Pilates Mat Exercises with a Belt

class planning Jun 03, 2020

As much as we love Pilates mat work on its own, adding props can be a very beneficial way to add some variety. Depending on how you use them, they can make an exercise more challenging or they can assist you through challenging movements.

The belt can increase your abdominal activation and is a great feedback tool for student and teacher.

Benefits of Using a Belt In Your Classes

It can serve as a feedback tool. Focus on the body part that the belt is touching (i.e. Breathing), or let it be your guide for where to pivot(i.e. seated back bend), or where to engage (Swimming).
Use it as assistance, i.e. in One Leg Circles or Knee Stirs.
Use it as an accountability tool by placing it under your waist in supine, prone, or side-lying. Check that you are able to move the belt in side-lying and prone, and make sure that you're not able to move it in supine.
Use it to activate your anterior abdominal wall (Dead Bugs) or your outer shoulder stabilizers (Arm Arcs). When holding the belt in your hands, always pull apart. Never let the belt go limp.

You'll find videos and detailed descriptions of each of these exercises inside the Pilates Encyclopedia membership!

Supine

Arm Arcs: Hold belt in your hands
Dead Bugs: Hold belt in your hands
Bridging: hold strap with hands, arms reach to ceiling or overhead
Hundred: strap behind thighs
Stomach Series with Chest Lifted: Place the belt under your mid-back (imprint on the strap don’t lose strap as the instructor tries to pull it out)
Toe Taps
The Hundred
3 Way Stretch: wrap the strap around your foot, extend leg to ceiling

Hamstring stretch
IT Band/Twist
Adductor

One Leg Circles: one foot in strap, leg extended to ceiling, guide the leg through the circle via the strap
Knee Circles: strap behind your thigh
Scissors and Bicycle: wrap strap around your upper arms

Seated

Lateral Breathing: Wrap belt around your rib cage
Spine Twist: with strap wrapped around your ribcage, crossing over, hold opposite end
Spine Twist: Stretch strap across your upper back, pull strap taut
Backbend: strap across your mid back, bend over the strap
Spine Twist: hold strap overhead
Side Bend: hold strap overhead
Spine Stretch Forward: hold strap in front of you
The Roll Up: hold strap with hands
The Roll Up: Strap around your feet, keep strap taut the whole time
Climb a Tree: strap around one foot

Prone

Dart + Shoulder Extension: Hold belt behind your back, lift and lower your arms, palms facing up or down
Prone Extension: lift your chest, moving from the thoracic spine
Double Leg Kicks
Swimming: Place belt under your lower abdominal wall, try to keep belly away from strap, so the instructor can pull it out

Side-Line

Side Balance
Side Kicks: Place belt under your waist, keep air under the waist, so your teacher can pull the strap easily

Quadruped + Kneeling

Push-Ups: tie strap around upper arms to keep them next to chest - hammock feeling
The Z: hold strap taut between hands

Standing

Balance on one leg with the belt between your hands: behind your back or in front or overhead
Pectoral Stretch: hold strap wide with hands, lift arms, lower strap behind your body with straight arms, and reverse
Arm Raises: strap between hands, pull apart; teach closing of ribs as arms lift (like Arm Arcs, but Standing)
Side Bend: arms overhead with strap (like the seated version
Shoulder Extension: hold belt behind your body, move arms away from body