Pilates
Pilates Teaser Preparation
Pilates Teaser Preparation is a bent-knee roll-up into a seated balance. It trains abdominal control and coordination while preparing you for the full teaser.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Low injury risk
- Rest 45 sec
How to do it
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the mat.
- Lift your legs into tabletop, with your knees above your hips and shins parallel to the floor.
- Reach your arms toward your knees.
- Curl your head and shoulders off the mat.
- Roll your torso up toward your thighs into a seated balance just behind your sit bones, keeping your knees bent.
- Roll your spine back onto the mat until your head rests down.
Form cues
- Keep your legs quiet.
- Leave space between chin and chest.
- Exhale up; inhale down.
Common mistakes
- Swinging up with momentumUse a smaller roll-up range that you can control without throwing your arms forward.
- Shrugging toward your earsKeep your shoulders relaxed as you reach forward.
- Dropping onto the matSlow the lowering phase so your back makes contact gradually rather than landing as one unit.
Safety
Holding your legs unsupported can strain your lower back if fatigue makes it arch during the descent. Forcing the roll-up can also irritate your neck.
- Use a padded mat on a nonslip surface.
- End the set when you can no longer control your torso or leg position.
- Stop if you feel back or neck pain rather than abdominal effort.
If unsupported legs aggravate your back or you have been advised to limit spinal bending, use a feet-supported partial roll-back or ask a physiotherapist about an appropriate alternative.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Exercise Mat
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 4–8 reps
- Rest
- 45 sec
Prioritize smooth repetitions over reaching a higher seated position.