Some of the trickiest elements of a Pilates session are the exercises that ask you to lift your head and shoulders off the mat — movements like the hundred, single and double leg stretch, and scissors. It takes a great deal of upper abdominal strength and control to lift your head and upper back without straining your neck; and even if you can lift it, holding it there for long enough to complete the full exercise can be a huge challenge. If you feel a major strain in your neck, you’re not alone.
Part of the solution here is just to practice: The more you work on this, the stronger your abdominals will get and the easier it will feel. But there are also a few tricks that can help ensure you’re lifting with the intended muscles and keeping your neck in an ideal position to avoid unnecessary pressure and straining.
That’s what today’s Pilates sequence is mostly focused on — tips and tricks to help you with the “Pilates curl,” as well as some really nice upper back and neck release exercises to help with the strain. (And a handful of other Pilates moves that just feel good and help round things out!)
I do want to say very clearly that you do not have to lift your head and shoulders to get a great Pilates workout. Basically every single exercise that asks you to do it can also be done with your head down! Keep this in mind as you do this sequence, or in any Pilates class you take on your own: If your neck hurts, try again with more core connection, and if it still hurts, do the exercise with your head down. The following adjustments should help if you go that route:
For the Hundred, you can keep your legs in a tabletop position, or extended to a high diagonal (not a 45-degree angle or lower)
For single-leg stretch and double leg stretch, think high diagonal as well — legs (and, for DLS, arms) should point more toward the ceiling than to 45 degrees or lower.
For scissors, you can hold your legs behind your thighs instead of reaching for your calves or ankles.
Hope this one feels good and helps you work toward a more comfortable head lift in your own Pilates practice!
