How to do The Hundred

If you have been doing Pilates for some time, you will know that The Hundred is one of the first exercises in any Pilates workout. But have you ever thought about why we do it? Or how to do the hundred with modifications if you are struggling with this tough exercise? 

The Hundred is likely the first Pilates exercise you have ever learned. It’s our quintessential warm-up and one of the most recognizable Pilates exercises, yet in its vigor and overall dynamic, it’s unlike most other exercises in the method. It’s fast, it’s repetitive, and while it’s a fundamental movement – it’s far from easy.

Joseph Pilates, Pilates’ Return to Life Through Contrology

We do the hundred to warm up the body and our awareness of it. Though it is the first exercise in the Pilates series, it shows up on every apparatus: the mat, reformer, tower, chair, and the barrels. That is why it’s important to learn how to do the hundred correctly. 

What Is The Hundred?

The hundred involves curling up your upper body to about the tips of your shoulder blades while picking up your legs at the same time. In this position and keeping your fingertips pointed to your toes, you pump your arms up and down. Count 5 pumps on an inhale and 5 pumps on an exhale ten times. Ten breaths with ten pumps each equals one hundred! 

If this sounds hard, that’s because it is – especially in the beginning of your Pilates journey. Curling your upper body without lifting your legs can be difficult. Lifting your legs on their own can be difficult. Putting it all together even more so.

When you get onto the reformer or tower, we add the springs into the mix. This can help you find more of a connection to your centre, an improved curl, and at the same time make the exercise more difficult. The challenge of the exercises is one reason I love Pilates, but I also love how movements like the hundred can be modified to help you build up the strength to complete the exercise. 

How To Do The Hundred With Modifications  

If the full hundred is too challenging for you (like most people!), here are eight ways you can modify the exercise while you build up your strength.  

1. If you find that your neck starts to feel sore or strained from holding your head up, rest it down. The more you practice, you will better understand where to curl up from, and will get a stronger core. Thus, your neck will do less work and you will be able to stay up longer.
2. Joseph Pilates says to start with doing as many reps that you can do well. Practice will make you stronger, and you will build up to the full 10 reps.
3. Keep your legs down and long on the mat.
4. Bend your knees and keep your feet down.
5. Bend your knees and pick your feet up.
6. Lift your legs and keep them straight on a higher diagonal.  
7. Keep your legs connected from the inner thighs to heels, and create length; this can cause the legs to elevate slightly without trying to pick them up. 

Over time, you will see how your whole body is connected in the hundred, and it will become easier (and harder!) as a result. You will learn to keep the legs connected, feel your glutes come into play, find the connection to your core for your upper body curl, and feel the connection of your arms into your back. 

It sounds complicated, but that is okay – that is why there are all of the variations and ways to practice the hundred. Between the mat and apparatus and even more variations on the modifications, you will soon be on your way to achieving an amazing hundred. 

To watch a video of how to do the hundred with modifications, head over to my Instagram reels.