How to Do Curl Ups for Beginners in Pilates: The Chest Lift, Step by S

This guide covers how to do curl ups for beginners in pilates, also called the chest lift, with clear cues, the most common neck mistakes and a few easy progressions. It is written for UK home practisers, new pilates students and anyone who wants stronger, more reliable core control. By the end you will know exactly where to lift from, how to keep your neck out of it, and how to build the move up safely.

TL;DR

The pilates curl up (chest lift) is a small, controlled forward flexion of the head, neck and shoulders, powered by the abdominals, not the neck.
Lift from your breastbone on an exhale, nod the chin gently, and keep the back of the neck long. Imagine holding a small orange under your chin.
Support the weight of your head with your hands if your neck tires, like cradling a heavy ball in a basket.
The most common beginner error is leading with the head and poking the chin forward, which overworks the front-of-neck muscles.
Start small. A short lift done well beats a high lift that strains the neck. Build range as your core gets stronger.
A supportive yoga mat and a soft pilates ball make the move more comfortable and give you progressions.

Context and audience: why the curl up matters

The curl up is one of the first moves you meet in a beginner pilates class, and for good reason. It teaches you to flex the spine from the top down, engage the deep abdominals, and move with your breath rather than momentum. Get it right and almost every other mat exercise, from the hundred to the roll-up, becomes easier. Get it wrong and you end up with a sore neck and very little core work to show for it.

If you are completely new to the method, it is worth reading our pilates for beginners UK guide first to get your bearings on breathing, neutral spine and the core principles. The curl up then slots in as your first real flexion exercise. The NHS rates pilates as a good low-impact way to build strength and improve posture, and lists beginner-friendly routines in its pilates and yoga video library.

One thing to be clear about: the pilates chest lift is not a gym sit-up. You are not trying to haul your whole torso off the floor. You are peeling the upper spine up a few centimetres with control, then lowering it just as slowly. Physiotherapists describe the curl up as a graded abdominal exercise rather than a max-effort crunch, which is exactly why it suits beginners and people rebuilding core strength (Physiopedia).

How to do curl ups for beginners in pilates: step by step

Here is the full move, broken into the order you should think about it. Read it through once, then try it slowly.

Set up. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, hip-width apart. Find a neutral spine, so there is a small natural gap under your lower back. Let your shoulders soften down away from your ears.
Hand position. Either rest your hands lightly behind your head, fingers nested one palm inside the other, or cross your arms over your chest. The hands behind the head are there to support the weight of your head, not to pull it up.
Inhale to prepare. Breathe in and gently draw the lower belly in towards your spine, as if zipping up a low waistband. Keep the breath easy.
Exhale and nod. As you breathe out, start with a small chin nod, lengthening the back of your neck. Then float the head, neck and tips of the shoulder blades off the mat as one piece.
Lift from the breastbone. Think about your bottom ribs drawing down towards your hips. The lift comes from the abdominals shortening, not from the neck craning. Your gaze travels towards your thighs.
Pause briefly. Hold for a beat at the top without holding your breath. You should feel the front of the abdominals working, not a burning in the throat.
Inhale and lower. Breathe in and roll the spine back down slowly, vertebra by vertebra, until the head rests on the mat. Reset your neutral spine before the next rep.

Aim for 5 to 8 slow, clean reps to start. Quality over quantity, every time. A grippy, cushioned surface helps here, since a thin mat lets the back of your head and tailbone dig into the floor and distracts you from the work. Our practical notes on choosing a surface live in the top 10 core exercises round-up, which puts the curl up in context with the rest of a beginner core routine.

The Flexa.fit Yoga Mat with Carry Strap

For floor work like the curl up, a mat with a bit of cushioning under your spine and head makes a real difference to comfort and focus. The Flexa.fit Yoga Mat with Carry Strap gives you a non-slip surface so your feet stay planted as you lift, plus a strap so it rolls away neatly after practice. At £12.99 it is an easy first buy for home pilates, and it pairs well with the soft ball further down this guide.

Best for: beginners setting up a home pilates space on a budget.
Why it helps the curl up: stable footing and enough padding to keep your tailbone and head comfortable through reps.
Price: £12.99 at Flexa.fit.

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Keeping your neck safe

Neck strain is the number one reason beginners give up on the curl up, and it is almost always a technique issue rather than a fitness one. The job of the curl up is for the abdominals to lift the head, not for the neck to lift itself.

Use these cues to keep the neck quiet:

Support the head. Cradle the weight of your head in your hands, like holding a bowling ball in a basket. Let your hands take the load so the neck muscles do not have to.
Keep the back of the neck long. Nod the chin gently before you lift. Imagine you could hold a small orange in the space between your chin and chest, so the chin neither jams into the throat nor pokes up to the ceiling.
Lift from the chest, not the chin. If you feel the front of your neck straining, you are leading with the head. Reset, lower the lift, and think breastbone.
Broaden the upper back. Let your elbows stay wide and your shoulder blades spread. This releases the upper trapezius, the muscle that tightens when we hunch.

If your neck still tires within a few reps, that is normal at first and it will improve as your core strengthens. In the meantime, drop the height of your lift, do fewer reps, or pop a small cushion behind your head for extra support. Persistent neck pain that does not settle is worth getting checked. The NHS has straightforward self-care advice on its neck pain page, and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has guidance on staying active safely.

Common beginner mistakes (and the fix)

Leading with the head. The chin pokes forward and the neck does the work. Fix: nod first, then lift the whole unit from the abdominals.
Going too high. Beginners try to sit all the way up. Fix: only the head, neck and shoulder-blade tips leave the mat. The lower ribs stay down.
Holding the breath. Tension and a bulging belly creep in. Fix: exhale on the lift, inhale on the way down, and keep the lower belly drawing gently in.
Flattening the lower back hard. Forcing the spine into the floor loads the neck and stalls the curl. Fix: keep a soft neutral spine and let the abdominals shorten naturally.
Rushing. Speed turns it into a crunch driven by momentum. Fix: slow down so the muscles, not gravity, control every centimetre.

If you want a wider checklist of new-starter errors across the method, our beginner pilates ball exercises at home guide covers form fixes that carry straight over to the curl up.

Progressions and how the pilates ball helps

Once your basic chest lift feels controlled and your neck stays out of it, you can build the move. Progress slowly and only when you can keep good form.

Hold longer. Add a 2 to 3 second pause at the top while breathing normally.
Add the legs. Bring one knee, then both, to a tabletop position so the core works harder to stay stable.
Add a small ball. Place a soft pilates ball behind your head to support and cue a long neck, or hold it between your hands overhead to add a light load and feedback.
Build towards the hundred and roll-up. The curl up is the foundation pose for both. Master it first.

A soft, deflatable pilates ball is one of the most useful props for refining the curl up. Pop it behind your head and it takes the weight while reminding you to keep the neck long. Squeeze it lightly between your palms and it switches on the deep core and gives you something to focus on other than your neck.

The Flexa.fit Pilates Ball (18cm)

The 18cm Pilates Ball is the classic soft, squashy ball used in beginner classes. For the curl up it does two jobs: it supports the head so you can feel a long neck, and it gives you a gentle resistance to squeeze when you want to deepen the core connection. It deflates partially for travel and storage, and at £5.99 it is one of the cheapest ways to add variety and support to home pilates.

Best for: beginners who want neck support and core feedback during flexion work.
Why it helps the curl up: cradles the head for a long neck, or adds a light squeeze to switch on the deep abdominals.
Price: £5.99 at Flexa.fit.

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Building a steady curl up is part of building general core and back strength, which the NHS recommends for posture and everyday mobility in its strength exercises guidance. Little and often beats one long session.

FAQs

How do you do curl ups for beginners in pilates without hurting your neck?

To do curl ups for beginners in pilates without neck pain, support your head in your hands, nod the chin gently to lengthen the back of the neck, then lift from the breastbone on an exhale. Keep the lift small and let the abdominals do the work. If the neck tires, lower the height, do fewer reps, or rest your head on a cushion.

What is the difference between a pilates curl up and a sit-up?

A pilates curl up, or chest lift, is a small controlled flexion where only the head, neck and shoulder-blade tips leave the mat, driven by the deep abdominals. A sit-up lifts the whole torso and often uses the hip flexors and momentum. The curl up is slower, smaller and far gentler on the back and neck.

How many curl ups should a beginner do?

Start with 5 to 8 slow, controlled reps and focus entirely on form. It is far better to do a handful of clean lifts than 20 rushed ones. As your core strengthens over a few weeks, you can add reps, a longer hold at the top, or harder leg positions. Stop if your neck starts to take over.

Why does my neck hurt when I do pilates curl ups?

Neck pain usually means you are leading with your head and poking the chin forward, so the small front-of-neck muscles overwork. Fix it by cradling the head in your hands, nodding the chin first, and lifting from the chest. Some early fatigue is normal and improves with practice. Pain that lingers is worth checking with a GP or physiotherapist.

Do I need any equipment to do pilates curl ups at home?

No, you can do curl ups on any clear, comfortable floor. That said, a cushioned yoga mat keeps your spine and head comfortable, and a soft pilates ball can support the neck or add core feedback. Both are inexpensive and useful across most beginner pilates moves.

How long until curl ups feel easier?

Most beginners notice their neck holding up better and their core engaging more clearly within two to four weeks of regular, short practice. Consistency matters more than intensity. Three or four short sessions a week, done with good form, build strength faster than occasional long ones.

Conclusion

The curl up looks simple, and it is, once you stop trying to muscle through it. Lift from the breastbone, keep the back of the neck long, breathe out as you rise, and lower with control. Support your head when it tires, build range slowly, and use a soft ball or a cushioned mat to make the work cleaner. Nail this one move and the rest of your beginner pilates practice gets noticeably easier.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new exercise programme, especially if you have an existing condition or injury.

How to Do Curl Ups for Beginners in Pilates: The Chest Lift, Step by Step