5 Pilates workouts at home
There is certainly a Pilates craze happening across the country. Many of the women here at Holief love to do this exercise a couple of times a week. They have been loving its positive effects on their bodies and state of mind. Pilates is quite an effective workout without being a high-intensity one. There are two common practices of Pilates, one being mat-based and the other on a reformer machine
What is Mat-Based Pilates?
Mat-based pilates is a great place to start if you are new to the practice but also anyone can do these from home! Using gravity and your body weight as resistance, the goal is to strengthen and lengthen your muscles while also improving your balance.
Benefits of Mat-Based Pilates:
● Strengths major and deep core muscles
● Increase mobility
● Improves posture
● Is easily accessible
● Helps mind-body awareness
● Supports balancing hormones
● Enhances flexibility
● Tones your whole body
● Reduces stress
● Low-impact but helps burn fat
Best part? It is super easy and convenient to try at home. Here are 5 Pilates postures we are loving!
1. The Hundred
-Lie down on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing down. Draw your knees into your chest.
-Curl your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat toward your knees.
-Stretch your legs out at a 45-degree angle in a Pilates stance.
-Squeeze the back of your thighs together and scoop in your abdominals.
-Lift your arms to the hips level and start vigorously pumping them up and down — 25 pumps
2. The Scissors
-Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.
-Gently press the backs of your arms into the mat.
-Bring your knees toward your chest and roll your hips up off the mat so that you are in an upside-down ball position, resting on your shoulders.
-Hold your lower back and your hands and keep your elbows directly under your hips.
-Extend your hips and your legs so that you are on a long diagonal.
– The legs are together. Your lumbar area is not flexed, it is slightly extended.
-Keep your neck nice and long while dropping your shoulders so you can get support from the backs of the upper arms.
-Scissor your legs open away from each other
-Try not to bring the legs too far overhead so you do not over-extend
-Pulse the legs twice in the open position and switch legs
-Keep your lower body stable and gaze straight up
-Do this for around 30 seconds to one minut
3. Kneeling Side Kicks
-Come into a kneeling position
-Lower your left hand to the ground and extend the opposite right leg out while holding your right hand behind your head.
-Peel your body open to the side
– Lift your right leg to hip height, then lower for 10 reps.
– Hold your right leg at hip right and take small circles for 10 reps -Switch sides
4. Single Leg Stretch
-Lie on your back with your head supported by your hands
-Lift your legs to a 45-degree ankle
-Pull one knee into your chest, give it a squeeze
-Keep the other leg stretched out and point both your toes
-Core stays engaged
-Slowly switch
-Go for a total of 10
5. Push UP
– Place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders with a micro bend
– Squeeze your legs
– Lower your body until your chest hovers a couple of inches from the floor
– Pause for a moment, then slowly push yourself back up
– Knees on the mat is a great modification
Key Tips When Practicing Mat-Based Pilates
– Focus on your breath during each exercise is KEY!
– These poses do not need to be fast to be efficient, rather keep them controlled
– Take the necessary modifications that your body needs
– Keep motions intentional
– Your core is your center strength for every pose!
Best Product for Recovery Post-Pilates
We hope by you trying out these exercises that you feel the burn! To help support you when recovering from these workouts, we have been loving using Holi Freeze Muscle + Joint Relief
Gel. Packed with cooling ingredients such as menthol, MCT oil, peppermint oil, and rosemary oil you can recover with ease and make the most out of your Pilates workouts!
