Pilates Neck Pull: Steps, Muscles and Common Mistakes

How to do the Neck Pull

Lie flat on your back on the mat with your legs straight and hip-width apart, placing your hands behind your head with your elbows wide.

1. Inhale and nod your chin slightly toward your chest to begin the movement.
2. Roll your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat while keeping your hands behind your head.
3. Continue peeling your spine off the mat bone by bone until you are sitting upright.
4. Hinge forward at your hips and round your upper body over your legs in deep spinal flexion.
5. Roll your spine back up to a tall, seated position.
6. Hinge slightly backward with a straight spine.
7. Tuck your tailbone and roll your spine back down to the mat with control.

• Breath. Teachers cue breathing differently, but you will often inhale to start the roll up, exhale to stretch forward, inhale to sit tall, and exhale to roll back down.
• Where you feel it. You should feel strong, deep work in your abdominals and a stretch down the backs of your legs. You should not feel sharp pain in your lower back or strain in your neck.
• How many. 3 to 5 slow, controlled repetitions

Common mistakes

• Pulling on your neck. Keep your hands lightly resting behind your head without yanking your neck forward. Let your abdominals do the lifting.
• Using momentum. Avoid swinging your upper body or throwing your elbows forward to get up. Roll through your spine slowly and smoothly.
• Lifting the legs. Your heels should stay anchored to the mat throughout the entire movement. If they pop up, you might need to modify the exercise.
• Dropping the elbows. Keep your elbows wide and in your peripheral vision as you move. This helps maintain proper alignment in your upper back.
• Collapsing the spine. When you return to the seated position, sit up as tall as possible. Engage your spinal extensors before you begin rolling back down.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

• The classic Roll Up, which keeps your arms reaching forward to help with leverage
• Placing your hands on your thighs to gently walk yourself up and down
• Bending your knees slightly and anchoring your feet under a strap

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.
• Lifting the head for a long time can strain the neck. Rest the head on the mat or support it with one hand when the neck tires.
• This is an advanced exercise. Build the strength and control from the simpler versions first, ideally with a qualified teacher watching.

Related exercises

• Double Leg Kick Intermediate
• Jackknife Advanced
• Scissors Advanced (supine version beginner)
• Cat Stretch Beginner
• Boomerang Advanced

When to see a doctor or physical therapist

• Sharp or shooting pain in your lower back during the roll up
• Numbness or tingling traveling down your legs
• Sudden pain or a pulling sensation in your cervical spine or neck

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.