The Hundred

Who loves the Hundred?  You can be honest.  No one has ever come up to me after class and said, “I just love the Hundred”.  Nor has anyone ever complained when I didn’t teach the Hundred.  It is the first exercise in Joseph Pilates’ book Return to Life.  Why is it important, and how to do we get the most out of it?

The purpose of the Hundred is to warm up the circulatory system and prepare the heart to work.  It also strengthens the abdominal muscles and triceps.  As you can see from the above photos, Joe started the Hundred lying flat with the legs straight.  If you need to modify the exercise, consider starting with your knees bent and positioned off the mat at table top.  Use an INHALE to prepare, and EXHALE to curl up to the base of your shoulder.  Begin pumping your arms as if slapping your hands on water.  INHALE for five pumps, EXHALE for five pumps.  When you reach 100 pumps, bend your knees to your chest.  Relax your head, neck, shoulders, and arms down to the mat.

For tips to maximize your results, Check out our Tutorial on YouTube.