Okay, that one I don't know (I'm not very familiar with Pilates; a lot of the exercises are very specialised small movements like that).
The one my physical therapist had me doing most for strength was one where you lie on your back with the feet on the floor and then slowly lift your pelvis up, sort of rolling your spine gradually until you are in a straight line, keeping your abdominal muscles tense.
Right, so that's mostly called a "bridge".
One strategy for progress: do it more times in a row. Do you currently have a fixed number of sets and reps you do?
Another strategy: introduce instability, e.g. by putting your feet (or shoulders) on a swiss ball.
Yet another strategy: go unilateral! Lift one foot off the floor, so the other leg (and your core) is doing twice the work, and it's also harder to balance. Make sure you repeat the exercise on the other side.
Another strategy again: increase range of motion (you can do this by putting your shoulders on a bench). Then it's called a "hip thrust".
Also an exercise where you are on your hands and knees, again with the abdominal muscles tensed so the back is straight, and lift your right arm forward, the left leg backward, and then bring them together elbow to knee beneath you and then the same with the opposite limbs.
That's called various things, I think -- the name I know best is "bird dog". Afraid the only way I know of making it more difficult is by adding wrist and ankle weight.
Then an exercise where you lie on your belly, tense your abdominal muscles and have your arms with the elbow at 90° and lift the arms up a little, and then move them forward and backward
So your back is arching and your head and chest are lfting up off the floor a bit, right?
no subject
The one my physical therapist had me doing most for strength was one where you lie on your back with the feet on the floor and then slowly lift your pelvis up, sort of rolling your spine gradually until you are in a straight line, keeping your abdominal muscles tense.
Right, so that's mostly called a "bridge".
One strategy for progress: do it more times in a row. Do you currently have a fixed number of sets and reps you do?
Another strategy: introduce instability, e.g. by putting your feet (or shoulders) on a swiss ball.
Yet another strategy: go unilateral! Lift one foot off the floor, so the other leg (and your core) is doing twice the work, and it's also harder to balance. Make sure you repeat the exercise on the other side.
Another strategy again: increase range of motion (you can do this by putting your shoulders on a bench). Then it's called a "hip thrust".
Also an exercise where you are on your hands and knees, again with the abdominal muscles tensed so the back is straight, and lift your right arm forward, the left leg backward, and then bring them together elbow to knee beneath you and then the same with the opposite limbs.
That's called various things, I think -- the name I know best is "bird dog". Afraid the only way I know of making it more difficult is by adding wrist and ankle weight.
Then an exercise where you lie on your belly, tense your abdominal muscles and have your arms with the elbow at 90° and lift the arms up a little, and then move them forward and backward
So your back is arching and your head and chest are lfting up off the floor a bit, right?
More to follow when I have time.