March Matness 2022
Classic Pilates & Cosplay
It’s March Matness!!! Every March Pilates instructors and enthusiasts gather for a global celebration of the work of Joseph Pilates.
This year some of my favorite colorful characters wanted to join in on the fun..
Each week I’ll try to debut a new character for the weeks exercises! These Sheroes & Villains are always on the go on the run and ready for action… who better to show us some of these core strengthening and flexibility boosting moves?
There are 31 classical pilates mat exercises and for #marchmatness we pair them with each day in march
These moves may be classical but make no bones about it- many of them are super challenging.
March Matness is a global celebration and if anyone has both Mat moves and Madness down- it’s Gotham’s Clown Princess- Harley Quinn. Did you know she was a star gymnast before she became a supervillain?
Check out the vid and some pics below to learn more ways to tone your abs, strengthen your spine and gain flexibility.
1. Hundred
The first in the series this intense ab movement is meant to wake you up and warm you up! Activate that core and power up your circulation...
Targets: Abs, Breathing & Circulation, Triceps,
2. The Roll Up
Learn to mobilize your spine and start to engage your center as you stretch your legs. Perfect if you've been sitting all day!
Targets: Abs, Spine, hips
3. The RollOver
Make no spinal bones about it, this one is a bit on the advanced side, so exercise caution on your neck. But I do bend so I don't break....
Muscles Used: Abs & Shoulder Girdle, Hips, Back
4. One Leg Circle
This one looks simple but requires stability and mobility to do it right!
Muscles Used- Abs Hips and Inner Thighs
5. Rolling Like A Ball
Challenge your balance stability and control while massaging your spine!
Targets: Abs Balance and spinal stabilizers
6. One Leg Stretch
This is how you deepen your abdominal strength and mobilize your hips.....
Muscles used: Abs
7. Double Leg Stretch
This is one of Joseph's favorite exercises! It really encompasses flowing but challenging movement, breathwork, and a burning core!
Muscles Used: Abs Hips Arms
8. Spine Stretch Forward
Learn to move each vertebrae or spinal bone in sequence as you stretch your legs back and hips. You’ll be using your abs to elongate your whole back body
Muscles Used; Abs Hips Spine
9: Rocker With Open legs
For those about to roc- better find your balance! This one will really test your control and flexibility…. Check you some of the mods in the video with bent knees
10. Corkscrew
Twist and shout and you can choose to lift your hips for an advanced challenge. Tone the sides of your waist as you work the core shoulders and hips
Muscles Used; Obliques, Abs, Hips, Shoulders
11. Saw
Twisting and bending your spine in all directions is a big principal in Pilates. This move will have you forward bending as you twist to lengthen your legs and really learn to control your pelvis and stretch and strengthen your hips
Muscles Used; Obliques, Hips & Core
12. Swan Dive
I never feel like a swan doing this one- more like a chubby walrus…. This advanced backbending dynamic exercise will open your chest and strengthen hips and butt. Focus on opening the chest and working the upper back so you don’t excessively use or arch from your lower back
Muscles Used; Obliques, Abs, Hips, Shoulders
13. One leg kick
Let’s kick it to stretch thighs and open chest and shoulders. Make sure to engage core and glutes to really maximize the alignment and effectiveness of this heart opening move
Muscles Used; Back, Glutes, Hamstrings
14. Double Leg Kick
Stretch deeply and learn to stabilize so you’re safely getting to release any tension in your upper body. You’ll also be working lower body as you stretch front of thighs and engage back of thighs.
Muscles Used; Glutes, back, Hamstrings, Triceps, Shoulders
15. Neck Pull
This is definitely the ab challenge you’re looking for- it will also stretch your whole back body and really test your control? Get ready to open your heart and prep for bikini time..
Muscles Used: Core Spine Legs Shoulders Back
16. Scissors and Bicycle
Legs in the air like ya just dont care…I can’t think of anyone more appropriate than Selina Kyle to really show this one off. This booty lifting move will tone and strengthen lower body. Plus this inversion really is fun!!!
Muscles Used: Hips Core Spine Legs Shoulders Triceps Back
17. Shoulder Bridge
This advanced booty lifting mve will flip you upside down as you tone hips butt core and thighs…
There are endless ways to play with this one and variations of it are a mainstay in so many Pilates workouts
Muscles Used: Butt Back Core Shoulders
18 . Spine Twist
A big principle in Pilates is moving the spine in all directions. This move has rotation on lock….Let’s get twisted. I mean babe....
Muscles Used: Obliques Core Spine
19. Jackknife
This pilates style inversion is an advanced way to lengthen your spine and learn some serious core control.
Learn to really flex your spine and work those abs and hips.
Muscles Used: Abs Core Spine Hips Shoulders
20. Side Kick
Can you kick it? Yes you can- Pilates style with the #SideKickSeries - these will keep your lowewr half looking fierce af and of course- strong and flexible.. Fire up your core and learn to stabilize sideways!
Muscles Used: Hips Glutes Obliques Core Legs
21. Teaser
I cant think of a more famous ( or infamous ) Pilates exercise than this. Its sort of like a v up but done with intense precision
In the video I go through all three classic variations- and yes in heels
Muscles Used: Abs Core Hips Balance
22. Hip twist
Hip hip hooray! It’s time to twist our waist as we open our chest and strengthen our hips. This is a great exercise if you need to stretch your shoulders and learn torso stability and tone the obliques.
Muscles Used: Abs Core Hips Balance
23. Swimming
Swim your way into a strong back body. Breathe and learn coordination as yo open your chest and heart.
Muscles Used: Abs Core Hips Balance
24. Legpulls (Front and Back)
Do you love planks? Then try these leggy variations on a core and arm fan fave….
Muscles Used: Abs Core Hips Balance
25. Kneeling Side Kick
Let’s kick it real good with a hardcore arms and glure advanced Pilates challenge
If you’re looking to challenge your stability and tone your sides hips and butt then you’ll want to try it.
Muscles Used: Abs Core Hips Balance
26. Side Bend
It’s always a good day to be a mermaid..; and work obliques…
Muscles Used: Abs Core Hips Balance
27. Boomerang
What goes around- swings around again in this twisting inverting and core strengthening balancing act! Part teaser with a twist and part inversion with a dash of a roll you’ll rock your way to a balanced bod.
Muscles Used: Abs Core Hips Balance
28. Seal and Crab
Coordination, breath and spine health are all key players in these two rolling moves. Let’s work on hip mobility as we roll into fun moves that feel like play.
Muscles Used: Abs Core Hips Balance
29. Rocking
Let’s work our cores, open our chests and strengthen the muscles all along our spines. ! Were all on our phones waaay too much. Try this to open your chest shoulders thighs strengthen your back. Rocking looks similar to Bow Pose in Yoga.
Muscles Used: Abs Core Hips Balance
30. Control Balance
"Concentrate on the correct movements each time you exercise, lest you do them improperly and thus lose all the vital benefits of their value".- Joseph H Pilates
The Control Balance from the Pilates method is a great move showing that.
Muscles Used: Abs Core Hips Balance
31. Push Ups
You know you love em….
Muscles Used: Abs Core Hips Balance
You can check out #MarchMatness2022 to see more along social media- but I’m the only one doing it in full cosplay. I hope it inspires you to hit the mat with a smile
Stay tuned next week and all through March on the blog to learn more about Pilates, exercise by exercise and step by step!
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