The Importance of the Roll Up

I have been teaching the Pilates method full time now for over four years.  I have watched many people progress through this work, both under my own instruction and others and it has become increasingly apparent to me that the Roll Up, the second exercise in the Matwork, is one of the most important exercises for people today.  It is the exercise that most people seem to struggle with in the beginning and the one that appears to provide them with the most relief when they start to get it right. This is especially true if the mat work is all that they are doing.  The Roll Up is all about gaining control over the articulation of the spine, by increasing the strength and flexibility of all the muscles that move the spine.  If you are not familiar with the Roll Up I have included a photo and a brief description below.  People with stiff backs struggle with it, people with weak abdominal muscles struggle with it, and interestingly, people who look strong in their abs often struggle as well.  I think the that a lot of standard ab exercises done today do not move the body through a complete range of motion so the strength development is not always functional.  The Roll Up is also and exercise that many people do not pay close attention to, they just get up and get down as best they can and don’t take the time to really gain control of the spine.   

Lie with your back pressed flat into the mat.  Lift your arms straight up and bring your chin onto your chest (inhaling).  Slowly roll up of the mat (exhaling) as if your were curling under a very low ceiling bringing your head onto your knees.  Reverse the action and slowly roll back down to the mat. 

Modification - bend your legs and hold onto your thighs as you roll up.  

“This exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles, and restores the spine to normal.” Joseph Pilates, Return to Life Through Contrology.