It was only last month when, approximately twenty minutes into scrolling a Reddit thread on the least loved Pilates exercises, I began to think about my love-hate relationship with the Pilates Swan Dive.
As contributors to the thread pointed out, it’s not so much the burn of the Swan Dive that makes us dread it - it’s the challenge of actually doing it. Requiring control, coordination and rhythm, I often find myself feeling less swan-like and more like a fish out of water. Add to that the uncomfortable compression on my stomach and hips, which many Reddit contributors also mentioned, and I couldn’t help but wonder whether I was doing something technically wrong to make the Swan Dive so problematic.
Because if there’s one thing I know about Pilates, it’s that none of the movements are designed to hurt. Quite the opposite, in fact. When practised with proper technique, Pilates is shown to improve core strength, mobility, and posture, while reducing back pain and boosting mental wellbeing - benefits backed by research published in the Healthcare Journal and a further study in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies.
Determined to get to the bottom of what makes the Swan Dive so challenging, and to turn my relationship with the move around, I asked two leading Pilates instructors to break it down.
Also struggling with your Swan Dive? Keep reading, because below is a masterclass on the movement: from its purpose to its potential benefits, plus the expert-approved tips that helped me to improve. For other Pilates content, don't skip our guides to the best Pilates exercises, Pilates for beginner workouts, and the best 10-minute Pilates workouts, plus explainers on the multitude of benefits of Pilates and how often you should do Pilates every day. If you’re looking to level up your Pilates practice at home, check out when fellow Marie Claire UK writers took on the Teaser, Roll Ups and the ever-dreaded Hundreds.
I Tried The Pilates Swan Dive Every Day - And Made Big Improvements, Fast
If you’ve made it this far and are still wondering what the Pilates Swan Dive actually is, you’re not alone. Even as someone who has been regularly attending mat Pilates classes for years, I still struggle to name and explain many of the moves, especially when they’re more advanced.
”The Swan Dive is fundamentally a back extension exercise that strengthens the spine, glutes and entire back of the body, whilst encouraging mobility through the front,” explains Charlie May, Pilates Instructor at Blanc Space Studios. “The move begins lying face down and involves lifting into spinal extension, before rocking forward and back in a controlled, arched motion using both strength and momentum.”
“It’s an intermediate mat Pilates exercise, so it’s not a simple one to master,” adds Sabrina Kelly, Head of Pilates Teacher Training at MoreYoga, who reassures us that it’s totally normal not to get the hang of the rhythm straight away.
Kelly also explains that the Swan is part of a larger sequence of Pilates movements. “The Swan Dive is a progression from the Swan,” she says, “and also provides the preparation for advanced rocking moves such as Rocking on the Mat,” serving as proof that Pilates is an interconnected practice, and that to truly master it, you need to work on your moves in relation to one another.
What are the benefits of the Pilates Swan Dive?
One of the original exercises in Joseph Pilates' 1920s classical repertoire, both teachers explain that the Swan Dive still has real relevance to our modern lives.
“In activating the muscles you use to backbend and stretch the front of the body, the Swan Dive helps to reverse the usual posture we use whilst sitting in a chair or scrolling on social media,” explains Kelly.
May agrees, explaining that we tend to “underuse our spinal extensors, glutes and hamstrings in everyday life, all of which are muscles targeted in the Swan Dive.”
”Lifting into extension stretches the front of the body, including the chest and hips,” she goes on, “which is especially beneficial for anyone who spends long hours sitting or who feels tight across their front body. At the same time, the movement encourages articulation and fluidity through the spine, particularly the thoracic region, which can become stiff.”
How to perform the Swan Dive with good form
The key to getting the most out of any Pilates movement is to perform it with good form, something which comes into even greater play in intermediate or advanced movements.
When it comes to nailing the Swan Dive, “my top tip is to visualise your legs and arms as two opposing ends of a seesaw, with your pelvis in the middle,” says Kelly, who tells us to keep this imagery in our mind as we rock back and forth.
The experts also suggest:
1. Engage your core before moving
“Although you are lifting into spinal extension, the abdominals should stay lightly active to support the spine,” says May. “Think of gently drawing the navel inwards to protect the lower back."
2. Lift from your upper back rather than the neck
“Focus on lengthening through the crown of the head and opening across the collarbones, rather than tipping the head back,” May explains. “This keeps the spinal curve even and supported.”
3. Start small
“Practice diving within a smaller range of movement at first,” says Kelly. “Keep your hands close to your chest just under your shoulders. From straight elbows, you bend and then release the hands to dive. Catch yourself on the mat with straight elbows.”
4. Use the glutes and hamstrings
May encourages us to “press gently into the mat with the legs, activating the glutes and hamstrings to lift. Sharing the effort between the upper and lower body helps to stabilise and support the spine,” she says.
5. Move with control
“Aim for a smooth, flowing movement without sharp jolts,” concludes May. “Control is key in creating a seamless rocking motion that remains supported throughout.”
How to do a Pilates swan dive with correct form
Still not clear on how exactly to carry out a Pilates swan dive with correct form? Below, an expert talks you through it.
I Practiced my Pilates Swan Dive Every Day for a Week - And Couldn't Believe How Quickly I Progressed
Days one to three
Day one of Swan Dive lessons dawns, and I find myself in front of a YouTube tutorial, armed with the experts’ top tips. Unlike in a class setting, where I sometimes rush through the movement, I make sure to take my time getting set up so that I feel comfortable in my starting position.
On Kelly’s advice, I start small, dropping into a dive with my hands bent under my shoulders, catching myself after one rep. Making sure that my core and glutes are engaged definitely helps, but I can still feel one side of my back working harder than the other, which throws off my alignment.
I take a moment to wiggle my hips around to loosen off any tension, before lifting back up, squeezing my glutes, and reminding myself to think of myself as one long pencil as I go into the movement. It feels a little better on the second try, but I have to really concentrate to keep my hips in line.
For the rest of day one, I focus on doing single reps, giving each one plenty of attention and focusing closely on my alignment. By the end of the day's practice, I feel much more comfortable with the move, and I can already tell that the extra focus I’m placing on form and muscle engagement is going to make a huge difference.
Ashleigh practicing setting herself for the Pilates Swan Dive at HOME Wellness Studio
On day two, I warm up with a few single reps, and then decide to try the full rocking motion. But as soon as I begin, I feel my core start to disengage again. When that happens, the pressure on my stomach and lower back becomes more noticeable, and I have to remind myself to keep the tension in my abs.
After a quick reset at the top of the movement, I give it another go, and can immediately feel the difference. For the first time, I’m able to rock back and forth smoothly over three reps without losing control, and I actually feel more coordinated.
By day two, Ashleigh was discovering the importance of keeping your core and glutes engaged to master the Pilates Swan Dive
On day three, I’m curious to find out whether I can replicate yesterday’s success. In Pilates, most moves are performed for just three to six reps at a time, so I’m not focused on building up my reps too much. My main goal is to maintain perfect form with each movement, even if it means doing fewer reps.
Days four to seven
By the second half of the week, I’m starting to feel confident with the Swan Dive, and am surprised by how quickly I’ve improved.
I remember Kelly mentioning that the Swan Dive is a step down from the advanced Rocking on the Mat movement, so on day five, I decided to test whether I can take on this next level.
Both movements involve rocking on the front of your body, but Rocking on the Mat requires you to hold onto your feet with your hands, creating a deeper backbend for your spine. It’s much more intense, removing some of the momentum you get from your outstretched arms in the Swan Dive.
Ashleigh practices her back bend in preparation for Rocking on the Mat
The first thing I notice is that Rocking on the Mat provides a much stronger opener for your chest, and also requires flexibility in your quads. It’s very tempting to use your head to generate the rocking, but as I’ve learned, the movement needs to come from your core, glutes and hamstrings to reap the benefits.
It's definitely more of a challenge, and one that will take more work to master, but my progress with the Swan Dive progression has certainly taken me a step closer to this advanced move. For my final two days, I alternate between the two exercises, fitting them in at the end of classes or when I first wake up in the morning.
So, what have I noticed over this week of Swan Dive training? Well, in my experience, some Pilates moves truly take months to master but the Swan Dive is one where, providing you have an underlying foundation of strength, small technical tweaks can lead to big progress.
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How can I make the Pilates Swan Dive more comfortable?
“Learning to rock on our bellies isn’t easy for some body types, especially on a flat surface,” says Sabrina Kelly, Head of Pilates Teacher Training at MoreYoga.
“To ease the discomfort, take two flat yoga blocks and position them underneath the pelvis, to rock on top of,” she suggests, explaining that “this helps to fire up the glutes and hamstrings, which extend the hips and assist the rocking action. The body is balancing on the blocks, so it’s way easier to dive.”
If you don’t have yoga blocks, Kelly says that a “thicker Pilates mat, doubling up with two yoga mats or placing a towel or blanket under the pelvis, can all help to add padding for the hips.”
And of course, if you have a pre-existing neck or back injury, or are pregnant, the Swan Dive should be avoided, as the benefits from these movements can be found in other ways. “Classical and Contemporary Pilates are very inclusive practices,” says Kelly, “so just ask an experienced teacher who can guide you safely through exercises with modifications for your body.”
