If you’re looking to revamp your workout routine and enjoy full-body benefits as a beginner, Pilates is one of the most trending fitness methods of 2024. This workout is highly popular among celebrities and influencers who often flaunt their toned and strong physiques on social media. Pilates exercises for beginners offer an excellent way to get started on your fitness journey, giving you the chance to strengthen, stretch, and slim down with ease.
Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. He developed this method to help soldiers in WWI improve their physical health, focusing on core strength, flexibility, and posture. Over time, it became popular among dancers and athletes because it provided a low-impact workout with high benefits. Pilates has now gained popularity with a wider audience for its ability to improve balance, increase muscle tone, reduce stress, and aid in injury prevention. These qualities make Pilates exercises for beginners ideal for those just starting their fitness journey.
In this blog, we’ll discuss Pilates exercises for beginners and provide a comprehensive Pilates exercises list that you can easily do at home. This beginner Pilates workout guide will introduce you to everything you need to know to get started. So, let’s get into it now!
Table Of Contents
- Which Pilates Is Best For Beginners? 15 Best Pilates Exercises For Beginners
- Is Pilates Good For Weight Loss?
- Is 20 Minutes Of Pilates A Day Enough?
- Expert’s Advice
- The Final Say
- FAQs
- References
Which Pilates Is Best For Beginners? 15 Best Pilates Exercises For Beginners
Which pilates for beginners is the best? Pilates is a fitness technique that involves various exercises. The main focus of Pilates exercises for beginners is to target and strengthen core muscles to give you full-body benefits. Pilates have many categories, such as Classical Pilates, Mat Pilates, Contemporary Pilates and Reformer Pilates.
Classical Pilates is a good point for beginners to start. Here are 15 easy pilates for beginners:
1. The Hundred
The Hundred is a warm-up exercise where you lie on your back and pump your arms while keeping your legs lifted. It targets your core muscles, especially your abs. This exercise helps increase blood flow and warms up your body.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Recline on your back with your legs in a tabletop position (knees bent, feet lifted off the ground).
- Raise your head, neck, and shoulders up from the mat while reaching your arms straight ahead.
- Move your arms up and down in controlled, slight movements while taking deep breaths.
- Finish 10 rounds of 10 breaths.
2. Single Leg Stretch
In the Single Leg Stretch, you lie down on your back and pull one knee towards your chest while the other leg stretches out. This Pilates at home for beginners exercise focuses on your abdominal muscles and hip flexors. It helps improve your core strength and flexibility.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Rest on your back with your knees bent and raised to a tabletop pose.
- Raise your head and shoulders up from the mat, then straighten your right leg as you bring your left knee closer to your chest.
- Change legs, straightening your right leg while bringing your left knee towards your chest.
- Do 10-12 repetitions on each side.
3. Teaser
The Teaser is a challenging move where you sit up and lift your legs off the ground while balancing on your tailbone. It works your core, hip flexors, and lower back. This exercise helps build strength and balance in your body.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Recline on your back with arms stretched out above your head and legs fully extended.
- Raise your head, shoulders, and legs above the mat while balancing on your sit bones.
- Extend your arms in front of you, pause briefly, then return back down.
4. Roll Like a Ball
In Roll Like a Ball, you sit on your tailbone and roll back and forth like a ball. This exercise targets your core and helps with balance. It is fun and helps improve your coordination and spinal flexibility.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Holding your shins, sit with your knees bent and your feet off the ground. Sit back a little and use your sit bones for balance.
- To begin, roll back onto your shoulder blades and then forward.
- Repeat 8-10 times.
Also Read: 12 Easy Exercises To Lose Belly Fat At Home For Beginners And Tips To See Visible Results In 1 Week!
5. Chest Lift
The Chest Lift is done by lying on your back and lifting your head and shoulders off the mat. It mainly targets your abdominal muscles. Your posture will improve and your core will get stronger with this exercise.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Recline on your back with your knees bent and your feet resting on the floor.
- Position your hands behind your head and raise your head, neck, and shoulders from the mat.
- Grip for a short moment and then bring it down again.
6. Bridge
In the Bridge exercise, you lie on your back with your knees bent and lift your hips towards the ceiling. It works your glutes, lower back, and hamstrings. This exercise helps strengthen your back and improves hip flexibility.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Recline with your knees bent and feet on the ground.
- Raise your hips towards the ceiling while activating your glutes and core muscles.
- Grip for a moment and then bring it down again.
- Complete 10 to 12 repetitions.
7. The Saw
The Saw involves sitting with your legs stretched out and reaching towards your toes while twisting your body. It targets your obliques, hamstrings, and back muscles. This exercise improves flexibility and helps with spinal rotation.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Position yourself with legs stretched out wide and toes pointed upwards. Stretch your arms out sideways, at shoulder level.
- Rotate your upper body to the right and extend your left hand towards your right foot.
- Come back to the middle and do it again on the opposite side.
- Do 5-8 repetitions on each side.
8. Side Leg Lift
In the Side Leg Lift, you lie on your side and lift your top leg up and down. This exercise focuses on your outer thighs and hip muscles. It helps strengthen your legs and improve hip stability. To make it even more challenging, you can use a resistance band for your legs.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Lie on your side with your legs stacked and extended.
- Raise your top leg straight up towards the ceiling.
- Lower it back down slowly. Perform 10-12 reps per side.
9. Leg Circles
Leg Circles are done by lying on your back and moving one leg in a circular motion while the other leg stays still. This targets your hip muscles and core. It helps improve hip flexibility and coordination.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Recline on your back with one leg stretched up towards the sky. Keep your hips stable and draw small circles with your raised leg.
- Perform 5-8 circles in each direction.
- Switch legs and repeat.
10. Plank
The Plank is a position where you hold your body straight like a board, supported by your hands and toes. It works your core, shoulders, and legs. If you want to get those washboards ab, a plank is perfect for building strength and stability in your entire body.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Begin in a plank position with your hands positioned under your shoulders.
- Maintain a straight alignment from your head to your heels by activating your core muscles.
- Maintain the position for 20-30 seconds, slowly extending the duration as you develop more muscle.
11. Spine Stretch Forward
In the Spine Stretch Forward, you sit with your legs extended and reach forward towards your toes. This exercise targets your back and hamstrings. It helps improve flexibility and stretches your spine.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Sit with legs spread out and feet bent.
- Stretch out your arms forward and ensure you are sitting upright.
- Breathe in while elongating your back, and breathe out while stretching towards your toes.
- Pause momentarily before going back to the beginning.
12. Clamshell
The Clamshell is performed by lying on your side with bent knees and lifting your top knee while keeping your feet together. It focuses on your glutes and hip muscles. This targeted thigh exercise helps strengthen your hips and improve stability.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Position yourself on your side with your knees bent and legs aligned.
- Raise your upper knee while maintaining the alignment of your feet.
- Bring your knee back down in a gradual manner.
- Complete 10-12 repetitions on each side.
13. Bird Dog
In the Bird Dog exercise works on your glutes, back, and core. This workout strengthens your core and enhances coordination and balance.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Start by putting your hands and knees on the floor, ensuring that your knees are in line with your hips and your wrists with your shoulders.
- Stretch out your right arm to the front and your left leg to the back, maintaining a straight body posture.
- Pause briefly before moving back to the initial position.
- Change positions and do 8-10 repetitions on each side.
14. Scissors
The Scissors exercise involves lying on your back and lifting your legs into the air, alternating a scissor motion with your legs. It focuses on your abdominal muscles, hip flexors, and lower back. This exercise helps improve core strength and flexibility in your legs.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Lie on your back with your arms at your sides and legs extended straight up towards the ceiling.
- Maintaining your leg straight, lower your right leg toward the floor while simultaneously bringing your left leg up to your face.
- Switch legs in a scissor motion, bringing the right leg back up while lowering the left leg down.
- For 10 to 12 repetitions on each side, continuously switch your legs while maintaining an engaged core.
15. Single Leg Kick
The Single Leg Kick involves lying on your stomach and kicking one leg towards your glutes while keeping the other leg straight. It targets your hamstrings and glutes. This exercise helps strengthen your legs and improve lower back flexibility.
How To Do This Pilates Exercise For Beginners?
- Rest on your belly with arms bent and palms under your head.
- Raise your chest a little and kick your right heel towards your buttocks two times.
- Change which leg you are using and do it again.
- Perform 10-12 kicks on each side.
Also Read: Get Started With These 5 Easy Plyometric Exercises for Beginners and Their Benefits!
Is Pilates Good For Weight Loss?
Pilates by itself is not as effective for losing weight as high-intensity workouts or cardio. Nonetheless, it can aid in weight loss when paired with a proper diet and additional workouts. Pilates aims to strengthen the core, increase flexibility, and improve muscle definition.
Even though it doesn't burn as many calories as cardio workouts, strength training enhances muscle definition and posture, leading to a more toned look. Moreover, Pilates can enhance awareness of the body and promote mindfulness in regard to physical activity, leading to healthier lifestyle decisions. To achieve maximum weight loss, combine Pilates with other fitness activities while also sticking to a nutritious diet.
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Also Read: Pilates For Weight Loss: Best Exercises, Workout Plan, Benefits & More!
Is 20 Minutes Of Pilates A Day Enough?
Doing Pilates for just 20 minutes every day can help beginners get more flexible, build a strong core, and feel more aware of their bodies. Short sessions every day make it easier to keep doing Pilates regularly and turn it into a habit. Pilates workouts focus on the deep muscles in your core, which can correct your posture and make your muscles look toned over time.
Even though a 20-minute Pilates session may not burn as many calories as longer, harder workouts, it can still help you get fitter and healthier. To get the most benefits, especially for your heart health and losing weight, it's best to do Pilates along with other workouts like cardio or strength training.
Also Read: 8 Expert-Recommended Ways To Help You Lose Weight Fast Without Exercise Naturally!
Expert’s Advice
Pilates is a type of exercise that can help you get stronger. It is especially good for your stomach muscles. If you are a beginner, try doing Pilates 2-3 times a week. Eat healthy foods like chicken, fish, whole grains, and vegetables to help your muscles grow and feel good. As you get better at Pilates, you can do it more often and make it harder. You can also do other exercises like running or swimming along with Pilates. This will help you get even stronger and healthier.
Health Expert
Akshata Gandevikar
The Final Say
Pilates is a great way to get stronger, more flexible, and slim down. It is a low-impact workout that is suitable for all, even people with joint issues. You can do pilates exercises for beginners at home with just a mat. You can do the above-mentioned easy pilates for beginners. If you are new to pilates, you must start slowly and gradually increase the workout routine and intensity. With regular practice, you will see visible results within weeks!
FAQs
1. What are the Pilates exercises for the upper body?
The best Pilates exercises for the upper body are:
- Plank
- Push-Up
- Plank and Shoulder Taps
- Arm Circles
- Chest Lift
2. Which are the Pilates exercises for a flat stomach?
Here are the best workouts to get a flat stomach:
- The Hundred
- Bicycle crunches
- Side Plank
- Hip Dips
- Boat Hold
3. What are the Pilates exercises for height increase?
While Pilates cannot directly increase height, it can improve posture and alignment, making you appear taller. Spine Stretch Forward and Roll-Up help elongate the spine and enhance flexibility. The Saw also aids in improving spinal flexibility.
4. What is a wall Pilates workout for beginners?
Wall pilates workout is a low-impact exercise routine that uses a wall for support. It helps build strength and stability. Some exercises include Wall push-ups, wall sit, wall pike, wall bridge, and wall leg circles.
References
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJT6CPSK94Q
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_en_PIYjveg
- https://www.basipilates.com/pilates/10-essential-pilates-exercises-for-beginners/
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLipSZg1JNsC9DZcCHkgjHwIIP1jMnRrr0
- https://www.today.com/video/pilates-exercises-for-beginners-try-this-easy-at-home-workout-200455237843
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/13716161-beginner-pilates-exercises-at-home/
- https://pilatesbodybykayla.com/7-pilates-exercises-for-beginners-starting-at-home/
- https://sportswestathleticclub.com/blogs/20-minutes-pilates-enough/#:~:text=Yes%2C%20definitely!,most%20of%20what%20you%20have).
- https://www.johngareytv.com/20-minutes-pilates-day-enough/
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/is-pilates-good-for-weight-loss
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2023/11/02/does-pilates-help-you-lose-weight/71317740007/
- https://complete-pilates.co.uk/types-of-pilates/
- https://www.pilatesanytime.com/mx/pilates-beginners
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