Pilates Shoulder Bridge on the Roller - part of the women's fitness video series by GeoBeats.

Hi, I am Charlotte and this is Alice, and we are here at Streamline Pilates studio in Brooklyn Heights, New York. We are going to teach you how to use the foam roller to increase your balance while doing your pilates mat work. Lets start with shoulder bridge.

You are going to lay on your back on the mat with your feet on the roller, feet and knees together. Your feet are wrapping around the roller like a bird on a perch and you want to feel like you have a magnet pulling those heels in towards you as you curl your tail bone under and bridge your hips up off of the mat. Staying lifted you are pressing down into your arms, you feel your chest nice and wide, your shoulder blades out through your fingertips are helping your stabilize.

Lets stretch that right leg out and flex your foot to bring it up towards the ceiling and point it to reach it long and lower it. Flex it up and point it down. Your hips are steady, you are not letting them move around, and this roll is staying right where it was when you lifted your hips. We will do 5 times to one side, lower that foot and stretch your left leg out to repeat to the other side.

Flexing up and pointing down. Using those arms to help you stabilize, feeling the muscles hug into the back of your thigh to keep those hips lifted. And last one, lower your left foot and softening down through your spine, relax your throat, your chest, and everything down through your tail bone to rest on the mat and get ready for your next exercise.