Pilates Bicycle: Technique, Muscles Worked and Modifications

How to do the Bicycle

Lie on your back on your mat with your knees bent and your arms resting long by your sides.

1. Roll your hips up and back to bring your pelvis over your shoulders.
2. Place your hands firmly on your lower back to support your raised pelvis.
3. Extend both legs straight up toward the ceiling.
4. Reach one leg forward while bending the other knee toward your chest.
5. Pedal your legs in a large, smooth circular motion as if riding a bicycle.
6. Keep your pelvis as still as possible while your legs move.
7. Reverse the pedaling direction after completing your repetitions.
8. Remove your hands and slowly roll your spine back down to the mat to finish.

• Breath. Teachers cue breathing differently for this movement, but a common approach is to inhale for one complete pedal cycle and exhale for the next. You might also be taught to breathe naturally and continuously as you focus on your balance.
• Where you feel it. You should feel strong work in your deep abdominals, glutes, and the front of your hips as you stabilize your body. You should not feel sharp pressure or pain in your neck.
• How many. 3 to 5 pedaling cycles in each direction

Common mistakes

• Restricting the neck. Do not turn your head from side to side while your hips are raised. Keep your gaze straight up to protect your cervical spine.
• Dropping the pelvis. Your hips might sink into your hands if your core relaxes. Press actively through your spinal extensors and abdominals to keep your pelvis lifted.
• Small pedaling. It is common to make tiny circles with the feet. Try to reach your toes far away to create large, sweeping movements that fully engage your hip flexors and gluteus maximus.
• Putting weight on the neck. The weight of your body should rest on your upper back and shoulders. Adjust your position if you feel heavy pressure on your neck.
• Rushing the movement. Pedaling too fast relies on momentum rather than muscle control. Slow down your cycles to challenge your transversus abdominis and hamstrings.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

• Keep your pelvis flat on the mat and practice the pedaling motion with your legs in the air.
• Reduce the size of your pedaling motion to make it easier to keep your pelvis stable.
• Practice the Scissors exercise to build comfort with holding your pelvis over your shoulders before adding the bicycle motion.

Who should be careful

• This exercise puts weight on the shoulders and upper back with the hips above the head. Skip it if you have neck problems, osteoporosis, glaucoma or uncontrolled high blood pressure, or are pregnant, unless a clinician who knows your history has said it is fine.
• This is an advanced exercise. Build the strength and control from the simpler versions first, ideally with a qualified teacher watching.

Related exercises

• Scissors Advanced (supine version beginner)
• Control Balance Advanced
• Shoulder Bridge Intermediate to advanced
• Quadruped Arm and Leg Reach Beginner
• Knee Folds Beginner

When to see a doctor or physical therapist

• Sharp or shooting pain in your neck or upper spine during the inversion.
• Numbness or tingling traveling down your arms.
• Sudden dizziness or lightheadedness when lifting your hips over your shoulders.
• Deep lower back pain when supporting your pelvis with your hands.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or are recovering from an injury or surgery, check with your own clinician before trying new exercises.

How we put this page together. Exercise data (type, level, equipment and muscles) was compiled by our editors from the classical mat order in Joseph Pilates’ 1945 book and from commonly taught mat repertoire. Muscle lists are a general anatomy guide; cueing differs between teachers. Text drafted with AI assistance and checked by the Editorial Team. See our editorial policy. Last checked October 2026.