“I wanted more women to feel the same way that I do”—a Pilates instructor shares the exact weekly routine she uses to boost energy, improve strength and move pain-free

Welcome to Workout Diaries, a series where we ask expert trainers to talk us through what a week of exercise looks like for them, helping you figure out how to develop and maintain an effective workout routine.

Evia Valeniece freely admits that she came late to the Pilates party.

Now an in-demand BetterMe instructor with a dedicated following on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, she says she didn't catch the exercise bug growing up in Latvia.

“I never really went to the gym or did team sports,” she tells Fit&Well. “That was never my thing. Then COVID and lockdown hit and everything started feeling a bit negative and low.”

A lack of energy and willpower to cook at home, plus a demanding work-from-home office job, was having a detrimental effect on her health.

“Then my now husband proposed,” Valeniece says, which gave her the push she needed to exercise.

“I came to Pilates by accident. I started with some YouTube workouts and it really felt nice. It’s low impact. It’s a slower pace than cardio. I felt really good afterwards.”

Performing Pilates workouts daily gradually led to improvements in her overall health.

“I saw a big change in my body. I felt better. I had a better posture. I felt so much stronger, so much more mobile and flexible. All these benefits positively impacted my day-to-day life.”

Soon her hobby became her passion and she enrolled on courses to become a certified Pilates instructor, later sharing free workouts on YouTube.

“I wanted more women to feel the same way that I do,” she says.

“I know the gym is not for everybody. Not everyone wants to do very hardcore workouts. I enjoyed the calm energy and slow flow of Pilates and wanted to share that with others.”

Pilates, she adds, has also helped her better understand her own body and made her more resilient to aches and pains.

“It helps with the mind-muscle connection. You learn how your body moves, how to move with intention, how to isolate each muscle group, how to hold good posture,” she says.

“You actually feel in control of your own body—you understand it better.”

Here, Valeniece shares her typical week of workouts, along with her tried-and-tested rules on how to build a routine that fits around your schedule.

Evia Valeniece’s Weekly Workout Routine

Valeniece practices Pilates most days, preferring to work out first thing in the morning to start her day with movement and naturally boost energy.

Her home mat-based Pilates routines tend to last up to 30 minutes, with the weekend reformer class lasting an hour.

“I also walk every day: 30 minutes on the treadmill or for an hour outside.”

Her workouts typically include a focus, such as targeting the glutes and legs, but each class will challenge her entire body.

“After every workout, I want to feel like my posture has improved. I want to feel stronger overall.”

Monday
Home mat Pilates class targeting the glutes and legs

Tuesday
Home mat Pilates class targeting the full body

Wednesday
Home mat Pilates class targeting the glutes

Thursday
Home mat Pilates class targeting the abs and core

Friday
Home mat Pilates class targeting the full body

Saturday
Rest day, including some light active recovery

Sunday
Full-body reformer Pilates class at a local studio

Evia Valeniece’s advice for building a workout routine

Follow a structured plan

When starting out, Valeniece says she “basically just did random online workouts”.

“I couldn’t even find information on how to follow something structured. Now it’s so much easier for beginners with the likes of the BetterMe app,” she says.

“I would definitely recommend starting with a proper plan, not just some random workouts,” she says.

“Of course, you will improve with time, but if you follow a structured plan, the changes will come so much quicker.”

Build habit through repetition

“I train a lot—most days. It motivates me to keep going, to never skip a day.”

Valeniece understands that not everyone will have the time, nor inclination, to commit to a full workout every day.

But with Pilates she believes you can move your body in some small way regularly throughout the week.

“Pilates is low impact, so you can actually do it every day. Of course, recovery is very important, but if the workout is light and flowy, you can train every day,” she says.

By making daily movement part of your routine, it will become second nature.

Remember, something is always better than nothing

On low-energy days, don’t set yourself up for failure. Simplify your plan to maintain momentum.

That was the lesson Valeniece learned on low-energy days, especially when she was working a stressful nine-to-five office job while training to become a Pilates instructor.

“I would always try to slot in 10-15 minutes,” she says. “It’s such a small amount of time, but it still motivates you because you didn’t skip that day. You still moved and that will motivate you to show up the next day.”

If you can commit to 10 minutes one day, that might snowball into 15 the next, then 20, and so on.

“When you go into that cycle and find these workouts bring you joy, it won’t feel like a duty or chore you have to do.

“You’ll actually start to look forward to it, especially if you are consistent. The beginning is always hardest, but once you are consistent, it will become natural.

“For me, the biggest motivator was doing just 10 to 15 minutes a day. That kept me going.”