Backstroke: Steps, Muscles and Common Mistakes

How to do the Backstroke

Lie face up on the long box with your hips near the front edge, holding the straps in your hands with your knees pulled into your chest. Keep your head and shoulders curled forward in spinal flexion.

1. Keep your spine curled and bring your hands to your forehead with your elbows wide.
2. Extend your arms and legs straight up toward the ceiling at the same time.
3. Open your arms and legs slightly wider than your shoulders.
4. Circle your arms and legs down toward the footbar.
5. Squeeze your legs together as your arms reach straight past your hips.
6. Bend your knees and elbows to return to the starting curled position.

• Breath. Teachers cue breathing differently, but a common pattern is to inhale as you reach your arms and legs up, and exhale as you circle them around to the start.
• Where you feel it. You should feel a deep, continuous effort in your abdominal muscles to keep your spine curled. You should not feel strain or pinching in your lower back or neck.
• How many. 3 to 5 slow repetitions

Common mistakes

• Dropping your head. Keep your chin tucked slightly and maintain the curl in your upper spine throughout the entire movement.
• Arching your lower back. Limit how low you circle your legs so your lower back stays supported and does not lift off the box.
• Rushing the circles. Move slowly and with control to ensure your abdominal muscles do the work instead of momentum.
• Tensing your neck. Focus the effort in your rectus abdominis and transversus abdominis rather than pulling from your neck muscles.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

• Practice the arm and leg movements separately while lying flat on a mat.
• Perform the leg circles with a smaller range of motion to reduce the load on your abdominals.
• Use a lighter spring setting on the reformer.

Harder

• Pause and hold the position for three seconds when your arms and legs are fully extended.
• Lower your legs closer to the footbar during the circle while maintaining spinal flexion.

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.
• Reformer springs and the moving carriage add load and instability. Learn it with a qualified instructor, who can set the springs for your body and goals.

Related exercises

• Elephant Intermediate
• The Hundred on the Reformer Intermediate
• Stomach Massage Intermediate
• Double Leg Stretch Intermediate
• Roll Up Intermediate

When to see a doctor or physical therapist

• Sharp pain or pinching in your lower back during the leg extension.
• A pulling sensation or sudden pain in your neck.
• Numbness or tingling traveling down your arms or legs.
• Pain in your shoulder joints when circling the straps.

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 reformer 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.