Pilates Boomerang: Technique, Muscles Worked and Modifications

How to do the Boomerang

Sit tall on your mat with your legs extended straight in front of you, crossing your right ankle over your left, and place your hands by your hips.

1. Roll backward onto your upper back, lifting your legs overhead so your hips are over your shoulders in an inverted spinal flexion.
2. Open your legs and cross your left ankle over your right while balancing on your upper back.
3. Roll forward and find your balance in a teaser position, keeping your legs lifted and reaching your arms forward.
4. Sweep your arms backward behind you, engaging your shoulder extensors as you hold the teaser shape.
5. Lower your legs to the mat with control.
6. Reach your arms forward over your legs to stretch your hamstrings, then roll up to the starting position.

• Breath. Teachers cue breathing differently, but you will often inhale to roll back, exhale to roll up into teaser, inhale to sweep the arms back, and exhale to stretch forward.
• Where you feel it. You should feel strong, continuous work in your abdominal muscles and a lengthening sensation in your hamstrings. You should not feel sharp pain or excessive pressure in your neck or lower back.
• How many. 3 to 5 full sequences, alternating the ankle cross each time

Common mistakes

• Rolling onto the neck. Keep your weight on your upper back and shoulder blades during the inverted roll over. Never let your hips push so far over that your neck bears the load.
• Using momentum instead of control. Move smoothly through the sequence using your rectus abdominis and transversus abdominis. Avoid throwing your legs back or jerking your torso up into the teaser.
• Dropping the legs heavily. Maintain abdominal control as you lower your legs from the teaser position to the mat. Think of resisting gravity rather than letting the legs fall.
• Rounding the shoulders in teaser. Keep your chest open and your collarbones wide when you balance in the teaser shape. Engaging your shoulder extensors as you sweep your arms back helps maintain this posture.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

• Practice the roll over and the teaser as separate, individual exercises to build strength and control.
• Keep your knees slightly bent throughout the movement if your hamstrings are tight.
• Skip the arm sweep in the teaser position and keep your hands reaching forward for better balance.

Who should be careful

• If you have osteoporosis or low bone density, or a recent disc injury, ask your clinician whether repeated loaded forward bending of the spine suits you. Many bone health organizations recommend limiting it.
• 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.
• Rolling on the spine is not a good idea with osteoporosis, a bony or sensitive spine, or a recent back injury. Use a thick mat, or hold the balance without rolling.
• This is an advanced exercise. Build the strength and control from the simpler versions first, ideally with a qualified teacher watching.

Related exercises

• Seal Beginner to intermediate
• Crab Advanced
• Roll Over Advanced
• Chest Lift Beginner
• Corkscrew Intermediate to advanced

When to see a doctor or physical therapist

• Sharp or shooting pain in your neck or cervical spine during the inverted roll over.
• Pinching sensations in your lower back as you roll up into the teaser position.
• Numbness or tingling traveling down your arms or legs.
• Dizziness or lightheadedness when transitioning between the inverted and seated positions.

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.