What is the Purpose of “The Hundred”?

Ever wonder why we do “The Hundred” in Pilates class? I mean it’s confusing, right? How do we breathe? Why are we pumping our arms? Why does my neck hurt? I mean it feels like a terrible exercise right?  When I first started teaching I swore I would never do The Hundred! But then I learned the purpose of The Hundred!

I get it, this exercise not only is extremely uncomfortable and seems meaningless, at first! Awkward at best, this exercise is the most dreaded. I hear grumbling in a class all the time when I queue Hundred.

There are three main reasons The Hundred is so fundamental!

First, let’s start with breath…

Let me get this super clear, The breath on the Hundred Is deep inhales and deep exhales. When you inhale, you count to 5 then as you exhale, you count to 5 and complete the exhale. Often it becomes a habit to inhale 5 times as you pump your arms creating what looks like an anxiety attack. And then, of course, proceed to take 5 exhales. (who, who, who, who, who)  If this is something you do STOP now!

This exercise is designed to teach you how to eventually breathe while holding in your abdominal muscles and moving vigorously. These elements are what make it so awful and effective. When you pump your breath with the arm movements your most likely missing the idea of holding the abs in and up while breathing. A key component of what makes Pilates so effective.

Second, This is where we learn how to lift our heads correctly.

In a classical setting, The Hundred is the first exercise we learn and it is also how we learn how to correctly lift our head without getting a headache. Have you ever done Pilates and wondered why your neck hurt? Someone probably told you it was the best healing exercise and would take away those ailments.

While that is true, if you do not learn where to lift from it can be counterproductive. So while learning the exercise we tell you to draw the ribs down while lifting from the shoulders letting the head glide up as you gaze through the legs,

Now, if you start with the chin and lift with the head it’s a guarantee that the neck will be stressed and neck pain will arise. So I always suggest if you get tired while performing the exercise to rest the head and lift every so often until the stomach muscles gain more strength and you can hold the position throughout the exercise.

Third, creates better circulation in the body.

Okay, so why are we pumping our arms? Well in simple terms, The Hundred warms you up! It gets the blood pumping and flowing from the toes to the noes. It creates better circulation and preps the body for the exercises that follow.

So this once-dreaded exercise has its purposes and Mr. Joseph Plates knew the benefits of controlling your body while moving. This genius approach helps you to build the foundation properly so you can keep breathing properly, learn adequate form and get moving!

My final thought, keep this exercise in your routine, no matter how advanced you get it’s always challenging!

Good Luck Beauty!

Stephanie