HUNDRED

This is my understanding of Hundred in my

Pilates training and practice.

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What is Hundred?

It's a Pilates exercise, it's a spine shape, it's a full body movement that comes after a Pre-Pilates warm up in a traditional Mat Pilates series.

Don't let this picture fool you into thinking this is easy. The whole body is engaged to hold this open parenthesis shape. "I don't see a shape," you might be thinking. In

Pure Body Pilates Training it is literally the Hundred spine shape. Clear as mud right? Think about the body as an open parenthesis. Those two curved lines that enclose an expression in writing ( ). Keeping the spine in elongated flexion through the thoracic region (mid back, or vertebrae located between the cervical and lumbar vertebrae), imprint the lumbar (lower back) into the floor. Tilting the chin towards the chest lift the head, neck, and shoulders of the floor. Keeping your spine shape lift the legs off the floor as well.

Legs should be long, straight and pulled together, toes in plantar flexion (toes pointed). Arms are long and straight on either side of the body with the palms facing towards the floor.

Before you come to the full expression of this exercise, try and hold the Hundred position. Starting from a supine position (lying on your back on the floor) you'll take a deep inhale and as you fully exhale you'll lift everything up. The head, neck, shoulders, arms, and legs lift all while imprinting your lumbar into the floor.

What do you feel within your body? For me I feel all my muscles tense up, as if the muscles are pulling in towards my bones to give them a hug. My core pulls in towards my mid line and down towards my lumbar helping to ground me to the floor. Heat generates throughout my entire body starting from my core spreading out through the crown of my head, through my finger tips, down through my core into my lumbar, and out through my toes. This is referred to as lines of energy in training.

Let yourself release out of the shape. Take a nice deep breath. This is where your brain needs to kick in to give your muscles and your entire body a pep talk." You can do it, don't let go!" Be your own cheering section, it's going to get harder. Take another deep breath for good measure and as you fully exhale lift everything up again. While you're holding your open parenthesis, pump your arms. Like you're splashing the top of water. Hold the position, breathe, pump your arms. I'll often think to myself as I'm performing the Hundred, " light as a feather stiff as a board." Too easy, lets make it harder. Stylize your breathing. Inhale for 5 counts and exhale for 5 counts. Breathe in 1,2,3,4,5 and exhale 1,2,3,4,5 all while holding the position, and pumping your arms.

How many times are you supposed to do this? The goal is to hold the position and pump the arms one hundred times, hence the name HUNDRED. You can release if you need to between each set. Pump the arms 10 times. Then 20. Keep track each time you practice and do 1 or 2 more reps each time.

As you practice Pilates you're constantly trying to challenge yourself, and see what else you can do to control your body and each movement. While you're in Hundred can you lift your shoulder blades off the floor a little higher? Can you pull your core in a little tighter? Can you pump the arms a little longer? For me when I stylize my breathing with the 5 count I am more challenged. You'll notice in the video below I am matching my breath to the pump of my arms. For me I feel more successful in completing the exercise when my breath matches my arm movements. I can get to a hundred, which means I should practice the 5 count breath to strengthen my practice. Also in the video I first lift my legs, then I keep my legs anchored and lift my upper body. Today this was a little warm up, it also allows me to feel where my lumbar should be with the rest of my body lifting off the floor.

We are all at different levels of practice, embrace your journey , envision your goal and take the time you need to get there. #youcansitwithus