Pilates Swan Prep: How to Do It and Muscles Worked

How to do the Swan Prep

Lie face down on your mat with your legs parallel and your hands resting flat on the floor near your shoulders. Keep your elbows tucked close to your sides.

1. Hover your nose just above the mat to lengthen the back of your neck.
2. Gently press your hip bones into the floor to engage your lower body.
3. Slide your shoulder blades down your back.
4. Press lightly into your hands to lift your head and upper chest off the mat.
5. Keep your lower ribs in contact with the floor to maintain a small range of motion.
6. Hold the lifted position for a brief moment.
7. Slowly lower your chest and head back down to the starting position.

• Breath. Teachers cue breathing differently, but a common pattern is to inhale as you lift your chest and exhale as you lower back down. Some instructors prefer the reverse, so find the rhythm that feels most natural for your body.
• Where you feel it. You should feel the muscles in your mid-back and upper back working, along with a gentle engagement in your glutes. You should not feel any sharp pinching or strain in your lower back.
• How many. 5 to 8 slow repetitions

Common mistakes

• Throwing the head back. Keep your gaze slightly forward and down to maintain a long neck.
• Pushing up too high. Limit the lift to your upper back, keeping your lower ribs resting on the mat.
• Tensing the shoulders. Actively reach your shoulder blades down toward your waist as you lift.
• Relaxing the legs completely. Keep a light engagement in your gluteus maximus to support your lower body.
• Relying only on arm strength. Use your spinal extensors to lift your chest, using your hands only for light support.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

• Keep your hands flat on the mat without pressing into them, relying entirely on a very small back muscle lift.
• Place a small, folded towel under your forehead to reduce the initial range of motion.
• Widen your legs slightly past hip width to reduce tension in your lower back.

Harder

• Hover your hands an inch off the mat as you lift to remove arm support.
• Progress to the full Swan Dive exercise.

Who should be careful

• Back extension can irritate some conditions, such as spinal stenosis or spondylolisthesis. Keep the lift small or skip it if it brings on back or leg symptoms.
• Lying face down is not suitable later in pregnancy, and can be uncomfortable after recent abdominal surgery.

Related exercises

• Dart Beginner
• Breaststroke Prep Beginner to intermediate
• Cat Stretch Beginner
• Quadruped Arm and Leg Reach Beginner
• Double Leg Kick Intermediate

This exercise is part of our pages on Pilates for Back Pain, Pilates for Lower Back Pain, Pilates for Sciatica, Pilates for Scoliosis, Pilates for Osteoporosis, Pilates for Seniors, Pilates for Neck Pain, Pilates for Posture, Pilates for Hypermobility, Pilates for Beginners, Pilates During Menopause.

When to see a doctor or physical therapist

• Sharp or shooting pain in your lower back during the extension.
• Numbness or tingling traveling down your legs.
• A sudden, severe spasm in your spinal extensors.
• Pain in your neck that worsens as you lift your head.

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.