Pilates · Beginner
The hundred
Also called Hundreds, The 100
The hundred is a classic pilates mat exercise that builds core endurance while you pump your arms in time with your breath. It gets its name from one hundred arm pumps, done over ten full breaths. Form matters because the head and legs are lifted, so the core has to hold steady without straining the neck or arching the back.
How to do The hundred
- 1Lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet flat, and your arms long by your sides.
- 2Bring your legs up to tabletop, with your knees over your hips and your shins parallel to the mat.
- 3Exhale, nod your chin slightly, and curl your head and shoulders up to the tips of your shoulder blades.
- 4Reach your arms long just above the mat, palms down.
- 5Stay in tabletop, or extend your legs on a diagonal only as low as your back stays steady.
- 6Pump your arms up and down in small, firm movements, inhaling for five pumps and exhaling for five pumps.
- 7Continue for ten full breaths, then hug your knees in and lower your head to rest.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
The neck strains and the chin juts forward.
Nod your chin gently, gaze toward your thighs, and lower your head to the mat if your neck tires.
The lower back arches off the mat.
Raise your legs higher or return to tabletop until your lower back can stay steady.
The arm pumps become large and floppy.
Keep the pumps small, only a few inches, with straight arms and firm hands.
The breath is held instead of counted.
Count five short breaths in and five short breaths out, one for each arm pump.
Modifications
- Keep your head down on the mat to rest your neck.
- Keep your feet on the mat with your knees bent instead of lifting the legs.
- Stay in tabletop rather than extending the legs.
- Start with fifty pumps and build toward the full one hundred.
Benefits
- Builds endurance in the deep core muscles.
- Trains steady, rhythmic breathing.
- Warms up the body at the start of a mat session.
- Teaches control of the pelvis while the limbs work.
Breath
Inhale for five counts and exhale for five counts, with one arm pump on each count. Ten full breaths make one hundred pumps.
Take care
Take care with neck or lower back injuries, and keep your head down if your neck starts to strain. Stop if you feel sharp pain.
The hundred questions
Why does my neck hurt during the pilates hundred?
The neck often works too hard when the core tires or the chin juts forward. Nod your chin, gaze at your thighs, and rest your head down whenever you need to.
How do you breathe during the hundred?
Inhale for five arm pumps and exhale for five arm pumps. Ten of these breath cycles add up to one hundred pumps.
Should my legs be straight in the hundred?
Straight legs are the classic version, but tabletop or feet on the mat are good options. Lower your legs only as far as your back stays steady.
