Warming up the Pilates way means starting with an exercise called The Hundred. Here are the steps to performing The Hundred correctly and safely:

Lie on your back on a firm, dense mat. Draw your legs in toward your chest and hug them to your body. Raise your head and shoulders up and off the mat while pulling your navel and pelvic floor muscles in toward your back. Simultaneously lengthen your arms toward the foot end of your mat, and your legs toward the ceiling.

Hold this position and begin vigorously pumping your arms up down. The first 5 pumps, you breathe in and the next 5 pumps you breathe out.

That's one set, you'll do 10 sets for a total of 100 pumps. Start out with fewer sets and work your way toward the goal of 100.

What to focus on: Keep the shoulders down and arms long and straight through the wrists and fingers as you pump. Inhale fully and exhale completely. Keep your back firmly on the mat.

What you'll gain: Increased circulation, deeper breathing, core strengthening, concentration and endurance.

What to watch out for: No Pain In Pilates Ever! Pain equals wrong and means that something needs to be modified.

Every Pilates exercise can be modified, but unless you know what the modification should be for you, leave it out. Some people experience neck strain in this exercise.

Solution 1: put something under your head, like a firm pillow, in case you can?t hold your head up.

Solution 2: make sure you?re not looking at the ceiling, look straight ahead at your thighs so your abdominals are working, not your neck muscles.

Solution 3: keep the legs at 90 degrees (straight up to the ceiling) or feet flat on the mat to keep the lower back from arching upward causing back pain and more neck strain.

Note: If you missed our first Get Going installment, The Principles of Pilates, please visit the Notebook section of our website where we will archive the entire series.