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Tom's Guide
22-06-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
I swapped my usual core workout for this 25-minute Pilates session — here's what happened
There are many training styles where working at a faster pace brings greater rewards, but when it comes to increasing your deep core strength, slow and steady wins the race. This 25-minute workout from Pilates instructor Nicole McPherson, who goes by Move With Nicole on YouTube, is the perfect example of this. It's a Pilates session where your core stays constantly engaged for long periods as you move through slow sets of exercises that will not only sculpt your abs and obliques but also build deep strength in your stabilizer muscles. As a runner, I'm always looking for sessions like this to help me maintain my form deep into longer training runs and races, but everyone can benefit from improving their core strength and the only equipment you need for this workout is one of the best yoga mats. The workout moves through a series of exercises to target the upper and lower abs, along with your obliques and deep core muscles. Nicole does the workout with you and provides advice on breathing as well, so make sure you can see and hear the video during the session. I gave it a go myself this week, swapping out my usual core routine for this slow and controlled session to see how it felt. Here are my main takeaways. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. I often go into workouts with the attitude that I just want to get through it, and end up rushing at times. With core workouts, that means I quickly exhaust my abs in particular and have to take breaks. I'm still getting a good workout done, but actually controlling my movements and maintaining a slow pace through the long sets in this session seemed tougher and also more effective. It maximized the time under tension for my core and pushed me to really engage the right muscles with each exercise. Don't be afraid to reduce your speed and let the deep burn come slowly. Nicole advises on how to breathe throughout each movement in the workout, and it's important to heed that advice, because I found it a lot easier to push through the harder sections when I was breathing correctly. It also helps you move at the right pace, moving slowly while you take long inhales and exhales, and lets you get deeper into stretches as well. I don't think this is a particularly beginner-friendly workout, because some moves require a fair amount of strength even to just get through a couple of moves, and there aren't really many modifications available for most exercises. If you're new to Pilates-style workouts, try this six-minute core session instead, or focus on building up your core strength in general before trying Nicole's workout. That goes for me too — I'd want to be a bit stronger before I did it again, as there were points where I had to rest for stretches during sets because I wasn't strong enough to maintain the movements. Along with the challenge to your core strength and endurance, this workout also requires some flexibility in your hips and legs I do not possess, which made some moves even harder. I already like doing a lot of yoga for runners, but clearly need to work on this more to get into a seated bend position or fully extend my leg above me when lying down. Pilates can be an intense workout that gets your heart rate up to burn calories, but that's not the case with this workout because of the slow pace you're moving at. I burned 52 calories in 25 minutes according to my Garmin Venu X1. It's a very effective workout for building strength, but if you're looking to burn calories, a faster training session like these HIIT workouts for beginners would be better.
Tom's Guide
07-05-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Skipped your workout class? Try this 20-minute at-home Pilates session instead to help improve core strength, posture and balance
(Image credit: Getty images) Along with helping you feel energized, much more flexible, and perhaps work muscles you didn't even know you had, Pilates has the magical power to strengthen your entire body — and in minutes. Just take this 20-minute routine from certified Pilates teacher and yogi Nicole McPherson as an example. Using just one of the best yoga mats to help cushion each floor-based move — which makes this session ideal for completing at home, as you won't need to be in a studio or pay for any gym fee or membership — McPherson, who runs her YouTube channel, Move With Nicole , has shared a low impact bodyweight workout that's packed full of slow and controlled moves. Pilates has a focus on core strength and stability, so these moves are designed to engage your core, build full-body strength, and leave you feeling stronger than the minutes that came before. To get started, keep scrolling to watch the video on how to complete this workout and find out more on whether or not 20 minutes of Pilates is 'enough to notice any of the many benefits this mind-body practice can bring. You may like How to do the 20-minute bodyweight Pilates workout ne of the brilliant things about Pilates is the fact that most classes won't require anything other than a comfy mat and your bodyweight to begin. And McPherson's workout is no different. Of course, if you are looking to up the ante, small pieces of fit kit, like the best resistance bands or light dumbbells, can help you take your practice up a notch. But even with just your bodyweight, mat Pilates (and this particular workout from McPherson) can help you target your deep core, like your transverse abdominis, pelvic floor, and multifidus, to help increase your strength, endurance and carve out some muscle definition. McPherson includes many of the best Pilates exercises for strengthening your core and boosting posture . For example, there are bicycle crunches and scissor kicks included, with other fiery moves, like the Pilates roll-up and pulse lunges thrown in for good measure. If you've not mastered these moves just yet, don't panic! McPherson guides you through the entire routine, doing the workout with you, while instructing you on how to perfect your form. So have the sound up so you can listen to the Pilates pro walk you through each exercise and hear firsthand how many reps you've got left. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. 20 MIN EXPRESS PILATES WORKOUT || Moderate to Intermediate Pilates (No Equipment) - YouTube Watch On Is 20 minutes of Pilates a day enough? Twenty minutes of Pilates might not sound like much, but after completing McPherson's workout, you're bound to feel the burn! So, to really answer whether or not 20 minutes of Pilates is enough, the answer to this question is it certainly can be. But this will all depend on your current fitness levels and your health and wellbeing goals. For example, the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults complete 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. If broken down, this could result in 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. So this could include 20 minutes of Pilates plus some sort of aerobic activity. That said, to really boost abdominal strength and endurance, a 2015 study and a 2023 article suggest you'll need to complete two to three one-hour sessions of Pilates a week for 12 weeks. More from Tom's Guide
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AMP offshoring Aussie jobs in ‘essential' decision: ‘Cheaper labour costs'
AMP will offshore 20 Australian jobs as it seeks to achieve 'cheaper labour costs' overseas and "simplify" its business. The Aussie bank has followed Westpac, which announced it would be offshoring 190 local jobs to the Philippines last week. The Finance Sector Union told Yahoo Finance that impacted AMP jobs would include 10 customer service roles and six specialist home loan roles. AMP told impacted workers they would be able to apply for 5 new roles within the company. 'This is a terrible outcome for AMP workers and their families, and for AMP customers,' FSU national assistant secretary Nicole McPherson said. RELATED Westpac slammed for offshoring 190 Aussie jobs: 'Dangerous' Aussie launches multi-million dollar rival to Coles, Woolworths: 'Want to be the reverse' Major FIFO warning over entry-level job promising $100,000 payday: 'Cash grabbing' 'These roles are in customer service as well as helping AMP customers with their home loan. Once these jobs go offshore, when AMP customers call for assistance, they won't be speaking to someone in Australia.' FSU said it asked AMP directly whether it was seeking cheaper labour costs by sending the Aussie jobs offshore. AMP reportedly replied 'correct'.An AMP spokesperson told Yahoo Finance it was "grateful" for the contribution of impacted workers to the business. "These changes, though difficult, are essential as we simplify AMP's business and ensure we are best placed to continue to deliver competitive products and services for our customers," the spokesperson said. "We are supporting our impacted employees through redundancy packages and resources to help them find new opportunities." AMP's underlying net profit after tax was up 15.1 per cent to $236 million for the 2024 financial year. Its statutory net profit after tax - which is the traditional form of profit - slumped to $150 million, a drop of 43 per cent from the previous year. The company attributed this to loss on the sale of its Advice business and business simplification spend. AMP Bank, which accounts for a quarter of the company, also posted a 22.6 per cent decline in profits to $72 million. FSU said it was campaigning with AMP workers to bargain for a new enterprise agreement, after it expired last year. It noted that last year, AMP halved the cap on redundancy pay without consultation with workers. McPherson said the union had 'serious concerns' about AMP stripping down workers' conditions. 'AMP's CEO boasts of their commitment to 'simplification and cost reduction' which in the absence of employee protections is ominous for its workers,' she said. It comes after Westpac confirmed it would be offshoring 190 jobs from its mortgage operations, institutional banking and customer solutions areas, sparking some concerns over the security of customer data. A Westpac spokesperson said the changes represented "about half a per cent" of its workforce. The bank said it would try to keep as many employees within the company as possible, including through retraining and in to access your portfolio
