Tye4 Pilates Exercise System

The Tye4 Pilates system was developed by Joan Breibart of the PhysicalMind Institute. 

It is revolutionary in the Pilates world as it enables everyone, especially those mat and home exercisers to experience the resistance you get from a workout on the Reformer and Chair.

The Tye4 is a wonderful, versatile, lightweight, and very useful piece of equipment that helps connect the arms and legs to the core of the body.  This helps the student to increase core awareness, improving strength and flexibility throughout the whole body. 

In essence, it is walking around with a Pilates Reformer connected to your body.

You can work out with this apparatus on the equipment or use it at home standing or in a mat Pilates class.

The Tye4 has a harness that goes around your chest and ribs looping over the shoulders and the bungees extend out the arms and legs with loops for the hands and feet.  The amount of tension received can go as high as 20 pounds of resistance.

After using the Tye4 Pilates apparatus for 20 -40 minutes and then taking it off, my students all breathe a sigh of relief.  It's like a weight lifted off the shoulders, although you don't notice it so much when it's on.  They also say they feel lighter, taller, and like their bones are aligned and posture is better.

Find other ways to improve your posture here.

Here is a sample workout with some of my favorite Tye4 Pilates exercises.

Extension/Flexion:

Inhale as you press through your feet and extend your arms to the sky lifting your chest high and sliding your shoulder blades down your back.

Then exhale as you arc or round your back forward keeping your pelvis still and lifted over your legs.

Repeat this inhalation and exhalation moving the body with your breath through 3-4 repetitions.

Arm Circles:

Inhale reaching your arms out to the sides chest high feeling them move from the scapula, as you exhale circle them around feeling them plugged into your back.

Circle the arms 4 times each direction feeling the work from your back not in the neck and shoulders.

Find more shoulder exercises from these pages.

Hug a Tree:  Feet together as shown above

Inhale rise up to your toes and extend arms out to the sides.  Exhale wrap your arms around a big tree in front of you staying lifted.  Inhale bring arms back out to your sides and exhale lower back to your heels.

Repeat for 4-6 repetitions.

Side Stretch:  Feet shoulder width

Inhale as you stretch one arm out to the wall at the side and the other up to the ceiling.  Exhale keep reaching out as you bend to the side from your ribs.  Feel your ribcage lift off your pelvis.  

Repeat to the other side for 4 repetitions each.

Stay long through the waist on both sides and anchor the foot of the side you are bending.

Spine Twist:  As shown above

Inhale extend the arms up and out from your sides from your chest, exhale plug them into your back holding them up from your shoulder blades.

Inhale into your back and ribs as lift and turn your head chest ribs to the right side, exhale as you come back to the center.  Repeat to the other side spiraling up to the ceiling as your feet stay rooted to the ground.  Imagine your spine like a wet towel that you are wringing out.  Repeat through 4-6 turns each way.

Saw:  Feet shoulder width apart

Inhale arms up and out from the chest turn at the waist rotating to the right, exhale as you reach down with the left arm reaching for your right foot.  Inhale to follow the right arm rolling the spine back up and then exhale as you turn and roll down reaching across for your left foot.  

Repeat to each side for 4-6 repetitions.

The Tye4 Pilates system is a wonderful piece of apparatus to bring a deeper awareness to your Pilates work.  Check out how you can make the other Pilates equipment work for you from these pages.

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