Here are a couple of quick pilates exercises you can try out at home. Let us know how they went in the comments.

Part 2 :  Glute Activation - The Glute Bridge

The glute maximus is the largest muscle in the body and has the ability to produce large amounts of force. Therefore, it is essential we get it activated, firing correctly to optimize our pedal stroke. Here I teach you a couple of tricks to get that neuromuscular coordination and activation of the glutes.

1. Place an elastic band around your thighs, just below the knees.

2. Lying on your back, feet hip width apart and heels about a hand and a half distance away from your glutes.

3. Push the band out slightly, push your lower back into the mat (tuck the tailbone) and squeeze your glute muscles before even moving.

4. Push into the heels and lift the buttocks off the ground, keeping the tailbone tucked.

5. As you lower down, keep the knees pushing out the band and focus in on squeezing the buttocks even as you lower.

Once you have mastered the double leg glute bridge, you can intensify by trying the single leg variation. Straightening out one leg and following the same instructions. It is important to keep the hips level in this exercise- a great way to improve pelvic stability.

Repeat for 15 reps x 3 rounds

If you are looking to improve hamstring strength and activation- you can modify this exercise by walking the feet forward, following the same instructions. The further forward you walk the feet, the more the hamstrings have to work.

12 reps x 3 reps