Movement · Pilates for Beginners
Heel Squeezes
Starting position
Lying on your stomach with arms bent in line with the forehead, palms overlapped with forehead resting on the back of the hands. Hips are externally rotated, knees are bent, and ankles are in dorsiflexion with heels touching.
8–10 reps
Breath, Inhale to prepare · Exhale to squeeze the heels together
How to do it
Inhale: Lengthening the crown of the head away from the tailbone.
Exhale: Engage the abdominals, while maintaining neutral spine and pelvis, press heels together and lift the thighs gently off the mat.
Continue a smooth breath of inhale, exhale and squeeze heels while, simultaneously pulsing thighs and heels up in ¼ inch movements to toward the ceiling. Keep maintaining connection with the abdominals and neutral spine.
20 - 30 repetitions
Be mindful
- Keep movement small, keeping the pelvis stabilized in neutral at all times.
- The lower back should not feel any kind of pressure or tension.