6 Easy Pilates-Inspired Exercises
Doing Pilates is a great way to incorporate more strength training into your exercise routine. Pilates tones your muscles, improves your flexibility, and helps you achieve a sleek physique. Best of all, it can be done in the comfort of your own home, with only an exercise mat needed. The at-home workouts that follow are based on basic Pilates exercises and will give you the same benefits you'd get at a Pilates studio—minus the hefty cost of classes or one-on-one instruction. If you haven't been exercising or have back or knee problems or other physical issues, discuss with your doctor whether you are fit enough to do these exercises. Do only as many repetitions as you can to start.
Beach Bicycle
This exercise not only warms up and relaxes your spine, but strengthens your abdominal muscles and shapes your thighs as well.
1. To begin, lie on your back on a mat with your arms at your sides, your knees bent, and your feet pressed firmly into the floor. Press your shoulder blades into the floor. Contract your abdominal muscles by exhaling strongly.
2. While keeping your abdominals engaged, bring both knees up, with your thighs at a 90 degree angle to your hips and your shins at a 90 degree angle to your thighs. Extend your right leg out straight toward the ceiling, keeping your left leg bent.
3. As if you are riding a bicycle, bring your right leg back to a bent position and your left leg straight out toward the ceiling. Feel your abdominals helping to hold your legs in the air throughout the movement. Continue alternating legs in a fluid motion as you complete the repetitions. Do 3 sets of 8 repetitions for each leg. (Each rep is one time around, as on a bike.)
Single Leg Lifts
This version of single leg lifts combines ab-toning exercise with leg lifts that strengthen and lengthen the muscles of your torso and your legs.
1. Lying face down on a mat with your legs straight and elbows bent at your sides, as if you're preparing for a push-up, prop yourself up with your elbows directly below your shoulders, hands to the front.
2. Come into a plank position by bringing your feet together, tucking your toes under, and squeezing your legs together. Feel a contraction in your inner thighs. Press into your elbows, pull your abdominals in strongly, and lift your body off the floor. Keep your body in as straight a line as you can—don't let your butt drop, and don't lift it way up.
3. Press one foot strongly into the floor and lift the opposite leg up as high as you can while keeping your pelvis level. Hold for 10 seconds, then lower the leg all the way down. Switch legs. Do 3 sets of 8 repetitions for each leg.
Pelvic Bridge
1. Lying face down on a mat with your legs straight and elbows bent at your sides, as if you're preparing for a push-up, prop yourself up with your elbows directly below your shoulders, hands to the front.
2. Come into a plank position by bringing your feet together, tucking your toes under, and squeezing your legs together. Feel a contraction in your inner thighs. Press into your elbows, pull your abdominals in strongly, and lift your body off the floor. Keep your body in as straight a line as you can—don't let your butt drop, and don't lift it way up.
3. Press one foot strongly into the floor and lift the opposite leg up as high as you can while keeping your pelvis level. Hold for 10 seconds, then lower the leg all the way down. Switch legs. Do 3 sets of 8 repetitions for each leg.
Pelvic Bridge
1. Lie down on your back on a mat with your arms by your sides and your knees bent. Press your feet firmly into the floor and gently squeeze your legs together without moving them. Press your shoulder blades into the floor and slightly together under your back.
2. Starting at your tailbone, peel your back off the floor all the way to the shoulder blades. Feel your abdominals contracting to support your spine. Hold this position and squeeze the gluteal muscles in your butt firmly for 10 seconds. Keep your pelvis even and your neck long and relaxed.
3. Then slowly roll your spine back down to the floor one vertebra at a time. Do 3 sets of 8 repetitions.
Half Moons
This exercise helps improve balance, posture, strength, and endurance. It also helps shape and tone your legs. If necessary, you can hold onto a chair to help you stay balanced while doing this workout.
1. Standing tall on a mat with your feet and knees pointed directly forward, keep your hips square, placing your hands on your hips as a guide. Try to keep your knees and hips pointed forward throughout the entire movement. Work to maintain good posture, pulling your abdominals in throughout. You can hold onto a chair or wall for balance if needed, but your ultimate goal is to use only your muscles for support.
2. Standing tall, press strongly into one leg and lift the other leg forward while keeping it straight. Lift the leg up as high as you can without moving your pelvis. Height isn't important—but maintaining good posture is, so keep your pelvis very stable. Holding your leg up in front of you, flex your foot and swing it around to the side and then to the rear, making a half-moon shape with the leg. Do 3 sets of 8 repetitions for each leg.
Small Circles
In this Pilates-inspired exercise, you form small circles with each leg to strengthen your back and shape your butt. It also helps build endurance.
1. Kneel on your hands and knees on a mat. Pull your abdominals in away from the floor. Keep your back flat and your pelvis level.
2. Extend one leg to the rear, straightening the leg and keeping it in line with your back, without tilting your pelvis. Hold the leg up, keeping it perfectly straight, and make 8 small circles with the leg in each direction. Hold your abdominals in and keep the gluteal muscles tight throughout the movement.
3. Lower your leg and switch legs. Do 3 sets of 8 repetitions in each direction. For a more challenging workout, you can lift the opposite arm up to eye level in front of you as you make small circles at the same time you are circling your leg.
Beach Lunge
1. Kneel on your hands and knees on a mat. Pull your abdominals in away from the floor. Keep your back flat and your pelvis level.
2. Extend one leg to the rear, straightening the leg and keeping it in line with your back, without tilting your pelvis. Hold the leg up, keeping it perfectly straight, and make 8 small circles with the leg in each direction. Hold your abdominals in and keep the gluteal muscles tight throughout the movement.
3. Lower your leg and switch legs. Do 3 sets of 8 repetitions in each direction. For a more challenging workout, you can lift the opposite arm up to eye level in front of you as you make small circles at the same time you are circling your leg.
Beach Lunge
No mat workout is complete without a lunge exercise. This beach lunge workout improves your balance and hip flexibility, tightens your butt, and shapes your thighs.
1. Stand tall with your feet and knees pointed directly forward. Keep your hips square, placing your hands on your hips as a guide; try to keep your hips facing forward throughout the entire movement. Work to maintain good posture, pulling your abdominals in throughout. You can hold onto a chair or place one hand on a wall for balance if needed, but your goal is to use only your muscles for support.
2. Step one leg back to come into a lunge position, with your front leg bent as deeply as you can and your back leg straight. Your feet should be perfectly parallel facing forward. Press the heel of your front foot and the ball of your back foot into the floor. Keep your torso perfectly upright, with your chest lifted and your spine nice and straight. Try to bend your front knee more deeply and hold the position. Switch legs. Do 3 sets of 8 repetitions on each side.
1. Stand tall with your feet and knees pointed directly forward. Keep your hips square, placing your hands on your hips as a guide; try to keep your hips facing forward throughout the entire movement. Work to maintain good posture, pulling your abdominals in throughout. You can hold onto a chair or place one hand on a wall for balance if needed, but your goal is to use only your muscles for support.
2. Step one leg back to come into a lunge position, with your front leg bent as deeply as you can and your back leg straight. Your feet should be perfectly parallel facing forward. Press the heel of your front foot and the ball of your back foot into the floor. Keep your torso perfectly upright, with your chest lifted and your spine nice and straight. Try to bend your front knee more deeply and hold the position. Switch legs. Do 3 sets of 8 repetitions on each side.
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