A chair turns pilates into something you can do in work clothes, between calls, or on a day when getting down to the floor feels like too much.
Set up your chair
- Pick a sturdy chair with four legs and no wheels.
- Push its back against a wall so it can't slide.
- Sit near the front edge, feet flat and hip-width apart, knees over your ankles.
Do the seated moves
1. Seated pilates breath, 1 minute
Sit tall and put your hands on your ribs. Breathe in through your nose and feel your ribs widen into your hands. Breathe out through your mouth and feel them knit together. Learn the full version in the Pilates breath.
2. Seated roll down, 6 times
Breathe in to sit tall. Breathe out, nod your chin and roll your spine forward one bone at a time, hands sliding down your thighs. Breathe in at the bottom, breathe out to roll up. It follows the idea of the Spine stretch forward.
3. Seated knee lift, 8 each side
Sit tall, hands on the seat beside you. Breathe out and lift one foot a few centimeters, keeping your spine still. Lower it with control and switch.
4. Seated side bend, 4 each side
Reach one arm overhead and bend gently to the other side, sitting bones heavy on the seat. Breathe into your open ribs.
Do the standing moves behind the chair
5. Supported roll down, 4 times
Stand behind the chair, hands on its back. Roll your spine down as far as feels good, sliding your hands down the chair, then roll up. Try the free-standing version in the Standing roll down.
6. Standing side leg lift, 8 each side
Hold the chair with one hand. Lift the outside leg out to the side without leaning, then lower it slowly. Feel the side of your hip work, as in the Side leg lift.
7. Heel raises, 10 times
Hold the chair with both hands. Rise onto the balls of your feet, pause, and lower slowly.
8. Standing reach, 4 times
Let go of the chair if you feel steady. Breathe in and reach both arms overhead, breathe out and lower them, as in the Standing reach.
Know where chair pilates stops
Chair pilates trains your breath, posture and hips gently. It can't train your core like The Hundred or the Roll up do on the mat. Move to the floor when you feel ready, or use a wall for support there.
Move to mat and wall pilates
In Her Pilates, I teach mat and wall pilates. Start at the Foundation level with the standing and wall moves, and I build you up from there, one level a week.
