What’s a Teaser? It’s the name of an exercise in the Pilates Repertoire. So named because it is said Joe Pilates would stand at the feet of his students and “tease” them to rollup, lifting their torso and their feet at the same time. It was also said that he would further entice them with a One Dollar ($1.00) bill he would hold up at the end of their feet. (remember – this is in the 1940’s and 50’s)
Teaser is one of my absolute favorite exercises because it is a whole body exercise that requires a lot of strength and grace. One day, it will be my students’ favorite exercise as well! They will cheer when we do Teaser instead of groan! 🙂
There are many different variations and versions of Teaser on the Mat, Reformer, Cadillac and Chair. Today I will show you how to do one of the Mat variations of Teaser.
1. Lie on your back with legs bent and a ball between your knees. Extend your right leg out keeping your thighs even with each other. Try to keep your other foot on the mat as you rollup.
2. Inhale to prepare, Exhale to roll your torso up off the might to reach for your toes. Think NIKE swoosh, instead of a capital letter V in shape. Meaning, your pelvis is slightly tucked under and your abs are scooped.
3. Roll down one vertebrae at a time until you’re flat on the floor. Repeat 4 more times on this leg and then switch legs.
4. A more advanced version has you start lying flat on the mat, then lifting both your torso and legs at the same time as you rollup.
When doing the first version, you will probably feel that one side is easier than the other because of being more right or left side dominant in your daily activities. That’s why this is a great exercise, as it allows you to work your sides independantly, making them more even and uniform in the long run.
Thank you to my friend Karin and Anthony for being my models! 🙂
Happy Tuesday!