hold it. It's a really small move but I know you feel it right from your hamstrings up to your glute . Lift, try to keep those knees as close together as possible, inhale exhale, lift, you have four more, and lower inhale, exhale lift and lower. Last three, inhale, exhale, lift pause and hold it right into the glute, and lower last two, inhale, exhale lift keep those pelvis bones digging right into mat. Last one, inhale, exhale lift, pause and hold it, slowly extend the legs, bring both arms straight in front of you take a nice big stretch, walk those hands back push right up let's go ahead and move on to the pilates exercise side bent leg raise.