Chuan Studio

An iconic exercise known by many, the Mermaid exercise on the Mat is likely one of the first few lateral flexion exercises you will encounter.

Instead of relying on apparatus, this exercise relies on the mat to provide feedback as you move into lateral flexion,

Focus on gently pushing the hand into the mat as you side bend to encourage the ribs on the opposite side to expand.

Another exercise that challenges the body in the frontal plane, the Side Lift works of lateral muscles as you raise your body into a diagonal line.

Focus should be on proportionately distributing the effort between the upper and lower extremity to achieve trunk stability and control.

While most Mermaid exercises are seated, the Kneeling Mermaid is performed in a high kneeling position.

It is a great alternative for individuals with difficulties seating and the extended hip position encourages a greater stretch through the lateral line.

Focus should be on avoiding hip flexion and ensuring good arm and shoulder positioning when going into lateral flexion.

The Twist on the Mat is a great exercise that combines two of the less used planes of movement.

The initial movement lifts the body into a side plank, before folding at the hips and twisting the upper body into the final position.

Incorporating elements of weight bearing in the frontal plane as well as spine mobility into the transverse plane, it is a challenging exercise to work towards.

The Side Sit Up on the Spine Corrector utilises the curvature of the apparatus to guide the movement as you lower your body down.

While similar to the Ladder Barrel, the seated position and lack of support for the legs makes it more challenging to maintain length and control throughout the movement.

This variation of Side Sit Up on the Reformer lacks the support other similar exercises have. With the foot hooked under a strap, the body is held suspended in a diagonal position.

While the body is able to move through a greater range, the lack of feedback or support demands more strength and control from the muscles involved in moving the spine laterally.

The Lateral Flexion on the Chair starts with the body in the horizontal position before lifting the body into a side bend.

While the springs and pedal may assist the movement, heavier springs might increase the challenge on control and strength.

An overall challenging exercise for trunk stability and proprioception given the limited feedback and support the body receives.

The Side Sit Up on the Ladder Barrel relies on gravity to bring you into a side bend before you works against gravity to lift the upper body back to the starting position.

While the movement appears simple, the lack of any feedback above the hip makes it a challenging exercise proprioceptively as you work to maintain good alignment and control throughout the exercise.

The Mermaid on the Chair is one of the first lateral flexion exercises most will encounter in Pilates.

The position of the pedal in relation to the body also helps to encourage a greater range of motion than other variations of the mermaid.

The fixed seated position makes it a safe version for those with balance or stability issues.

The Dolphin exercise on the Trapeze Table utilises on the springs to move the legs and trunk in a fluid wave-like movement.

It relies on spine articulation and segmental movement similar to Bridging and the Short Spine, albeit with a longer lever.

While the longer lever in the Dolphin might make it more challenging in certain aspects, the length through the movement encourages axial elongation and avoids unnecessary compression within the body.

The Short Spine on the Trapeze Table is an exercise that challenges your understanding and mastery of your foundational movements. .

It utilises the resistance springs to lift the legs off the table and assist in controlling the lowering of the legs back to the starting position.

The spine complements the movement of the legs as it articulates in a manner similar to the Bridging exercise, peeling the spine off as the legs lift and articulating the spine onto the table as the legs lower.

The Back to Forward Bend on the Ladder Barrel uses the shape of the barrel to go into spine extension before recovering and going into a standing roll down.

The set up of the exercise in a standing position encourages a bigger range of movement within the spine and body. The range of movement can also be easily reduced for individuals with movement limitations.

The Spread Eagle starts in an upright position, rounding the spine as you lean back before articulating back up to the starting position.

In contrast to other spine articulation exercises on the Ladder Barrel and Reformer that has feedback for the spine, the Spread Eagle does not have any.

This makes the movement much more difficult to sense, requiring greater awareness and proprioception throughout the exercise.

Another variation of the rolldown exercise which adds spine extension is the Rolldown/Reach on the Spine Corrector.

While similar to the Full Rollup on the Ladder Barrel, the Rolldown/Reach allows the legs to lengthen and hips to extend when going into spine extension, achieving a much more elongated feel to the entire exercise.

Building from rolldown exercises most are familiar with, the Full Rollup adds an element of spine extension as the body rolls over the curvature of the Ladder Barrel.

This increases the range the spine has to move through as well as the muscular effort and control required to return to the starting position.

The Semi-Circle on the Reformer upgrades the Bridging exercise by integrating hip flexion and extension with spine articulation to create a smooth and coordinated wave-like movement.

Similar to the Bridging on the Ladder Barrel, the exercise articulates the spine through flexion and extension, albeit without the curve and support that the Ladder Barrel provides.

While Bridging usually starts and ends in a supine position, the curve of the Ladder Barrel encourages the body beyond supine into extension.

This gives the body an opportunity to experience a fuller and larger range of spine articulation through flexion into extension with the assistance of gravity.

The Bridging exercise is a great foundational exercise to teach spine articulation and segmental movement.

The versatility of the Reformer to move the footbar and carriage allows for the body to be placed in a position that encourages a greater range of movement which would be helpful when working with such nuanced movements.

In the Teaser on the Trapeze Table, the spring and bar assists the upper body while the lower extremity has to work against gravity to lift up into the Teaser position.

The lack of any spring or strap support means the flexors have to work to lift the legs up and control the legs while lowering them to the ground.

Despite the lack of support, the coordination between the movements of the upper and lower half of the body could either assist or hinder the exercise.

In the Inverted V on the Reformer, the body transitions between push up and inverted V position, folding from the hips that reach up towards the ceiling.

While the basic movement of hip flexion is similar to the Feet in Straps and Supine Leg Spring Series, the orientation and set up of the body in relation to the reformer and gravity makes it a significantly different exercise that utilises different muscles.

The Supine Leg Spring Series on the Trapeze Table utilises two springs for the movement.

The unconnected springs demand greater control and coordination to perform symmetric movement. It also allows for asymmetric movements usually not available on the Reformer.

The placement of the springs on the Trapeze Table also affects the direction of the resistance and the relevant muscles required.

The Feet in Straps is a foundational lower extremity exercise that utilises the springs to create resistance as you lower the feet down; working the glutes and hamstrings.

As the legs lift towards the ceiling, the same muscles work eccentrically to control the ascent. Focus can be placed on disassociating at the hip and stabilising the pelvis throughout the movement.

The Standing Arm Series Facing In on the Trapeze Table brings the same arm movement seen in other exercises to a standing position.

The higher centre of gravity increases the challenge to trunk stability and demands greater awareness and proprioception due to the minimal feedback the body has in order to keep its alignment.

The Pulling Straps exercise is performed in a prone position on a long box.

The orientation of the body in relation to gravity immediately requires the extensors to work even before the exercises commences.

Gravity, in addition to the springs resistance, makes it a challenging progression from the foundational supine arm series.

In the Kneeling Arm Series Facing Back, you perform the exercise in the a high kneeling position facing the back of the reformer.

While the movement is similar to the Supine Arm Series, the kneeling position and moving carriage adds an element of instability to the exercise, demanding greater core control and trunk stability than in supine position.

The Supine Arm Series exercise is a great introductory exercise to strengthen the upper body as you work against the springs and straps while lying in a supine position.

While the movement might be similar to the arm arcs, the use of the strap reverses the phases as you work against the spring resistance while lowering the arms and control the movement as you raise the arms back up.

In the Arm Arcs exercise, the arms work concentrically against gravity as they lift towards the ceiling before working eccentrically to slow the descent back to the mat.

The phases are dependant on the body and arms’ orientation to gravity as it affects whether gravity assists or resists the movement.

In the Reverse Swan on the Chair, the springs attached to the pedal serve both as support and resistance as you roll down.

While lighter springs would require more control rolling down due to the reduced support, heavier springs would require more effort to maintain the roll down position.

In the Roll Down exercise on the Ladder Barrel, the exercise does not have any form of support, requiring the body to work against gravity in the movement.

The curvature of the Ladder Barrel facilitates the movement into flexion while also allowing the body to roll beyond neutral and into extension.

In this Roll Down variation, the abdominals work against gravity to control the body when rolling down and up.

The lack of any form of spring assistance in this variation makes it more challenging due to the lack of support and feedback.