- Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced
- Equipment Needed: Spine Corrector (I love using the Contrology Spine Corrector.)
- Reps: 3-5 each side
- Warning: May not be suitable for some back issues.
- Questions: Contact us here
Side Sit Ups on the Spine Corrector
Side Sit Ups or Side Overs on the Pilates Spine Corrector are supportive and challenging all wrapped into one exercise. It’s easier in some ways compared to Side Sit Ups on the Reformer and the Ladder Barrel but harder in a lot of ways to keep the length in your waist and not rest on the way down or use momentum on the way up. This exercise truly shows the way Pilates can be deceiving. You think you’re working on one thing but really that is the distraction to what you are really working on. In this exercise, you are going to feel your outer hips!
Keep your strength and length even when you feel like resting.
Sit with one hip in the crease of the barrel top leg straight and reaching into a foot strap on your Mat. Your hips should be stacked. Your bottom leg can be bent in front of your Spine Corrector. Reach your waist long and up for your start position. Place your hands behind your head. Press your head into your hands and your hands into your head to help you create strength and length. Leg in the strap, reach long and press heel up into the strap!
To begin, press your leg up into the strap. Without twisting your chest down or up, reach up and over the barrel and then lengthen out and lift up. Repeat 3-5x. Then, if you are ready, straighten your arms and reach up and over the barrel again 3-5x. When you get long over the arc it’s easy to rest. Keep your strength and connection even at the point that you feel like resting. When you come up, only come up as much as you can keep your leg up into the strap.
Be sure to check out more of my Pilates Spine Corrector exercises. I want to help you continue your Pilates Spine Corrector training!
Just got my spine corrector and absolutely love it! The side sit ups are one of my favorites (but honestly, I have a lot of favorites!) Have been working my way through all these tutorials. Thank you so much for offering your wisdom and insight in these tutorials!
Hey Susan, YAY sooo glad you got a spine corrector! Have you done our Spine Corrector workout yet? Thank you so much for letting me know these videos are helpful! xx~LL