Pilates for hips and back.

This week Margot McKinnon, founder of Body Harmonics, has a series of Pilates mat exercises for you that target your ballet dancer muscles—those around the side and back of your hips.

Not just for dancers, these exercises provide everything you need to support the area all around your hips.

Fold your arm under your head and place your legs at a 45 degree angle. Lift your waist a little bit away from the floor. Lift your top leg and turn it upward and then downward, keeping your leg parallel to the floor. Repeat, focusing on the hip muscles that you can feel lowering your leg.

Now rest for a moment and check that your waist is lifted a little so that your spine stays aligned. Then with the same leg, lift your top leg and draw an arch with the knee down in front and way up and back so the toes touch the back of the mat, drawing an arc in space with your toes. Repeat Repeat on the other side.

Mondays with Margot from Body Harmonics Pilates in Toronto.