It doesn’t take much to move your whole body and stimulate the most important muscles every day, do it with these simple Pilates poses.
If you are looking for Pilates exercises to help you stay strong, physically and mentally, you do not need to continue your search on the internet because you have found them. Here we propose a routine that consists of six very simple postures to do if you are a beginner and that you can do any day from home without the need for specialized equipment.
Like yoga, Pilates exercises are very similar, however, they are usually the preferred option for those whose main objective is to tone. Some celebrities have opted for Pilates to accompany their strength routines, like Selena Gomez who trains with these exercises to strengthen her figure. Specifically, the sequence you’ll find here is designed by Helen Phelan, a former American professional dancer, a certified trainer in this discipline, and founder of her own studio that bears her name.
This series of movements is designed to do a full body work in a few minutes, however, if you need more intensity or are going to accompany it with a cardio routine, feel free to repeat it as many times as necessary. Now let’s get to it!
Table of Contents
Cat-cow pose
The cat-cow position is ideal after having spent many hours in front of the computer and falls within the exercises that you should do from the age of 30. Position yourself in a quadruped, that is, in four points, with your wrists and elbows aligned and your legs open to the width of your hips. Take an inhale at the same time that you arch your back and sink your navel inwards, bringing your shoulder blades together. Exhale in a fluid motion as you climb back up, stretching your neck up and slightly arching your back. Repeat the movement five times.
Knee-Hover Taps
Parts from the same position as the previous exercise and what you are going to do, distributing the weight on both palms is to raise both knees at the same time a few centimeters from the floor, to hold on the tips of your feet only, those will be your four support points. The closer your knees are to the floor, without touching it, the greater the effort.
Hold it for a few seconds and go back down. Repeat at least 15 times to work the abdomen, shoulders, and arms.
Bird-Dog Pose
From four points, throw your right leg back to achieve a parallel line with the floor, while straightening your opposite arm on an inhale. As you exhale, return to the center with both limbs to brush the elbow with the knee . Repeat the movement on the opposite side until you manage to do 10 sets on each side . This exercise is perfect for working on balance, so make sure to contract your abdomen .
Circular kicks
You start from the same posture in four points but now you bend your elbows to be supported by your forearms . With the left leg and keeping the knee bent at all times, raise it to the side and then take it towards the sky, making a circular path until it descends to the mat again. Repeat the same side 10 times and then complete with the opposite side. This exercise stimulates the glutes and hamstrings, while releasing the hip flexors.
Plank on elbows with raises
Go to the plank on elbows , where your points of support are the forearms and the balls of the feet while keeping your body elevated parallel to the floor. It exerts force in the abdomen so that the hips do not drop. Make sure your feet are hip-width apart for stability. Contract your core to raise your hips towards the ceiling as much as you can, hold for a few seconds and return to the board. Repeat at least 10 times.
Kneeling Tricep Push-Ups
This exercise starts from a new quadruped count, make sure that the arms are in external rotation, that is, that your hands are aligned parallel to the front and the elbows inwards with the right back. You will descend by bending elbows and gently bring your face closer to a few inches from the mat without moving your legs or hips. Repeat with control 10 to 15 times to work triceps, shoulder, and abdomen.
As you will notice, during all this short training you stay in a quad rupedic position, this is to minimize the time of transitions and that you can do it in the shortest possible time. If at any time your wrists hurt, do not hesitate to stop for a few seconds, make turns with both hands to stimulate this area and start again.
