Pilates
Pilates Chair Cat
Pilates Chair Cat uses a spring-loaded pedal to guide controlled rounding and lengthening of your spine while training abdominal control. This guide covers the standing version.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 45 sec
How to do it
- Stand facing the chair’s pedal with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Round forward until your palms rest shoulder-width apart on the pedal.
- Lengthen your spine into a forward hinge, lowering the pedal under your hands with your arms straight.
- Round your spine to guide the pedal back to its starting height.
- Lift your hands off the fully returned pedal.
- Roll up slowly to standing.
Form cues
- Keep your weight over your feet
- Exhale through the rounding phase
- Keep your shoulders away from your ears
Common mistakes
- Bending the elbows to pump the pedalLet your trunk movement guide the pedal rather than turning the exercise into an arm press.
- Collapsing into the lower backLengthen only as far as you can without letting your lower back sag.
- Lifting the chinLet your head follow the curve of your spine instead of looking forward.
Safety
A pedal that rises suddenly can strain your shoulders or pull you off balance. Forcing the spinal movement beyond your comfortable range can aggravate your back.
- Place the chair on a stable, nonslip surface before starting.
- Use a spring setting that lets you control the pedal in both directions.
- Check that springs and any split-pedal connection are secure.
- Keep your fingers clear of hinges and springs.
If you have back, wrist, or shoulder pain, or difficulty balancing while bent forward, get advice from a physiotherapist before trying this version.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Pilates Chair
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 6–10 reps
- Rest
- 45 sec
Use a slow pace, ending the set when you can no longer coordinate your spine with the pedal.