The 34 Classical Mat Exercises - Live. Breathe. Pilates.

Pilates | The 34 Classical Mat Exercises

“Study carefully. Do not sacrifice knowledge to speed in building your solid exercise regime on the foundation of Contrology. Follow instructions exactly as indicated down to the very smallest detail. There IS a reason!”

Joseph Pilates

Joseph Pilates created this selection of exercises to go through a sequence that he believed to be logical and appropriate, the idea being to first warm up the body, and then progress to the more challenging exercises once the body is sufficiently warmed up and ready.

Finally, it progresses into cool down exercises before the end of the session. The idea was to ensure that all areas of the body were targeted in every position, first by use of gravity and body weight and then against it.

It is possible to follow this order of exercises directly, or to pick and choose from the list depending on the level of the student.

The exercises are categorised into three levels: fundamental, intermediate and advanced, though the exercises are generally broken down and taught via preparatory steps depending on the level of the student, progressing to the full version when the student is sufficiently ready!

I hope you enjoy the pictures and feel inspired!