Pilates · Beginner
Pilates Saw
The Saw is a seated Pilates exercise that combines a spinal twist with a forward reach, stretching the back of your legs, your spine, and the muscles along your sides all at once. You sit on the floor with legs spread wide and alternate reaching one hand toward the opposite foot in a sawing motion. It's a gentle but effective way to improve spinal rotation and hamstring flexibility — two things that matter a lot for everyday movements like reaching across a table or turning to look behind you.
Category
Pilates
Difficulty
Beginner
Equipment
Bodyweight
MET
3.0
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
The movement
Form cues
- 01
Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you, then open them about three feet apart — wider than your hips.
- 02
Sit up as tall as you can, as if a string is pulling the top of your head toward the ceiling.
- 03
Stretch both arms out to your sides at shoulder height, palms facing down.
- 04
Take a breath in, then as you exhale, twist your whole upper body to the right — let your ribs turn, not just your arms.
- 05
Reach your left hand toward your right pinky toe in three small pulses, as if you're sawing off that toe with the edge of your hand.
- 06
Keep both hips pressed evenly into the floor — don't let one hip lift as you reach.
- 07
After the three pulses, breathe in and slowly unwind back to center with arms wide.
- 08
Repeat on the other side, twisting left and reaching your right hand toward your left foot.
Dosage
How long, how many
Sets
3
Reps
6-8 per side
Rest
30 sec
Watch for
Common mistakes
Letting one hip lift off the floor — if your seat feels uneven, you're rotating too far; back off until both hips stay grounded.
Bending the knee of the leg you're reaching toward — keep both legs straight and press the backs of your knees gently toward the floor.
Collapsing forward from the waist instead of twisting — you should feel rotation in your ribs, not a slump in your lower back.
Holding your breath during the reach — the exhale during the saw is what helps your spine rotate more fully, so breathe out deliberately.
Reaching with just the arm and forgetting to twist the torso — your whole ribcage should turn, not just your hand.
Scale it
Easier and harder variations
Easier
Sit on a folded blanket or firm pillow to tilt your pelvis slightly forward, which makes it much easier to sit tall and rotate without straining your lower back.
Use this if you feel like you're leaning backward or your lower back rounds immediately when you sit on the floor.
Easier
Bend your knees slightly and place your feet flat on the floor instead of keeping legs straight, then do the same twisting reach toward the opposite knee.
Use this if tight hamstrings make it impossible to sit upright with straight legs.
Harder
After the three sawing pulses, hold the deepest reach for a full breath, actively lengthening your spine as you exhale before returning to center.
Once you can do the standard version with both hips grounded and a clear spinal rotation.
Note
Do the movement seated in a sturdy chair: sit at the edge, feet flat on the floor hip-width apart, and twist and reach toward the opposite knee rather than the foot.
If getting up and down from the floor is difficult, or if you have hip or knee conditions that make floor sitting uncomfortable.
Sources
Form descriptions and cues are sourced from wger (CC-BY-SA 4.0) and the Free Exercise DB (public domain), edited for the 60+ audience. MET value cites Ainsworth BE, et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43(8):1575-1581.
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