Strengthen your entire body and relax your mind with this 15-minute Pilates workout
If you're looking for a more gentle approach to building a strong, stable body that can stand the test of time, Pilates is a good way to go. It not only improves strength, balance, and flexibility, but also supports mental well-being through controlled breathing and mindful movement. This Pilates strength workout will give your lower and upper body a boost in 15 minutes, using nothing but your bodyweight. Plus, it'll leave you feeling calmer and reconnected with your body.
Studies have also shown the benefits of Pilates go far beyond just physical. A recent small study revealled that middle-aged adults who did Pilates once a week for 12 weeks experienced significant improvements in mental health and stress-related behaviours – such as being able to take their mind off work during their free hours – compared to those who didn't.
For this workout, work your way through the seven exercises below, flowing from one move to the next with no rest in between. Once you've completed one round, rest for 60 seconds, then go in and repeat the entire sequence two more times. Make sure you perform each exercise slowly with control, while focusing on your breathing to enhance core engagement. If you're unsure about any of the moves, just watch the short video above. Here's the workout:
Squat to rise – 12 reps
Squat to side lift – 12 reps each side
Tricep press – 12 reps
Tabletop lift – 12 reps
Hover taps – 12 reps
Slow climbers – 12 reps
Leg pull – 12 reps
If you enjoyed this workout and want more that are similar, check out this 8-move sequence with a focus on longevity and improving musculoskeletal health. Again, no equipment needed. Alternatively, if you want to give your core a little more TLC, then try this five-move workout that strengthens deep abdominal muscles, improves posture, and supports overall stability.
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The human body is a complicated mechanism which is built up on balance, flexibility and power. The body naturally loses its natural harness with time, by sedentary nature, sitting all the time and unconsciously moving. The flexion of the spine is overshadowed; posture becomes weak and abdominal muscles slacken to a state of relaxation. These changes usually leads to discomfort, fatigue, and chronic muscular issues. Practicing Pilates will allow one to change internally and externally, improving the quality of life and increasing strength and physical form. Engaging the Core Through Every Movement Pilates is deeply rooted in engaging the core muscles in each movement. As compared to selecting exercises that target specific muscle groups, Pilates helps to train the entire body, particularly the muscles in and around the abdomen area, lower back muscles, hips, and pelvis. These are muscles that maintain posture and spine and give balance. Increasing activity leads to better posture because the body starts to organize itself and carry itself in a better way. Instead of using surface muscles or moving in a forced way, Pilates allows one to retrain the body to move in a position of strength and support. Consequently, daily chores of standing, walking, and sitting people are more systematic and not laborious. Increasing Flexibility for Spinal Health Flexibility is a very important element in maintaining good posture and keeping the core strong, and Pilates is constructed to enhance flexibility by using dynamic and static stretching exercises. Tight muscles tug at joints, pushing them out of their natural alignment. Pilates are useful in relieving this stress on the muscles and, at the same time, toning up the opposite muscles. The two results in a well-shaped body that is balanced and is flexible to maintain good postures without overstraining. In the long-term, increased flexibility allows the spine to straighten and open up leaving the discs and the nerves without any stretch and pressure, thus relieving the stress on the discs and the nerves, and making the core stronger and the spine healthier in general. Improving Balance and Coordination Through Movement The other important effect of Pilates on posture and core strength is that it enhances body balance and coordination. By a set of coordinated movements, Pilates tests the stability of the body and elicits the body to reach a balance. This is a dynamic act that requires the muscles of the core to struggle to balance and stabilize the center of gravity of the body. Posture is also made better as the balance does the same, with the body getting more capable of carrying its weight evenly and without putting undue pressure on each body part. Improved coordination also makes sure that muscles fire in the right order, thus reducing compensatory movement patterns that often lead to poor posture. Strengthening the Back Body for Lasting Support The posterior chain is another element of strengthening procedures in Pilates that helps in the development of the posture and the core. The posterior chain is composed of muscle groups like the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. They contribute significantly to the mechanism of keeping an upright posture. Deficiency can easily lead to hunched-back, forward-tilted pelvis syndrome, or flat-back syndrome. Pilates exercises are designed to contract these muscles using low-impact movements that can strengthen and increase endurance without increasing the mass. The back body should be strengthened to reverse the impacts of prolonged sitting and the much-needed strength to keep the spine aligned. 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