The Roll-Up

Lie supine, arms overhead. Inhale to reach the arms up; exhale and curl the head, then peel the spine off the mat vertebra by vertebra into a seated forward reach over the legs. Reverse with equal control, rolling down one segment at a time to lie flat. Legs stay long and anchored (a small prop under the knees helps if hamstrings are tight).

Trains controlled spinal articulation, abdominal strength, and posterior-chain flexibility — essentially a Pilates analog of a slow, segmental sit-up combined with a forward fold. Keep it slow and controlled (no momentum); bend the knees or reduce range if the lower back is loaded or the movement becomes jerky (spine-positioning). A regression of the more advanced pilates-teaser.

• Articulate the spine one vertebra at a time, up and down.
• Controlled, no momentum; exhale to roll up.
• Builds abdominal strength + spinal articulation + posterior-chain flexibility.

• pilates-spine-stretch — related articulation/forward-fold.
• pilates-teaser — advanced progression.
• spine-rom — segmental spinal range.
• spine-positioning — controlled, safe articulation.