Pilates is well known for strengthening the core muscles—but instructor Hannah Lawrence says that people underestimate the impact the practice has on other areas.

“While your core is definitely involved, some of the best strength gains I see in beginners actually show up in their glutes and legs,” says Lawrence, who’s the studio manager at Sundrop Pilates in Denver, CO.

She explains that Pilates helps people isolate and activate muscles that they might not be working—like the glutes—and strengthening these areas has a big impact on daily movement.

“Building lower-body strength helps support your hips, knees and lower back. It improves balance and makes everyday things such as climbing stairs, carrying groceries, or going for a long walk feel noticeably easier.”

She shared her three favorite lower-body exercises that she uses with almost every Pilates newcomer.

“They’re simple, need zero equipment, and set up really good movement habits right from the start,” she says.

Three lower-body strengthening Pilates exercises

“If you’re brand new, start with just two rounds and focus on moving slowly with good form,” says Lawrence.

“These moves might look basic, but they’re surprisingly effective when you pay attention to the details.”

1. Shoulder bridge
2. Side-lying leg lift
3. Inner thigh lift

1. Shoulder bridge

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-12 Rest: 30-45sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the mat, about hip-width apart. Keep your arms relaxed by your sides.
• Inhale, then exhale and press through your feet.
• Lift your hips off the mat until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Pause, squeeze your glutes, then slowly lower the hips.

Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, core and pelvic floor.

“This one is a favorite of mine because it teaches people how to actually use their glutes instead of letting your lower back do all the work,” says Lawrence.

2. Side-lying leg lift

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-15 each side Rest: 30sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your left side with your right leg on top of your left and your left forearm resting on the mat in front of you.
• Keep your hips level and lift your waist from the mat.
• Engage your core and slowly lift your top leg to about hip height.
• Pause, then slowly lower your leg.
• Finish all your repetitions on one side before switching.

Targets: Gluteus medius and minimus, outer hips and deep core.

“A lot of people don’t realize how weak the muscles on the outside of their hips are,” says Lawrence.

“This move wakes them up and makes a big difference in balance and pelvic stability, which helps with walking, hiking and running.”

3. Inner thigh lift

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-15 each side Rest: 30sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your left side with your right knee bent and right foot flat on the floor in front of your left leg. Keep your left leg extended.
• Engage your core and lift your left leg just a few inches off the mat.
• Pause, then slowly lower your leg.
• Complete all repetitions before switching sides.

Targets: Inner thighs (adductors), deep core and pelvic stabilizers.

“The inner thighs often get ignored, but they’re important for keeping your hips stable and your legs aligned,” says Lawrence.

“I like this exercise because it targets [your inner thighs] without stressing the knees, and it keeps your core working the whole time.”

Pilates balls are a small tool that can have a large impact.

They tend to be around nine inches in diameter—the size of a soccer ball—and are soft and malleable.

They also happen to be the favourite piece of equipment of veteran Pilates instructor and Balanced Body educator, Portia Page.

“This deceptively simple piece of equipment is versatile as a modifier, prop or to add challenge,” she tells Fit&Well.

Page, whose Pilates ball of choice is the nine-inch TOGU ball from Balanced Body, explains why Pilates balls work differently to the large inflatable exercise balls often found in gyms.

“Unlike the traditional exercise ball, the TOGU ball is small, lightweight and unstable—yet able to provide some support.

“That instability is exactly what makes it so effective. It helps awaken deep stabilizing muscles while providing support where many people need it most.”

She adds that she favours the TOGU ball specifically because “while standard generic Pilates balls are made of soft, moldable PVC, TOGU balls use a proprietary, latex-free Ruton material, which gives them a softer, tackier and more durable feel.”

Page likes to use the ball to help clients improve their proprioception (your awareness of your body’s position), support their spine and torso during challenging exercises, and to encourage better posture and alignment.

“It is also great to reduce unnecessary tension in the neck, shoulders and hip flexors during certain exercises, plus challenge balance and stability in a safe, progressive way,” she explains.

“In Pilates, we’re always looking for ways to improve awareness and create balanced muscle development, and the TOGU ball provides immediate feedback, helping you find better alignment and connect to the deep stabilizing muscles that support efficient movement.”

The following three exercises are Page’s top choices for how to use your nine-inch Pilates ball. She recommends inflating it to three-quarters full for these movements.

1. Double leg stretch with extension

Why Page recommends it: “This is one of my favorite ways to teach any abdominal exercise because the ball supports thoracic alignment,” says Page.

“You can add thoracic extension while reducing the tendency to grip through the neck and shoulders.

“Many people overuse their hip flexors instead of their abdominal muscles,” adds Page.

“Using the TOGU Ball to support the torso brings the chest up to recruit your abdominal muscles.

“The ball creates feedback for thoracic mobility while helping clients discover true abdominal support. Many notice less neck tension and better core engagement.”

How to do it:

Sets: 4-6 Reps: 4-6 each side Rest: 20-30sec

• Place the TOGU Ball beneath your upper back, toward the base of your shoulder blades.
• Lie back over the ball and bring your knees and elbows to meet over your torso, with your knees bent and your hands either side of your head—this is your starting position.
• Extend your legs so they are at a 45° angle to the floor as you lean back and extend your arms behind you.
• Reverse the movements to return to the starting position.

Targets: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, internal and external obliques and deep spinal stabilizers.

2. Swan with rotation in extension and flexion

Why Page recommends it: “Swan develops the often-neglected posterior chain and promotes healthy spinal extension, which balances all the flexion-heavy activities we do throughout the day and helps with posture and alignment,” says Page.

“The TOGU ball provides excellent feedback for challenging and assisting spinal extension. The instability of the ball helps you to find rotation and spinal mobility.”

How to do it:

Sets: 2 Reps: 5-8 Rest: 20-30sec

• Place the TOGU ball beneath your breastbone and lie on your front with your legs extended.
• Bend your elbows and place your fingertips on your forehead or behind your head.
• Gently engage your abdominal muscles to support your spine and lower back. Flex your upper body over the ball. Your chin may touch or rest on the ball if needed.
• Press lightly into the ball as you lengthen your spine from the crown of your head. Lift your head, chest and upper spine into extension, but focus on length before height.
• Rotate to the right, back to the center, then rotate to the left, then back to the center again.
• Lower with control back to the starting position.

Targets: erector spinae, multifidus, gluteals, mid and lower trapezius and posterior shoulder stabilizers

3. Side-lying lateral flexion to side hip lift

Why Page recommends it: “Most people spend very little time training lateral stability and side-body strength,” says Page.

“This series improves balance, pelvic control and movement efficiency while helping clients feel muscles they often don't realize they have.

“The TOGU ball offers support beneath the side body, making lateral flexion more accessible in a larger range of motion and challenges balance by providing an unstable surface.”

How to do it:

Sets: 2 Reps: 6-8 each side Rest: 20-30sec

• Lie on your left side with the TOGU ball under your ribcage, with your arms extended past your head.
• Bend your left knee to 90° and bring your left knee forward so there is a 90° bend at your hip.
• Bend your right knee to 90°, moving your lower leg behind you—this is your starting position.
• Raise your right arm, right leg and head, moving your right arm to towards your right leg, lightly tapping your right knee with the back of your right hand.
• Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.

Targets: obliques, quadratus lumborum, gluteals, hip abductors and deep core stabilizers.

You may not have the literal weight of the world on your shoulders, but there’s a nugget of truth to the saying, because it’s one of the most common places for people to hold stress-related muscle tension.

Your shoulders also take the brunt of working long hours at a desk.

To top it all off, “the shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the body, which also makes it one of the most vulnerable,” says Pilates instructor and Balanced Body educator Portia Page.

“Tight muscles, poor posture, weakness in the upper back, and limited thoracic mobility can all contribute to shoulder soreness.”

If you are experiencing soreness in this area, Page has a threefold approach to tackling it.

She recommends improving the mobility of the joint, strengthening the supporting muscles to help stabilize it, and stretching to release any stored tension.

Page suggests completing the following six exercises to relieve tension in sore shoulders, and to build the strength and mobility you need to prevent recurrence.

Page advises to “stop if pain increases, becomes sharp, or radiates down the arm.”

1. Shoulder roll

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10 each direction Rest: 30sec

Page says: “This simple movement increases circulation, reduces tension, and restores mobility to the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, and muscles surrounding the shoulders.”

How to do it:

• Sit or stand with a straight back and your arms held loosely at your sides.
• Slowly lift both shoulders toward your ears.
• Roll them backward, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Continue the circle by lowering your shoulders down and forward, moving slowly and smoothly.
• Do all your reps, then reverse direction.

Targets:

• Upper trapezius
• Levator scapulae
• Rhomboids
• Deltoids

2. Wall angel

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-10 Rest: 45sec

Page says: “Wall angels help improve posture, strengthen upper-back muscles, and encourage healthy shoulder and overall upper body movement—an area often neglected when shoulders become sore.”

How to do it:

• Stand with your head, upper back and hips resting against a wall.
• Bend your elbows to 90° and bring your arms out to the sides, with your shoulders and arms against the wall, palms facing forward.
• Slowly slide your hands up the wall overhead, extending your arms, pausing at the top of the movement for a single breath.
• Reverse the movement back to the starting position.

Form tips: Keep your wrists and elbows lightly touching the wall if possible and maintain gentle abdominal activation throughout.

Targets:

• Rhomboids
• Middle and lower trapezius
• Rear deltoids
• Rotator cuff muscles

3. Thread the needle

Sets: 2-3 Hold: 20-30sec each side Rest: 15sec between sides

Page says: “Many shoulder issues originate from stiffness in the upper back and thoracic spine.

“This stretch improves rotation around the stable shoulder and arm while gently opening the posterior shoulder and chest of the moving arm.”

How to do it:

• Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Inhale and rotate your torso to face right, lifting your right arm to vertical.
• Exhale and rotate your torso to face left, threading your right arm between your left hand and left knee to the left side.
• Allow your right shoulder and the side of your head to rest lightly on the floor, breathing deeply and relaxing into the stretch.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

Targets:

• Posterior deltoid
• Rhomboids
• Rotator cuff muscles
• Thoracic spine

4. Scapular retraction and protraction (standing)

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 12-15 Rest: 30sec

Page says: “Strong and mobile shoulders provide a stable foundation for healthy shoulder movement.

“Many people experiencing shoulder soreness have weak or underactive postural muscles, which this exercise aims to correct.”

How to do it:

• Sit or stand with a straight back and your arms extended in front of you at shoulder height.
• Gently draw your shoulder blades together (retraction), moving your arms backward slightly.
• Hold briefly, then separate your shoulder blades like an elevator door opening (protraction), moving your arms forward slightly.

Form tip: Avoid arching your back or shrugging your shoulders.

Targets:

• Rhomboids
• Middle trapezius
• Lower trapezius

5. Scapular retraction and protraction (tabletop)

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 12-15 Rest: 30sec

“This variation loads the upper body, creating a different sensation in the shoulders as the body is in a different alignment with gravity.”

How to do it:

• Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Keeping your arms straight and your torso horizontal throughout, bring your shoulder blades towards one another (retraction), lowering your chest slightly.
• Pause, then move your shoulder blades away from each other (protraction) by pushing the floor away, lifting your chest slightly.

Targets:

• Rhomboids
• Middle trapezius
• Lower trapezius

6. Telescope to pinwheel

Sets: 2 Reps: 6-10 each side Rest: 30sec

Page says: “The shoulder doesn’t work alone, thoracic spinal mobility is essential for comfortable shoulder movement.

“This exercise improves rotation and torso flexibility while reducing tension across the front and back of the shoulders.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your left side with your legs together and your knees bent, and both arms extended in front of you with your palms together.
• Telescope: Engage your core and lower your right shoulder toward the floor, sliding your right palm forward.
• Reverse the movement of your right shoulder, moving it to rest on the floor behind you, sliding your right hand across your body and extending it to the right.
• Pause here, then reverse the movement back to the start.
• Pinwheel: Engage your core and lower your right shoulder toward the floor, sliding your right palm forward.
• Sweep your right arm overhead and to the floor behind you.
• Continue, sweeping your hand past your hip and back to the starting position.
• Alternate between the two movements, completing all reps on one side before switching.

Form tips: Keep your hips stable, rotating from your torso and shoulders. Follow your moving hand with your eyes.

Targets:

• Pectoralis major and minor
• Anterior shoulder
• Thoracic spine
• Upper back musculature

If you think your lower back isn’t strong enough to cope with the rigors of day-to-day life, you’d probably expect us to tell you to strengthen your lower back muscles.

But that fatigue you feel at the end of a long day may come from your core not being up to par.

"The core and lower back don't work independently, they function as a team," says Georgia Testa, Pilates instructor and founder of Studio 281.

"When the deep core muscles are strong, they can provide better support for the spine, reducing the need for the lower back to compensate."

Testa recommends two straightforward exercises to her clients that strengthen the deep core muscles and support the lower back.

"Sometimes the most effective exercises are the simplest,” she says, recommending single-leg extensions and toe taps to strengthen the deep core muscles, and encourage better pelvic and spinal alignment.

“Mastering fundamental movements like these can help improve posture, stability and overall back health over time," she adds.

Both exercises help to improve alignment, reduce strain through the lumbar spine and create a stronger foundation for movement.

Testa says these exercises are particularly useful for people with an excessive anterior pelvic tilt, where the pelvis tips too far forward, increasing stress on the lower back—often referred to as swayback posture.

This posture can also make it harder to engage the deep core effectively.

These exercises aim to strengthen the lower muscles of the core, which encourages the pelvis to shift into a more neutral position.

They rely on the weight of your legs to challenge your core, which has to engage to counterbalance them.

"As your legs move away from your body, your core has to work harder to keep your pelvis stable and stop your back from arching,” explains Testa.

Here’s how to do the two moves that Testa recommends.

1. Single leg extension

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 6-8 each side Rest: 45sec

• Lie on your back with your legs raised, knees directly above your hips and bent to 90°, and your arms by your sides, slightly off the mat.
• Draw your belly button toward your spine to engage your core and lightly connect your lower back with the mat.
• Extend your right leg away from your body so it forms a straight line from your toe to your hip. Keep your left knee bent.
• Return to the starting position and switch sides, extending your left leg while your right remains bent.
• Continue alternating legs with slow, controlled movements.

2. Toe tap

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 6-8 each side Rest: 45sec

• Lie on your back with your legs raised, knees directly above your hips and bent to 90°, and your arms resting on the floor by your sides.
• Engage your core and maintain contact between your lower back and the mat.
• Keeping your knee at 90° throughout, slowly lower one foot, moving from your hip, to lightly tap your toes on the floor.
• Return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep, keeping your pelvis steady throughout.

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.

While Nikkii Behrens, founder of Rare Pilates and Nikkii Health, is a Pilates instructor, she has many more strings to her bow. She is a qualified nutritionist, yoga teacher, sleep specialist, meditation coach, breathwork practitioner and Reiki master as well.

She says exercise is important to her because it gives her the energy she needs.

“My priority has never been chasing a certain body,” she tells Fit&Well. “I train to move well, have energy and stay healthy for the long term. I want to be able to keep up with life, travel, run businesses, and now chase after my son. Looking good is a bonus, but feeling capable is the real goal.

“I also exercise because it clears my mind—it’s my form of self-care,” she says. Her weekly routine is a mix of mat and reformer Pilates, as well as strength training, mobility work and plenty of holistic recovery, including regular sound baths.

Below she has shared details of what a recent week of workouts and recovery looked like.

Nikkii Behrens weekly workout routine

Monday 8am
Strength x Pilates: full-body focus

Tuesday 9am
Reformer Pilates: obliques, core and upper body

Wednesday 8am
Reformer Pilates: lower body

Thursday 12pm
Long walk with pooch and family

Friday 8am
Yoga x Pilates fusion: stretch and tone

Saturday 9am
Rest day: sound healing

Sunday 9am
Mat Pilates: full body

Nikkii Behrens’ tips for building an effective workout routine

Move every day and choose something you actually enjoy

Behrens sets an intention to do some kind of movement every day.

“Movement is one of the best investments you can make in your future health,” says Behrens. “It improves strength, posture, bone density, cardiovascular health, mental wellbeing and longevity.”

Her weekly workout routine always has Pilates at the foundation “because it builds strength, mobility, stability and body awareness without constantly stressing the body.” She also makes sure she dedicates time to recovery, a weekly functional strength workout and daily walks with her dog.

“That doesn’t mean every session has to be intense—some days it’s a full Pilates workout, other days it’s simply a walk or mobility session. Consistency always beats perfection and you are far more likely to stay consistent if you actually look forward to it,” she says.

Focus on consistency over intensity

Behrens recommends committing to three or four workouts a week for the long term instead of going for it every day for two weeks and then stopping.

“Over the years, I’ve learnt that movement doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” she says. “Even 20-30 minutes counts, and if life gets busy, I simply adapt instead of skipping it altogether.”

She spends between 30 to 50 minutes exercising, because “I don’t believe you need to spend hours exercising. A well-designed, focused session is far more effective than simply working out for longer.”

Behrens says she tries to train first thing as it sets the tone for the day. “It gives me energy and means I’m less likely to skip it once work and life get busy. But ultimately, the best time to exercise is the time you’ll consistently stick to.”

Train for life, not just aesthetics

Motivation is a myth—routine is more reliable, says Behrens. She says scheduling exercise like a meeting makes it more likely you will stick to it.

“I don’t rely on motivation because it’s unreliable. Exercise is scheduled into my day like any other important appointment. Once it’s a habit, you don’t have to negotiate with yourself every morning.”

“The basics still work: move your body regularly, build strength, walk often, recover well, eat nutritious food most of the time and be patient. Sustainable habits will always outperform quick fixes. That’s what creates a body that feels as good as it looks, not just for summer, but for life.”

We can’t stop time, but we can take action to keep feeling physically young.

For Tatiana Schloessman, a certified Pilates instructor and the founder of Élan Pilates Studios, Westlake Village, that starts with keeping her legs strong.

“Lower body strength is one of the greatest predictors of healthy aging and independence,” she tells Fit&Well. “Your youth is in your legs.

“Strong legs and hips allow us to climb stairs, get up from a chair, carry light and heavy items, maintain balance, and reduce the risk of falls.

“The stronger your lower body, the more freedom and confidence you'll have for years to come.”

Schloessman says that age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) speeds up when we don’t actively train.

“Building strength isn’t just about looking fit; it’s about being stronger and preserving the ability to live life on your own terms,” she says.

Schloessman thinks that Pilates offers a unique way to develop lower-body strength, with a little extra benefit that most traditional workouts miss.

“Rather than just adding resistance, Pilates emphasizes precision, control, proper alignment, and full range of motion,” she explains.

“During Pilates exercises, the legs work together with the core, glutes, hips and ankles, so you’re doing more than building muscle; you’re strengthening the hip, knee and ankle joints as well.”

I asked Schloessman to share her three favorite Pilates exercises to strengthen the lower body.

You’ll need a mat, a weight and a slider (or a towel) to give it a go.

1. Bridge

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-15 Rest: 30sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hip-width apart.
• Engage your core and push through your heels to lift your hips until your shoulders, hips and knees form a straight line.
• Inhale and squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.
• Exhale and slowly lower back to the starting position.

Primary muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings, core and pelvic floor.

“If I could only choose one exercise for beginners, bridge would be at the top of my list,” says Schloessman.

“It strengthens the glutes, hamstrings and core while improving hip mobility and spinal stability. It's one of the few exercises that even people with knee issues can do comfortably.”

2. Goblet squat

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-15 Rest: 30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell close to your chest with both hands.
• Brace your core and keep your chest lifted as you sit your hips back and bend your knees, as if you're lowering yourself into a chair. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as far as your mobility allows.
• Press through your heels to return to standing.

Primary muscles worked: quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, core and upper back.

“This exercise teaches proper squat mechanics while building strength through the ankles, knees, hips and core all at once,” says Schloessman.

“What I love about it specifically is that holding the weight in front naturally encourages better posture, a more upright torso and great core engagement.

“With this one, you’re reinforcing good movement patterns while you build strength. It’s beginner-friendly but challenging enough to keep progressing for years.”

3. Side lunge with sliders

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-12 each side Rest: 30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your right foot on the floor and your left on a slider or towel.
• Engage your core and keep your chest lifted as you slowly slide your left foot out to the side, bending your right knee and pushing your hips back—stopping when your thigh is parallel with the floor, or as close as your mobility allows.
• Press through your right foot to stand upright, sliding your left foot back in.
• Complete all reps on one side, then switch sides.

Form tip: keep your stationary knee in line with your toes.

Primary muscles worked: glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, abductors and core stabilizers.

“Most people spend their entire lives moving forward and backward. We almost never train side-to-side movement,” says Schloessman. “That’s precisely why I love this exercise.”

“It strengthens the legs along a completely different plane of motion, while improving hip mobility, balance and pelvic stability.

“As we get older, lateral strength becomes increasingly important for preventing falls and moving confidently in everyday life.

“The slider adds a layer of control that makes the standing leg work even harder to stabilize. This exercise is about strength, mobility and coordination, all in one move.”

Shop core sliders

If you spend a lot of time sitting during the day, your glutes could be paying the price—and it may be having a bigger impact than you realize.

“The glutes are the largest muscle group in the body and play a central role in supporting the pelvis, stabilizing the hips and generating power during everyday movements such as walking, climbing stairs and lifting,” Pilates instructor Sol Bouille tells Fit&Well.

When your glutes are weak, other muscles such as the lower back, hip flexors and hamstrings often overcompensate, and this can lead to pain and difficulty moving around.

Bouille’s three-move Pilates-inspired routine for weak glutes is designed to build strength and improve lower-body stability.

“Strengthening the glutes will also support efficient movement and protect the joints, making everyday tasks and exercise feel easier and more controlled,” explains Bouille.

How to do the five-minute Pilates-inspired routine

Bouille, who is the founder of The Island Studio, recommends doing this routine two to four times per week. “It will take less than five minutes so it’s easy to fit it into your day,” Bouille adds.

The exercises:

1. Side-lying leg lift
2. Clamshell
3. Glute bridge

1. Side-lying leg lift

Time: 30sec each side

How to do it:

• Lie on your side with your legs straight and together.
• Engage your core and keep your hips stable.
• Lift your top leg, keeping your toes facing forwards.
• Lower with control.
• Continue for time, then switch sides

Benefit: Strengthens your outer glutes and hips, which improves stability, balance and knee alignment.

2. Clamshell

How to do it:

Time: 30sec each side

• Lie on your side with your legs together and your knees bent.
• Engage your core.
• Keeping your hips vertical throughout, lift your top knee while keeping your feet touching.
• Hold for a few seconds, then lower slowly.
• Continue for time, then switch sides

Benefit: Targets the smaller glute muscles that support the hips and pelvis, helping to improve stability and reduce unnecessary strain on the knees.

3. Glute bridge

Reps: 10-15

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart.
• Engage your core.
• Press through your heels and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top before lowering with control, one vertebra at a time.

Benefit: Strengthens your glutes, hamstrings and core while improving pelvic stability and supporting your lower back.

Pilates has developed a fearsome reputation in recent years, with the style of exercise credited for many a sculpted torso on social media, and the occasional muscle-bound man admitting to being humbled by their first encounter with a Pilates reformer.

But it would be a crying shame if this reputation put you off trying it, because it’s actually one of the most accessible forms of exercise out there and can improve the way you carry yourself in everyday life.

“Pilates is low-impact and focuses on controlled movement, breathing, posture, flexibility, and core strength,” says Michelle Standfast, a physical therapist assistant and Pilates instructor at ATI Physical Therapy.

“While many people associate Pilates with abdominal exercises, it is actually a full-body workout that emphasizes quality of movement rather than speed or intensity.”

Standfast tells Fit&Well that one of the reasons she particularly enjoys Pilates is that it can be adapted to suit almost anyone, at any fitness level.

“Whether someone is new to exercise, returning after an injury, or looking to supplement their current fitness routine, Pilates can help improve body awareness, balance, mobility and muscular endurance. It also requires minimal equipment, making it an accessible option for many people.”

With an emphasis on recruiting the right muscles and flawless form, Pilates is a type of exercise that is best taught in person so a teacher can assess and correct your alignment, but Standfast has shared five basic movements someone who has no existing injuries can safely practice at home.

1. Pelvic tilt

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-15 Rest: 30-45sec

What it does: “The pelvic tilt is one of the best beginner Pilates exercises because it teaches core engagement and spinal awareness,” says Standfast.

“It targets the deep abdominal muscles, pelvic floor muscles and lower back while helping individuals learn how to move their spine with control.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Keep your shoulders relaxed and arms by your sides.
• Gently tighten your abdominal muscles and flatten your lower back into the floor, tilting your pelvis backward.
• Hold for 2-3 seconds, then return to the starting position with control.

2. Single-leg stretch

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8 each side Rest: 30-60sec

What it does: “This is a classic Pilates exercise that helps build core strength, coordination, and body awareness,” says Standfast.

“This exercise works on both mobility and strength of the hips, as well as foundational core stability and control needed for more demanding Pilates exercises.”

“It will also train you to link your breath and movement, which is imperative for a strong Pilates practice.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your head lifted off the floor and your chin tucked into your chest.
• Inhale and hug one knee to your chest, while you extend your other leg.
• Exhale as you swap legs.

3. Glute bridge

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-15 Rest: 30-45sec

What it does: “Many people spend long periods sitting throughout the day,” says Standfast.

“The glute bridge helps activate the gluteal muscles while improving core stability and hip mobility.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Engage your core and press through your heels to lift your hips.
• Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then lower back to the floor with control.

4. Bird dog

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-10 each side Rest: 30-60sec

What it does: “The bird dog is excellent for improving balance, coordination, and core control,” says Standfast. “It teaches stability while moving the arms and legs independently.”

How to do it:

• Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement.
• Lift your right arm in front of you and extend and lift your left leg behind you. Pause briefly while maintaining balance.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

5. The hundred (modified)

Sets: 1-2 Reps: 50-100 Rest: As needed

What it does: “The hundred is one of the most recognizable Pilates exercises. A modified version allows beginners to learn breathing patterns and core engagement without placing excessive strain on the neck or lower back.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.
• Lift your head and shoulders slightly off the floor.
• Extend your arms alongside your body and pump them up and down in small movements.
• Inhale for five arm pumps and exhale for five arm pumps.
• Continue for 50–100 pumps total, stopping when you feel you need to.

Ankle weights are a deceptively difficult way to add resistance to your workouts.

You may pick them up and think, “This is only one pound of weight, it won’t offer a challenge,” but the way they load your joints means experts like Club Pilates master trainer Julie Marques advise using them with caution.

“It puts load on your peripheral joints,” Marques tells Fit&Well, “so you shouldn’t walk around with them or use them in the same way that you’d use a weighted vest,” she says.

“Instead, you should use the ankle weights for 10 to 20 minutes at a time and in a targeted way.”

Marques shared the following workout to demonstrate how you can do just that. It’s suitable for people with Pilates experience who are strong and injury-free, and can be done two to three times a week for best results.

She suggests choosing light to medium weights to avoid straining your joints and stresses that you should only use ankle weights if your form and alignment are perfect. If you’re unsure, you can complete the workout without weights.

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Marques recommends checking with your physician or physical therapist before using ankle weights if you have any underlying injuries or weaknesses.If you are unsure of your form, she says it is best to work with a professional who can assess your alignment, correct you if necessary and scale back the routine when needed.

The ankle-weight workout in brief

1. Step-back for quads
2. Heel lift for calves
3. Single-leg bridge for glutes and hamstrings
4. Side-lying leg lift for abductors
5. Side-lying leg lift for adductors
6. Quadruped leg lift for glutes, hamstrings and external rotators

Exercise guides

1A. Step-back

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
• Engage your core.
• Step your left foot behind you, bending your right knee and leaning your torso forward so your left leg and torso form a straight line.
• Push through your right foot to return to standing.
• Continue on to the heel raises on the same side, then return to this exercise and repeat on the other side.

Form tips:

• Keep your weight over your front foot.
• Keep your front knee behind your toes.

Make it easier: Keep your feet parallel, shift your weight onto your left foot, then squat, using the toes of your right foot to help you balance.

1B. Heel raise

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, your weight in your right foot, your left heel lifted and your left knee bent.
• Raise your right heel, coming onto your toes.
• Lower your right heel slowly to the floor.
• Complete all the reps on one side, then switch sides.

Make it easier: Hold the back of a chair or wall for balance.

2. Single-leg bridge

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side, plus 10 pulses each side

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
• Engage your core.
• Lift your hips until you form a straight line with your shoulders.
• Raise and extend your right leg so it points straight up.
• Lower your right leg until your knees are in line, then raise it again.
• Complete 10 reps, then pulse your hips up and down 10 times.
• Keeping your hips raised, swap legs and repeat on the other side.

Form tip: Keep your core engaged throughout.

Make it easier: Bend the knee of your raised leg.

3A. Side-lying leg lift for abductors

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side, plus 10 pulses each side

• Lie on your side with your legs extended and feet together.
• Prop yourself up on your forearm, with your elbow under your shoulder, keeping your shoulders aligned and torso lifted.
• Lift and lower your top leg, keeping your hips and shoulders stable.
• Perform 10 reps, then pulse 10 times at the top of the movement.
• Continue on to the side-lying leg lift for adductors on the same side, then return to this exercise and repeat on the other side.

Form tip: Keep your ribcage off the floor throughout the movement.

3B. Side-lying leg lift for adductors

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side

• Lie on your right side, resting your head on your arm, with your left foot flat on the floor in front of your right knee.
• Pulse your lower leg up and down, keeping it extended straight.
• Keep your hips and shoulders stable.
• Lift and lower your bottom leg, keeping your hips and shoulders stable.
• Complete all the reps then repeat the last move and this one on the other side.

6. Quadruped leg lift

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side

• Start on your hands and knees with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders.
• Keep your spine neutral and engage your core.
• Extend your right leg behind you and rotate it outward from your hip so the top of your right foot faces to the right.
• Lift and lower for 10 reps.
• Keeping your leg externally rotated, bend your knee and perform 10 more reps.
• Switch sides and repeat.

Form tip: Keep your torso still, engage your core throughout, and move only at the hip joint.

Make it easier: If rotating your leg is uncomfortable, keep it straight.

Have you ever come across a video of someone doing Pilates with what looks like a miniature hula hoop?

This piece of equipment is rather dramatically called a magic circle, but can also referred to as a Pilates ring or fitness circle.

Unlike most fitness equipment, which increases the difficulty, the magic circle works to increase body awareness, deepen engagement and improve your Pilates form.

“The magic circle isn't about adding a ton of resistance like a dumbbell,” says Pilates instructor Hannah Lawrence. “Instead, it gives you feedback.”

The studio manager at Sundrop Pilates in Denver, CO adds: “When you squeeze it, it pushes back. When you press into it, it creates stability.

“That simple interaction helps you find and activate muscles that can be tricky to connect with on their own, like your inner thighs, deep core, or the stabilizers around your shoulders.”

Lawrence tells Fit&Well that the magic circle is her favorite piece of fitness equipment because of how much more aware it makes her of the way her body is moving.

“Instead of just getting through the reps, you’re paying attention to what’s actually working and whether you’re moving with control,” she says.

“That's one of the reasons I think Pilates works so well, and the magic circle helps reinforce that connection.”

Here are three of Lawrence’s favorite magic circle exercises, which she regularly uses with the people she teaches.

If you’d like to add a magic ring to your home set-up you will able to find discounts on a range of magic circles in Amazon’s Prime Day sale, which runs through June 26.

1. Bridge

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 12-15 Rest: 30sec

Muscles worked: Glute max, hamstrings, inner thighs and deep core.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place the magic circle between your thighs, just above your knees.
• Gently squeeze the magic circle between your legs, then push through your heels and lift your hips until they form a straight line to your knees.
• Pause briefly at the top of the movement while maintaining pressure on the ring, or adding another squeeze.
• Lower your hips to the start with control.

“This variation is fantastic for building glute strength while also activating the inner thighs and pelvic floor,” says Lawrence.

“The ring helps keep the lower body engaged and creates more awareness throughout the movement.”

2. Triceps extension

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 12-15 Rest: 30sec

Muscles worked: Triceps, shoulders, upper back and deep core stabilizers.

How to do it:

• Kneel or stand with your shoulders relaxed and your back straight.
• Hold the magic circle behind your head with both of your hands on the pads, maintaining gentle pressure.
• Extend your arms overhead while continuing to squeeze the circle.
• Slowly bend your elbows to lower the ring behind your head.
• Continue, maintaining consistent pressure on the magic circle throughout the movement.

“A lot of people think of the magic circle as a lower-body tool, but it's surprisingly effective for the upper body as well,” says Lawrence.

“This exercise strengthens the back of the arms while reinforcing good posture and shoulder stability.”

3. Dead bug

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-10 each side Rest: 30sec

Muscles worked: Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, obliques and shoulders.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your arms and legs raised, with your knees bent to 90° and directly above your hips.
• Hold the magic circle and apply gentle pressure, keeping your lower back connected to the mat.
• Extend and lower one leg and lower your arms behind your head.
• Return to the starting position and alternate sides while maintaining steady pressure on the ring.

“Dead bug is one of my favorite exercises for teaching core stability,” says Lawrence. “Adding the magic circle increases engagement through the upper body and helps create a full-body connection.”

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Sometimes, fitness instructors hate ab workouts, too. When I worked for a gym, I used to dread being assigned to take a class called Tabata Abs—unfortunately, it happened a lot.

I found the repetitive crunching of my abs and flexing of my hips uncomfortable. No matter which way I placed my hands near my neck to support it, I would always be left with neck strain.

What I didn’t know at that time was that I have joint hypermobility syndrome, a connective tissue disorder which means my body makes faulty collagen—the same stuff that makes up your ligaments and tendons. This means my unstable joints can not support those repetitive crunching movements.

However, training the abdominal muscles is important for muscle balance and optimum core stability, even more so for hypermobile people who need to strengthen their core to help stabilise joints and reduce lower back pain, so skipping abs was not the solution.

I needed to find a workout that would enable me to train my abs without being left with back and neck pain. I found my remedy in Pilates. I signed up for my local Pilates class and after three months, mastered a set of exercises that strengthen my abs—without any of the discomfort. It has been a game changer.

My Pilates-inspired ab workout

When many of us talk about our abs we are often thinking about our rectus abdominis muscles—aka our six-pack—which runs from the front of our rib cage to our pelvis. But our abdominal muscles consist of more than that.

There is the transverse abdominis, the deepest of our ab muscles that wrap around our spine, providing it with stability; the obliques, which run at the sides of your body and allow side bending and rotation, and a tiny muscle called the pyramidalis which aids in stabilizing the abdominal wall.

With these moves, I try to target as many of the core muscles as possible.

Focus on mastering good form before increasing the number of reps you perform. Think quality over quantity. Start off with one set and eight reps of each exercise and once you have nailed the form, you can increase to two or three sets.

All you need to get started is a Pilates mat or exercise mat. Here are the five moves:

1. C-curve
2. V-sit hold
3. Leg circle
4. Toe tap
5. Bird dog

1. C-curve

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8

How to do it:

• Sit at the front end of your exercise mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands underneath your thighs and engage your core.
• Inhale as you lean your torso backwards, rounding your spine, relaxing your shoulders and tucking your tailbone under to form a C-shape with your spine.
• Pause for one breath, and then exhale while slowly rolling yourself up to the starting position.

2. V-sit hold

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8

How to do it:

• Sit at the front end of your exercise mat with your knees bent and heels on the floor. Extend your arms out in front of you (or cross them over your chest) and engage your core.
• Inhale, and slowly lean back until you feel your lower abs switching on to stabilise you. Hold for a few breaths and slowly rise back up to the starting position.

As this becomes easier, you can make the exercise more advanced by holding the position for longer, or by lifting your legs off the floor when you roll back.

3. Leg circle

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8 each side

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your arms by your sides and legs extended.
• Engage your core.
• Bend your right knee in towards your chest, then extend your right leg up. Turn your right foot slightly inwards while pointing your toes.
• Draw a circle in the air with your toes, moving to the left across your body first. Be careful not to rock your hips.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

4. Toe tap

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8 each side

• Lie flat on your back with your legs raised, knees bent to 90° and shins parallel to the floor, and your arms by your sides.
• Engage your core.
• Inhale and lower your right foot down towards the floor, toes pointing towards the mat, but don’t touch the mat.
• Exhale and raise your leg back towards the starting position.
• Repeat with your left leg.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

5. Bird dog

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8 each side

• Get on all fours on your mat, with a slight bend in your elbows, hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips, and a neutral spine.
• Engage your core.
• Inhale and extend and lift your right leg behind you while lifting your left arm in front of you, keeping your hips as still as possible. Your body should form a straight line from right heel to left fingertips.
• Exhale and bring them back to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side, lifting your left leg and right arm.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

There are no shortcuts to building a strong core, but there is a Pilates technique you can use to make your training more effective.

In Pilates, every move is led by an inhale or an exhale, and many in-person Pilates classes start with at least five minutes of breathwork, but quick routines online often don't include this.

That’s a pity, according to Pilates instructor and founder of Pilates Prescription, Rebecca Dadoun.

"I think people don't focus on their breath enough or activate their core properly to begin with," she says.

Below, Dadoun has shared a quick and easy breath practice you can do before your Pilates session to help maximize your core engagement, making sure you’re using the intended muscles to perform the movement.

"You can do it sitting comfortably, but you actually get more feedback if you're lying down on your back, because then you can 'feel the breath going into the mat'," Dadoun says.

Pre-Pilates breathwork practice

Dadoun recommends doing this before every Pilates workout.

• Sit or lie comfortably, placing your hands around your ribcage.
• Inhale deeply through your nose and feel your hands expand outward.
• Exhale fully as though you're fogging up a pair of glasses.
• On your next exhalation, feel your fingers move closer together as your ribs close, engaging your diaphragm.
• On your third exhalation, draw your belly button in toward your spine, engaging your lower back and pelvis.

Repeat this sequence a few times for maximum core engagement.

Try to feel different parts of your core engaging during each step.

Newsflash: Even if you train your abs, the strength of your deep core may be lacking.

"Sometimes people confuse a visible abdominal six-pack with core strength," says Eloise Skinner, a personal trainer and Pilates instructor. "Those two things are correlated, but there's not necessarily a direct link between them."

"Just because you have a six-pack, that doesn't mean you have core strength to the same degree that you would if you'd worked on the whole of the core."

That's because the core is made up of a surprising number of muscles, including your pelvic floor, glutes and hip muscles.

Thankfully, you don't need individual exercises to train each core muscle in isolation, and there's one form of exercise Skinner recommends: "mat work in Pilates is really good for the core," she says.

To get you started, here are three mat-based Pilates exercises. Try them a couple of times a week to begin building strength in your deep core.

1. Pelvic tilt

Reps: 8

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keep your spine in a neutral position.
• Contract and tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles to push your lower back into the mat, lifting the bottom of your pelvis.
• Hold for a breath, then slowly return to the starting position.

2. High plank

Time: 30sec

• Get on your hands and knees.
• Engage your core.
• Step one foot back at a time so your body is in a straight line from head to heels.
• Hold the position while breathing steadily.

3. Seated roll down

Reps: 5

• Sit up with your feet hip-width apart and your feet flat on the floor, with your arms extended in front of you.
• Engage your core.
• Slowly lower your torso back, as if being pulled down through the back of your belly button one vertebrae at a time, until you are lying on your back, keeping your feet flat on the floor and arms extended forward throughout.
• Inhale, and then slowly reverse the movement back to the start.

Pilates has evolved into a myriad of different styles and approaches, but Pilates’ origins were simpler, with just 34 movements created by its founder and namesake, Joseph Pilates.

According to Rebecca Daodun, Pilates instructor and founder of Pilates Prescription, there’s one move from the original set, published in the 1945 book Joseph Pilates co-authored, Pilates’ Return to Life Through Contrology, that she always recommends to clients.

“Pilates leg circles are a full-body move from the classical repertoire that requires you to move your leg in a circular movement without moving your trunk,” she tells Fit&Well. “The work is in maintaining stillness through your body.

“You are strengthening your hip flexors and leg muscles, but your whole body should be working to stabilize. Your core muscles stabilize your body, the stable leg supports the active leg and pressing into the mat with the backs of the arms should help anchor your body down.”

How to do Pilates leg circles

• Lie on your back with your legs extended, pressed into the floor and feet flexed.
• Place your arms diagonally by your sides in a V-shape, pressing them into the floor.
• Turn your right hip out so your knee is angled towards your right shoulder, then extend your right leg straight up with your toes pointing at the ceiling. This is your starting position.
• Inhale, move your right leg across your body to the left side.
• Exhale, move your leg down and around to the right.
• Circle it back to the starting position.
• Complete all the reps on one leg, then switch sides.

Trainer tip: Keep your circles controlled, ensuring your hips stay stable and grounded.

How to modify Pilates leg circles for beginners

If you feel your hips rising or your torso moving during the movement, try these tips for a more beginner-friendly version.

"Bend your working leg into a tabletop position first," Daodun advises. "This reduces strain on the core and hips while helping you maintain proper alignment. Practice holding this position for 10 seconds, then 30 seconds and moving up to a minute hold."

Try doing leg circles with a smaller range of movement. "The goal is precision over range," says Daodun. "As your strength improves, you can gradually extend your leg longer and increase the size of the circle while maintaining control."

Finally, if you struggle to fully straighten your leg, Daodun advises trying this move with a slight bend in your knee.

Because of Hollywood’s obsession with the six-pack, many people think crunches and sit-ups are the best way to train the muscles in your midsection.

And while those exercises are an excellent way to strengthen your rectus abdominis, the muscle that runs down the front of your torso, there are a number of other muscles that make up your core and that are essential for helping you move through life with confidence.

You need more than crunches to keep your core in good working order, but the good news is that the exercises you do need are easy to do at home, like these five exercises recommended by Lauren King, Pilates instructor and coach at STRONG Pilates Commack.

“This type of training helps the body maintain stability under load, building a strong and functional core that supports long-term health, improves movement efficiency and enhances overall performance.”

The final exercise requires dumbbells, but if you don’t own dumbbells or another type of free weight, load up tote bags with books, or use heavy bags of shopping.

1. Dead bug

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-12 each side Rest: 30-45sec

“This foundational exercise develops core strength by targeting the transverse abdominis, [the deepest-lying core muscle], while teaching the essential skill of core-bracing during limb movement,” says King.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your arms extended straight up and your knees bent at 90° and directly above your hips.
• Gently press your lower back into the floor and engage your core.
• Lower your left arm behind you and extend and lower your right leg.
• Return to the starting position with control, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Form tip: Keep your ribs down, core engaged and avoid arching your lower back.

2. Glute bridge

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-12 Rest: 30-60sec

“This exercise engages your glutes and core together, reinforcing pelvic stability and reducing lower-back strain,” says King.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
• Engage your core.
• Press through your heels to lift your hips until your body is in a straight line from shoulders to knees.
• Pause at the top, squeeze your glutes, then lower slowly.

Form tip: Don’t let your ribs flare as you lift your hips.

3. Bird dog

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-10 each side Rest: 30sec

“This exercise builds coordination and activates spinal stabilizers and the transverse abdominis, which is great for posture and control,” says King.

How to do it:

• Get on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Engage your core.
• Lift your left arm in front of you, and lift and extend your right leg behind you until your body forms a straight line from your right heel to your left hand, keeping your hips level and spine neutral.
• Pause briefly, then reverse the movement back to the start and repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

4. Side plank

Sets: 2-3 Time: 20-30sec each side Rest: 30-45sec

“This exercise targets your obliques and deep stabilizers, improving lateral core strength and injury resilience,” says King.

How to do it:

• Lie on your side, propped up on your elbow.
• Engage your core.
• Lift your hips to form a straight line with your body.
• Hold the position, then switch sides.

Make it easier: Bend your knees and keep your knees on the floor as you lift your hips.

5. Farmer’s carry

Sets: 2-3 Time: 20-40sec each side Rest: 45-60sec

“This exercise trains functional core stability, grip and posture as your core works to resist movement rather than create it,” says King.

How to do it:

• Stand holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Relax your shoulders, engage your core and walk slowly and steadily forward (and back if space is limited).

Form tip: Avoid leaning or swaying during movement, keeping your chest upright throughout.

Going on vacation? Pilates coach Jo-Leigh Morris says packing a resistance band is “non-negotiable”.

They are lightweight, versatile and perfect for a “full-body burn anywhere”.

To demonstrate the point, she recently shared a full-body Pilates-inspired routine, perched beside a wanderlust-worthy infinity pool.

But you don’t need your passport to enjoy the benefits Morris is promoting—all you need is 15 minutes and a resistance band to strengthen and mobilize your whole body.

“If you’re new to this style of training, focus on slow, controlled movement over speed,” the classically-trained Pilates instructor tells Fit&Well.

“The burn comes from precision, not rushing. The more connected you feel to the movement, the stronger you’ll get.”

How to do the workout

Perform each move for 60 seconds, one after the other, to complete one round. Perform three rounds in total.

Go slow, keep your movements controlled and, Morris stresses, really “feel every rep”.

While performing the sequence, focus on keeping your core gently engaged throughout.

“Move with control—don’t let the band snap you back. Exhale on effort, inhale to reset, and keep your shoulders relaxed to avoid tension.”

She also suggests starting with a light band or with your hands wider to reduce resistance, as well as working within a smaller range of movement while you get up to speed.

“Take breaks when you need—quality over quantity, always,” she adds.

1. Single-leg scissors

Time: 30sec each side

Targets: core

• Lie on your back with the resistance band looped around the center of one foot.
• Take tension in the band to help lift that leg above you while also lifting your upper back off the floor.
• Only lift this leg to a point where you can keep it straight.
• Maintaining this position, with your lower back pressed into the floor, slowly lift and lower the other leg.
• Remember to keep breathing with every rep.
• Switch sides after 30 seconds.

2. Resistance band kneeling leg extension

Time: 30sec each side

Targets: glutes and hamstrings

• Start on all fours with your toes tucked underneath.
• Loop the band around the center of one foot, with the ends secured under the hand on the same side.
• Now lift and extend your leg behind you, working against the resistance.
• Control the return to the start position.
• Switch sides after 30 seconds.

3. Roll back with row

Time: 60sec

Targets: core, back and biceps

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you and the band looped around the center of both feet, holding the ends of the band in each hand.
• Lean your torso back slightly.
• Pull the ends of the band towards your chest, bending your elbows and moving them up and out to the sides.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together, then slowly reverse the movement to the start.

4. Split squat biceps curl

Time: 30sec each side

Targets: quads, glutes, biceps

• Loop the band under the center of one foot and take a big step back with the other, adopting a split stance.
• Stand tall with both legs straight and lift up onto the toes of your back foot if you feel stable.
• Bend your knees to lower until your back knee lightly taps the floor, as you bend your elbows to bring the ends of the band to your shoulders.
• Slowly reverse the movement to the start.
• Switch legs after 30 seconds.

5. Squat into upright row

Time: 60sec

Targets: quads, glutes, upper back, shoulders

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the band under both feet.
• Grasp the end of the band on the left with your right hand and vice versa, crossing the band in front of you.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your hips are in line with your knees.
• Push through your feet to stand back up, and as you do lift the ends of the band by bending your elbows and lifting them to shoulder height out to the sides.
• Lower the ends of the band and continue into the next rep.

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Correctly performing the movement pattern of an exercise is important for ensuring you don’t injure yourself, but it’s also crucial for getting the benefit from the exercise.

“Sometimes, people believe that Pilates is simply too easy, but often, with a simple tweak to an exercise, we suddenly feel the whole exercise change—and we notice we are working much harder,” Helen O’Leary, Pilates instructor at Complete Pilates.

“There are certain ways of doing exercises that might mean you move a little more efficiently, or with less pain, or you just get more out of doing an exercise.”

That’s why in-person instruction can be so valuable, because a trained practitioner can spot a mistake and make the right correction.

But with so many of us practicing at home using follow-along videos, I asked O’Leary to pick the five Pilates exercises that she sees people struggle the most with. As well as detailed instructions on how to do them properly, O’Leary explains the biggest mistakes most people make with each move, so you can avoid making the same errors.

1. Femur arc

Set: 1 Reps: 5 each side

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor.
• Slowly lift one leg, keeping your knee bent, until your knee is directly above the hip and your shin is parallel to the floor.
• Repeat the movement with your other leg—this is called the double tabletop position.
• Slowly lower one leg, keeping your knee bent, until your toes tap the floor.
• Lift your leg back up to tabletop position.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

The most common mistake to avoid:

“Holding the breath,” says O'Leary. “Ever wondered why fitness instructors of all types are always telling you to breathe? Well, one of the reasons is that we can use breath holding instead of using our abdominal muscles. When you breathe in and hold it, the positive pressure in your lungs creates rigidity in your torso, which feels like stability, but is not the same thing.

“This type of pressure, if habitually overused, can create a lot of stress on your abdominal wall and your pelvic floor, so it could potentially aggravate problems such as hernias and piles. Instead, if you exhale, whilst lowering your legs in the exercise, your deep abdominals engage and your stomach slightly draws in, and this creates stability and strength but without rigidity.”

2. Chest lift

Set: 1 Reps: 5

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor.
• Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing out to the sides.
• Curl your spine up, starting from your neck, lifting your head until your shoulders blades come off the floor, directing your gaze to your belly button.
• Hold for a few seconds and then slowly reverse the movement to the starting position.

The most common mistake to avoid:

“Pulling on the neck,” says O’Leary. “This goes for any exercise that is a form of crunch or curl up. When we are not able to curl the upper body effectively away from the floor, the next easiest thing that we can do is simply nod the head forward more—and many people then pull on the head in an effort to get higher.

“Unfortunately, this doesn’t really work the abs. Our top tip for getting a good curl is to think about lengthening the back of the neck and creating space between the chin and the chest. If you gently press your hands into your head, at the same time as pressing the back of your head into your hands, this will keep this position really stable.

“Take a breath in, and as you exhale, your front ribs will start to sink. Gently allow your elbows to reach forward; this will help to curl your upper body while keeping length through the upper body.”

3. Glute bridge

Set: 1 Reps: 12

How to do it:

• Lie on your back, with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Bring your heels as close to your bottom as you comfortably can.
• Place your hands on the floor next to your body. Reach your fingertips down towards the heels, as if you were trying to touch them.
• Press your feet into the floor to lift your hips. As you do so, try to push the knees forward.
• Take a breath in at the top, ensuring your back is flat and your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Start to breathe out, making a sighing sound, as you lower your body. The sighing helps you to effectively breathe out, and this helps your body soften, and will help you work on your spinal mobility.

The most common mistake to avoid:

“Lifting the front ribs up too high,” says O'Leary. “This is sometimes known in social media as rib flare. The rib flare is not universally wrong, but sometimes when the front ribs lift up, we may arch the lower back more and may experience more discomfort through overworking the low back muscles, or irritating the small joints of the spine.

“Softening the front of the ribs down, as if you were gently sliding them to your hips can help. You may then find that you get less discomfort in the lower back and feel more work in your legs.”

4. Superman

Set: 1 Reps: 6 each side

How to do it:

• Get onto your hands and knees with your knees directly below your hips and your wrists directly under your shoulders.
• Slowly extend your right leg behind you, sliding the toes of your right foot along the floor.
• Once your right leg is fully extended, lift your right leg behind you and your left arm in front of you, until your body forms a straight line from your right heel to your left fingertips.
• Do not let your lower back sag or your pelvis rotate.
• Return to hands and knees and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

The most common mistake to avoid:

“Letting your lower back sag,” O’Leary says. “During these exercises, the idea is that you maintain the neutral, natural S curve of the spine. As you lift your leg, the movement should come mainly from the glutes, and not from your lower back arching.

“Think of reaching the leg along the floor before you lift it. Then, lift the leg, continuing to feel like the leg is lengthening. You want to maintain your lower back in the same gentle inward curve that you started with. If it is difficult to perform this exercise without your lower back arching a lot, or you are feeling discomfort in the lower back, try placing a small gym ball under the stomach."

5. Side-lying leg lift

Set: 1 Reps: 6 each side

How to do it:

• Sit on a mat with your legs together to the right side, knees bent.
• Place your left hand on the mat to the left of you, with your fingertips pointing towards the top of the mat.
• Lift your hips so your body is in a straight line from knees to head.
• Extend your right leg.
• Lift your right leg to hip height.
• Slowly lower your right leg, tapping your right foot lightly on the floor, then going straight into the next rep.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

The most common mistake to avoid:

“Thinking that bigger and faster equals better,” O’Leary says. “A common issue with this exercise is flinging the leg into the air using a lot of momentum. This exercise should engage the lateral gluteal muscles (the side of your buttock) but if you are flinging your leg into the air, you often end up rolling the pelvis backwards, working the hip flexor muscles, which means you don’t work the lateral glutes.

“Instead of this, try focusing on keeping the leg in line with the body, and lifting to just above hip height, and then slowly lowering. Imagine a glass is balanced on your top hip so that you don’t let your pelvis roll back.”

To the uninitiated, the Pilates reformer’s combination of sliding carriage, slings, handles, bars and pulleys looks like the most complicated fitness contraption ever designed. To the initiated, it’s an incredibly effective way to develop strength and control, which explains its popularity.

But unless you have the money and space to install one in your house, you’ll have to pay to visit a Pilates studio to use one.

But Brittni Johnson, an NCPT Pilates instructor for wellness app BetterMe, says that you can replicate a reformer workout at home.

She designed this short workout as an easy, at-home alternative, replacing the Reformer with sliders and resistance bands to mimic the reformer movements.

“By introducing external tension, you move beyond basic mat exercises to engage the deep stabilizing muscles, improve joint decompression, and create the functional resistance needed to sculpt a lean, resilient physique,” says Johnson.

If you don’t have any sliders available, you can use a towel on hard floors, or a paper plate on carpet.

1. Sliding reverse lunge

Set: 1 Reps: 10-12 each side

How to do it:

• Stand up straight with your left foot on the mat and your right foot on a slider.
• Reach your arms toward the ceiling as you slowly slide your right foot behind from you, bending your left knee to lower.
• Engage your glutes and core to extend your left leg and pull the slider back to the starting position.
• Do all your reps on one side, then swap sides.

Johnson says: “This mimics the scooter, or lunge series, on a reformer carriage. It builds intense lower-body strength and balance while the overhead reach forces your core to stabilize against the movement.”

2. Banded row

Set: 1 Reps: 10-12

How to do it:

• Sit on the mat with your legs extended in front of you.
• Loop a long resistance band around your feet and hold the ends with your arms extended and elbows at shoulder height.
• Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight.
• Bend your elbows to bring the ends of the band towards your shoulders, squeezing your shoulder blades together while keeping your back straight.
• Extend your arms, moving with control.

Johnson says: “This replaces seated arm work on the Reformer. It targets the upper back and rear deltoids, correcting desk posture and opening up the chest for a taller, leaner silhouette.”

3. Banded twist

Sets: 1 Reps: 10-12 each side

How to do it:

• Sit on the mat with your legs extended in front of you.
• Loop a long resistance band around your feet and hold the ends in your hands, with your arms extended.
• Pull one elbow behind you, while rotating your torso toward that arm.
• Follow your elbow with your gaze, then return to the center and repeat on the other side.

Johnson says: “This exercise replicates the rotational series in the straps. It targets the obliques and deep transverse abdominis by combining resistance with spinal rotation.”

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Pilates is often celebrated for its core-strengthening benefits or seen as a way to improve alignment. But this workout style offers another important benefit: mobilizing your body.

It’s natural to think of yoga or a good stretching routine to unlock tight areas but Pilates doesn’t just stretch muscles and mobilize joints, it actively strengthens them too. This makes it effective at increasing your range of motion and moving with more ease.

Rebecca Daodun, a Pilates instructor and founder of Pilates Prescription, has shared her two favorite beginner-friendly exercises for upper-body mobility. It’s common to hold tension and stiffness in the spine, shoulder and chest, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting or have a habit of slouching.

“A lot of people, when they first start Pilates, haven’t done these kinds of moves before,” Daodun tells Fit&Well. “I always find that beginners love that feeling of finally opening up the body.”

You can do these moves as a standalone sequence whenever you need, or as part of a warm-up for a Pilates or strength workout.

1. Spinal curl

Reps: 4-5

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
• Place your arms by your sides, reaching them toward your heels and pressing them into the floor.
• Inhale, then exhale to flatten your back, tucking your pelvis under.
• Lift your hips and spine slowly, vertebrae by vertebrae, until your hips form a straight line with your shoulders and knees.
• Inhale into your ribs and spine, exhale and imagine pushing your knees forward.
• Slowly lower your spine, vertebrae by vertebrae, to the floor.

This movement seems similar to a bridge, but there is a crucial difference. Rather than concentrating on using your glutes (the muscles in your butt) to lift your hips, the focus is articulating through the spine.

“With a bridge, you bring the back up in one piece, powering into the glutes,” Daodun explains. “Whereas with a spinal curl, you end up in your bridge but you bring the back up piece by piece. Moving really slowly is the key.”

2. Arm opening

Reps: 6-8 each side

• Lie on your right side with your knees bent and your shoulders, hips and heels in a straight line.
• Extend both arms in front of you at shoulder height with your palms together.
• Lift your left arm overhead and behind you, rotating your torso to the left and turning your head, following your left hand with your gaze.
• Lower your left arm as far as your mobility allows, then slowly return it to the starting position.
• Do all your repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

Sitting hunched over a laptop, phone and tablet for hours every day is often unavoidable due to the demands and habits of our modern way of life.

But over time, this compromised posture can lead to an excessive rounding of the thoracic spine and upper back, known as kyphotic posture or hyperkyphosis.

Typically, it is coupled with muscle weakness, reduced mobility and back pain—but Pilates represents the perfect gentle remedy.

“Pilates—and the improved body awareness and control it provides you with—helps to create better balance and mobility around your joints,” explains Luke Meessmann, founder and master trainer at Absolute Studios in London, U.K.

“It enables you to move with more freedom and strength through a broad range of motion.”

For modern living and modern sports you need a spine that is able to rotate, flex forward, flex laterally and extend, he tells Fit&Well.

Regular practice on the mat or reformer machine will help iron out strength imbalances, but Meessmann says you can also slot three Pilates-inspired exercises into your daily routine to help mobilize your back and straighten your posture.

Best Pilates exercises for posture

Meessmann’s answer to the question of which Pilates moves best treat a hunched posture is simple. “Anything that applies the opposite forces on your body,” he says.

Meessmann says these three gentle exercises, performed in sequence, will help restore rotation to the thoracic spine, introduce extension, and then help stretch the shortened muscles around the chest and shoulders.

He suggests using these moves to mobilize your body as required throughout the day or to incorporate it into a full-body warm-up before a workout to improve range of motion.

1. Open the book

Time: 60sec each side

• Lie on your side with your knees bent and your arms extended in front of you.
• Keeping your bottom arm and leg in contact with the floor throughout, slowly lift your top arm over and across your body toward the floor on your other side, rotating your torso.
• Allow your gaze to follow your hand as you go, and only lower as far as you can without lifting your knees or other arm off the floor.
• Rotate back to the start and continue this movement for time. Then repeat on the other side.
• As your spine gets used to the movement, your range should gradually increase.

Meessmann says: “The lumbar and thoracic spine loves rotation and this is like a gentle warm-up for it. I’d use it to get the spine a little more pliable before asking it to straighten.”

2. Cobra

Time: 30-60sec

• Lie face down with your legs extended, the tops of your feet on the floor and your hands under your shoulders with your elbows tucked into your torso.
• Draw your shoulders down and away from your ears, and lightly engage your upper back muscles.
• Gently press through your hands to peel your head, chest and upper ribs off the floor, keeping your hips and thighs on the floor.
• Lengthen your spine forward and up (rather than just bending sharply into your lower back), keeping your gaze forward or down.
• Breathe slowly and evenly, holding this position for 10 seconds, then lower with control and repeat for time.

Meessmann says: “Now the spine is warmer, you can introduce some gentle extension. This action treats the spine to the opposite action that causes a hunched posture.”

3. Doorway stretch

Time: 30-60sec

• Stand in an open doorway with one foot slightly in front of the other, placing your forearms on the doorframe at shoulder height, elbows bent to 90°.
• Gently roll your shoulders down and back so your chest is open and your shoulder blades are lightly drawn together.
• Lightly brace your core and glutes to protect your lower back.
• Keep your neck extended and in a neutral position, looking straight ahead rather than pushing your head forward.
• Slowly lean your body forward through the doorway until you feel a light stretch across your chest and the front of your shoulders.
• Stop or ease off before you feel any pinching or sharpness.
• Hold the stretch for 10 seconds while breathing steadily, then step back to release.
• Repeat for time, adjusting your arm height slightly to find the best angle of stretch.

Meessmann says: “This provides a really nice pec and anterior shoulder stretch. Lean in, keep the glutes and abs on so the lower back isn’t extending, and try to subtly lift the breastbone as you come forward to target the thoracic spine.”

It can be easy to be overwhelmed when trying Pilates.

It’s a demanding style of movement that requires control, strength and stability, and is as mentally challenging as it is physically stimulating.

But, according to certified instructor Evia Valeniece, one simple thing can make or break your practice, especially if you’re new to Pilates: breathing.

“When I first started, I didn't know anything,” the BetterMe instructor tells Fit&Well, describing how she was initially self-taught.

“I just found videos on YouTube that were put together with music and a timer, but no verbal guidance.”

Once she earned her certifications and started teaching regularly, she quickly realised the importance of verbal cues to guide people on how to breathe during an exercise.

“Not just how to breathe, but when to breathe, and most importantly, to breathe, because lots of people just hold their breath,” she says.

Generally, she says, the golden rule in Pilates is to inhale through your nose when preparing to perform the exercise and exhale through pursed lips on effort.

“But don’t be discouraged if all of a sudden you feel like you’re breathing wrong,” she stresses. The most important thing to remember is to keep breathing.

“You can breathe however it feels good for you, just don’t hold your breath.”

Valeniece says holding your breath during a Pilates sequence will make the workout as much as “50% less effective”.

It’s why she always encourages clients and fans of her online classes to follow Pilates plans that are verbally guided.

“Verbal instructions will not only guide you on how to breathe, but also which muscle you should focus on during an exercise, plus how to fix your form to reduce risk of injury.”

If verbal instructions aren’t available to you, Valeniece suggests performing an exercise for time, rather than a number of repetitions, which will encourage you to slow down and focus on technique and good breathing mechanics.

Some instructors, especially classical Pilates instructors, try to enforce this very strict breathing pattern, which Valeniece says can be quite counter-productive.

By contrast, when performing Pilates for rehabilitation purposes, Valeniece says it’s better to guide people to just breathe however feels comfortable to avoid holding their breath.

“The most important thing to remember is to breathe. When appropriate, inhale on prep and exhale on effort. But, fundamentally, you just have to breathe.”

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.”

Are you someone who is constantly suffering from a tight neck or sore shoulders? Stretching or a massage isn't necessarily the solution, according to this Pilates instructor.

“I’d like to encourage a stronger focus on improving neck, shoulder, and upper back mobility and strength,” says Helen O’Leary, Pilates instructor at Complete Pilates.

O’Leary thinks people often forget about the importance of strengthening their upper body to reduce discomfort, particularly if it’s caused by bad posture in people who spend too long sitting down.

“The good news is that it doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your routine. Incorporating a few simple, targeted movements throughout the working day can make a meaningful difference in reducing the pain and stiffness associated with prolonged sitting,” O’Leary adds.

Below, she’s shared three underrated moves that will help mobilise your upper body and reduce discomfort.

1. Cat-cow

Sets: 1 Reps: 5-10

• Get on your hands and knees, with your knees hip-width apart positioned over your knees and your shoulders above your wrists.
• Shift your weight back so that 70% is in your lower body and 30% in your arms.
• Press your hands into the floor so your back doesn’t collapse between your shoulder blades.
• Slowly tuck your tailbone under to round your lower back, then continue rounding your spine up to your upper back, gently lowering your head to look towards your knees.
• Then lift your tailbone, carefully arching your back, finally lifting your head to look towards the top of your exercise mat.

“This exercise is so simple that it’s easy to ignore, but this really is a fantastic way to take your whole spine through its full range of motion, and nearly everyone can do it,” says O’Leary.

2. Thread the needle

Sets: 1 Reps: 5 each side

• Get on your hands and knees, with your knees hip-width apart, positioned over your knees and your shoulders above your wrists.
• Shift your weight back so that 70% is in your lower body and 30% in your arms.
• Move your right hand between your left hand and left knee, turning your torso to the left.
• When you can’t reach any further, bend your left elbow and lower your right shoulder to the floor.
• Reverse the movements back to your hands and knees, but sweep your right arm above you, turning your torso to the right.
• Return your right hand to the floor.
• Do all your reps on one side, then swap sides.

“Thread the needle can be done after you loosen up with the cat-cow, this adds a rotational component to the exercise, which really helps get the small spinal joints moving,” O’Learys explains.

3. Dart

Sets: 1 Reps: 10

• Lie on your stomach, with your arms resting by your sides.
• Lift your head just off the floor, keeping the back of the neck extended, and your chin tucked, as if to give yourself a double chin.
• Gently press your pubic bone into the floor, to give you a sense that you are opening the front of the hips.
• Reach your fingertips down towards your feet, as if to make your arms longer.
• Inhale, and start to lift your chest and shoulders, opening the front of your chest.
• Allow your arms to raise off the floor, but keep them in line with your body. The bottom of your ribs should stay in contact with the floor. Lift your gaze gently.
• Exhale as you slowly lower.

“It can be easy to overlook exercises that strengthen your back. A lot of workout style exercises focus much more on the abs, since this is the part of the body that people can see,” O’Leary says.

“But gently strengthening your back muscles helps to improve your ability to sustain an upright posture when you are sitting all day, and also helps to lessen the strain which leads to pain and stiffness.”

If you’ve ever tried Pilates, you’ve probably noticed that it often involves doing one exercise on both sides of the body. Although this can be time-consuming, there’s a good reason for it.

Single-arm or single-leg movements are called unilateral exercises and they have unique benefits.

“When you do a unilateral exercise, then you can directly compare strength and mobility side to side,” explains Helen O’Leary, Pilates instructor at Complete Pilates.

“And then it is easy to notice whether there is any asymmetry which may need addressing.”

Pilates was originally designed as a rehabilitation system for people with injuries, which is why unilateral exercises are so fundamental to this style of movement.

“Unilateral movements can also be more functional,” adds O’Leary. “They often involve an element of rotation in the body, which means the movement integrates multiple areas of the body.

“Unilateral exercises may also require the opposite, stabilising the body more,” she continues. “For example, standing on one leg: your balance is more challenged and your muscles have to work to stabilize your body over one leg.”

Below, O’Leary has shared four unilateral Pilates exercises you can try at home without any equipment.

1. Single-leg bridge

Sets: 1 Reps: 8 each side

“This exercise works the bottom and the back of the thigh muscles, which are often lacking in strength compared to the big quad muscles on the front of the thighs,” says O’Leary.

“Improving your strength here can improve your power during walking, running, stair climbing and even during lifting.”

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the edge of a couch seat or other sturdy, raised platform.
• Engage your core, then lift your left foot off the couch.
• Press down into your right foot to lift your hips until your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your right knee.
• Slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Trainer tip: You can also perform this exercise with your feet on the floor.

If working with your feet elevated, you may notice your hamstrings, the muscles in the backs of your thighs, are more active. When your feet are on the floor, you may notice more activity in your glutes, the muscle group in your butt. You can also add weight for more of a challenge.

2. Side-lying leg lift

Sets: 1 Reps: 8 each side

“A side plank or side-lying leg lift is brilliant for challenging the lateral stabilisers of the body,” O’Leary says.

How to do it:

• Lie on your left side with your knees bent, slightly forward of your hips.
• Place your left hand on the floor and extend your arm to lift your torso.
• Lift your hips so your body is in a straight line from knees to head.
• Extend your right leg, flex your foot, and lift your heel to hip height.
• Lower your right heel, gently tap it on the floor, then go straight into the next rep.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Trainer tip: As you move, try to keep your lower back in a neutral position and keep your leg moving in line with your body, without letting it drift forward.

3. Thread the needle

Sets: 1 Reps: 5 each side

“This exercise is great for working on spinal mobility, but it also challenges the muscles of your shoulders through weight bearing on the arms,” O’Leary says.

“Since you are working through one side at a time, you will challenge each shoulder separately, and you will be able to see if one side is stronger than the other,” she adds.

How to do it:

• Get onto your hands and knees, with your knees directly below your hips and your wrists directly below your shoulders.
• Slightly shift your weight back, so that 70% of your weight is on your lower body, and 30% on your arms.
• Move your right hand between your left knee and left hand, rotating your torso to face left and lowering your right shoulder.
• When you can’t reach any further, bend your left elbow and lower your right shoulder and the right side of your face to rest on the mat.
• Extend your left arm straight and rotate your torso to face right, reaching your right hand straight up.
• Lower your right arm and go straight into the next rep.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Trainer tip: To engage the muscles around your shoulder, have the sense that you are pushing the floor away with your hands. This will stop your chest sinking between your arms.

4. Scooter

Sets: 1 Reps: 10 each side

“This standing Pilates exercise is great for building stability around the hip and pelvis,” says O’Leary.

"It is a brilliant functional exercise for any activity where you predominantly take weight onto one leg, so pretty much everything that humans do: walking, running, stair climbing, dancing, skating, tennis and anything where you have to leap or hop."

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hinge forward from your hips and push your butt back.
• Holding this half-squat position, lift your left foot just off the floor and slide your big toe behind you until your left leg is fully extended.
• Slowly bring your left foot forward until it’s in line with your right foot.
• Keep your hips square throughout.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Trainer tip: Try to maintain a flat back throughout and maintain the forward lean.

Want to try Pilates but don’t know where to start? Start here, says certified Pilates teacher Evia Valeniece.

The BetterMe instructor created this three-move routine to introduce newcomers to this century-old discipline.

“It’s perfect for home workouts. It’s beginner friendly, it’s quick and because it is low impact and doesn’t involve heavy weights, I believe you can do it every day to promote good posture and general wellbeing,” Valeniece tells Fit&Well.

Her three-minute sequence combines classical and contemporary Pilates exercises to target your legs, glutes and deep core muscles, which Valeniece says are vital for everyday activities.

It will also help improve coordination, balance and train the mind-muscle connection that is so integral to Pilates, she adds, pointing to the leg lift as an example.

“Your whole body is completely neutral. It’s not moving. It’s not shifting because you are using your deep core muscles to hold yourself still,” she explains.

“Only your leg is moving and you’re learning how to target that specific area. That helps in other activities and sports. It helps you perform exercises with better posture and more intention.”

Most of all, Valeniece says that this Pilates sequence should feel manageable.

“My goal is always to encourage people to at least start somewhere,” she says.

“Many people are discouraged by long workouts or complicated exercises. I try to always keep it short and simple at the beginning. I really don't want to scare you off.

“Starting is always the hardest part. Through repetition you’ll start to feel improved posture, improved muscle activation and you'll get hooked on that and want to continue.”

How to do the beginner Pilates workout

Rather than aiming for a set number of reps, move slowly and focus on performing rep each with good form for the full minute.

“Performing this workout for time—as in one minute per exercise—rather than reps, will teach control and reinforce the mind-muscle connection,” says Valeniece.

As you get stronger, you can repeat this circuit two or three times but if you’re a complete beginner, once is plenty and will keep you feeling fresh enough to try it again tomorrow.

Watch the video in Instagram post above to see Valeniece demonstrate the three exercises, then read on for step-by-step instructions.

1. Toe tap

Time: 1min

• Lie on your back and engage your core, gently pressing your lower back into the floor.
• Raise your head and place your hands by your temples or behind your head.
• Raise your knees so they are directly above your hips and bent to 90°, so your shins are parallel to the floor.
• Keeping your hips stable and a 90° bend in your knees throughout, lower one leg to tap your foot on the floor.
• Reverse the movement, then repeat on the other leg.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Valeniece says: “A classical Pilates exercise, toe taps promote core stability and target the deep core muscles that are often missed with basic abs movements.”

2. Leg lift

Time: 30sec each side

• Lie on your left side, resting on your left forearm, with your left elbow under your shoulder, and your right hand on your right hip.
• Bend your left leg and keep your right leg extended.
• Raise your right leg, initiating the movement from your hip.
• Lower it with control back to the start.
• Switch sides after 30 seconds.

Valeniece says: “Leg lifts on each side will challenge unilateral glute strength to address imbalances while also targeting the core to maintain a correct posture with your torso.”

3. Bridge march

Time: 1min

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and arms by your sides.
• Engage your core, then raise your hips until your shoulders, hips and knees form a straight line.
• Hold this position while you lift and lower one leg at a time, keeping your hips stable throughout.

Valeniece says: “A twist on the classic pelvic bridge exercise, these marches help improve coordination and balance at the same time as strengthening your legs and glutes.”

Pilates is a brilliant low-impact workout that strengthens your core, mobility, balance and coordination. But if you’re new to the practice, an expert recommends against jumping straight into a class, especially if it’s mixed ability.

Form and control are essential to Pilates, both for reducing the risk of injury and maximizing the benefits of your workout, so Complete Pilates instructor Helen O’Leary says developing your mind-body awareness should be your first step.

“We all develop movement patterns over the lifespan completely unconsciously and these movement patterns can sometimes lead to less efficient or less effective movement,” explains O’Leary.

“This can sometimes contribute to aches, pains and injuries. Or it may simply mean that we don’t feel an exercise in the intended muscle group, as we are compensating with other muscles that tend to dominate,” she says.

O’Leary has shared five moves that she believes anyone new to Pilates should learn before trying a class, to help you become aware of your form and activate mind to muscle connection.

Five foundational Pilates moves for beginners

1. Pelvic clock

When you hear a Pilates instructor talk about a neutral pelvic floor, this exercise will help you find that position and realize its importance.

“Understanding the pelvic clock movement is one of the most foundational things you can do before beginning Pilates,” says O’Leary. “Most of the time, we are simply not aware of the pelvis, let alone how it moves.”

According to O’Leary, practicing this move will help you develop pelvic floor awareness. “This can make all the difference in terms of getting the most out of an exercise, or preventing pain,” she says.

Imagine a clock face on the front of your lower belly, which you'll work your way around as you perform this move. Picture your belly button as 12 on the clock, your pubic bone is six o’clock, and the bony bits on either side of the front of your pelvis are your three and nine o’clock.

“There may be a little gap between your back and the floor, or your lower back is resting very lightly,” O'Leary says, explaining how the neutral position should feel.

How to do it:

Reps: 5 each direction

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Close your eyes and notice the weight of your body on the floor.
• Slowly start to rock your pelvis back, so that your lower back gently meets the floor, and you are tilting towards the 12 on the clock. Then tilt forwards to six o’clock. Repeat five times.
• Then tilt the clock from three to nine and repeat five times.
• Finally, do a full loop of the clock. Start by tilting towards 12 then move clockwise back to 12, then repeat in an anti-clockwise direction.

2. Bent knee opening

“While this exercise appears simple, it takes concentration and body awareness,” says O’Leary.

“The purpose of this exercise is to teach something called ‘hip dissociation’, which refers to the ability to move your leg independently of the pelvis.

“The ability to isolate one body part from another is a sign of good movement control and body awareness.”

How to do it:

Reps: 10 each side

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and your pelvis in neutral.
• Slowly lower your left knee to the side as far as you can without your pelvis moving, rolling onto the outside of your left foot.
• Reverse the movement back to the start then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep and keeping the movement smooth and controlled. Close your eyes to help you focus on the movement.

3. Femur arc

This move will help you learn how to engage your core.

“If you can do this without your abdominals bulging up, holding your breath, and without pain, then this is a good sign that you are ready for more intermediate or advanced exercises,” O’Leary says.

“If you experience any back pain during this exercise, then you may want to stick to exercises where one or both feet are on the floor until you develop more strength.”

How to do it:

Reps: 5 each side

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Slowly raise one leg until your knee is directly above your hip, bend your knee to 90° so your shin is parallel to the floor.
• Slowly raise your other leg to the same position—this is called the double tabletop position.
• Slowly lower your first leg back to the floor to tap it lightly, then raise it back to the double tabletop.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating legs until you’ve completed five reps on each side.

4. Bridging

“This is a great exercise for working on your spinal mobility and leg strength, especially the posterior chain, which are the muscles down the back of your body,” O’Leary says, explaining that they’re generally weaker than the muscles along the front of your body.

How to do it:

Reps: 12

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and your heels close to your buttocks.
• Rest your arms by your sides, reaching your fingertips toward your heels.
• Press your feet into the floor to raise your hips while pushing gently forward into your knees.
• Inhale at the top of the movement, then exhale with a sigh as you lower your hips back to the floor.

Trainer tip: The sighing as you exhale helps your body soften, which will help you work on your spinal mobility.

5. Superman

"The quadruped is a great foundational exercise that can tell us a lot about the way that your whole body is moving as well as your upper-body strength," O'Leary says.

How to do it:

Reps: 5 each side

• Start on your hands and knees with your hips over your knees and your shoulders over your wrists.
• Shift your weight back so that 70% of your weight is in your lower body and 30% in your arms.
• Find your neutral spine position by rounding, then arching your back a couple of times, then pausing in the middle.
• Slowly extend one leg, sliding your foot back along the floor, then raise it to hip height, maintaining a neutral spinal position, without letting your lower back sag or your pelvis rotate.
• Slowly lower and slide the leg back in. Repeat five times on each side.
• Keeping your legs still, lift one arm in front of you to shoulder height without rotating or shifting your body weight to one side. Repeat five times on each arm.
• Now combine the movements. Reach one arm forward and your opposite leg back, maintaining your balance, hip stability and neutral spine position. Repeat five times on each side.

Trainer tip: Aim to avoid any weight shifts from side to side during any part of the movement.

Hip stiffness can become more common with age, but regular mobility work can help keep your hips moving comfortably.

Nicole Hernandez, certified Pilates teacher and co-founder of Pilates Pros, recommends three moves for improving range of motion in the hips while also reducing tightness.

“These Pilates-inspired exercises focus on controlled, consistent movement through the hip joint while maintaining a stable pelvis and upright posture,” she says.

“Practicing them regularly can help improve range of motion and support everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, and getting in and out of a chair.”

The three moves are all performed standing, so they’re easy to slot into your day. Practice them as regularly as you can, and you should notice better mobility in your hips going forward.

Here are the three moves.

1. Standing controlled leg swing

Reps: 10-12 each side

How to do it:

• Stand right side on to a chair or wall for balance.
• Brace your core and lift your left leg slightly in front of you.
• Slowly move your left leg behind you, keeping the movement smooth and controlled while the pelvis stays steady.
• Move your left leg slightly in front of you again to complete the rep.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

How it helps: “This movement gently improves hip flexion [moving the leg forward] and extension [moving the leg backward],” Hernandez says. “It also encourages the glutes to activate while maintaining upright posture.”

2. Controlled side leg swing

Reps: 10-12 each side

How to do it:

• Stand right side on to a chair or wall for support.
• Lengthen through your spine and gently engage your core.
• Shift your weight into your left leg, then lift your right leg just off the floor.
• Slowly move your right leg out to the right-hand side, then gently across the front of your body.
• Keep the torso upright and avoid leaning.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

How it helps: “This exercise improves hip abduction [moving your leg away from your body] and adduction [moving your leg back towards your body], which help support balance and lateral stability during everyday movement,” Hernandez says.

3. Standing bent-knee hip circles

Reps: 6-8 in both directions, each side

How to do it:

• Stand tall, right side on to a chair or wall for support.
• Gently engage your core, then slightly bend your right knee, lifting the foot just off the floor.
• Slowly draw a circle with the knee, moving it forward, to the right side, then behind you.
• Keep your torso stable and the movement controlled.
• Complete the circles smoothly without rushing, then change direction.
• Do all the reps on one side, then switch sides.

How it helps: “Hip circles move the joint through multiple directions, helping maintain mobility and improve coordination,” Hernandez says.

Celebrity workouts can sometimes feel unattainable for the average person, but many celebrities face the same time pressures as us and have to fit a workout into the time they have available.

Case in point is Jennifer Aniston, who recently launched Jen’s Express Series: Arms & Abs through her partnership with fitness app Pvolve. There are six workouts in the series, all under 15 minutes, and they feature many of Aniston’s favorite upper-body and core moves.

It’s taught by her personal trainer Dani Coleman, who is also the vice president of training at Pvolve.

“When we have time together, we might do a longer session. But other days, especially when she’s short on time, she fits in a quick 15-minute workout like the ones in the Express Series,” Coleman tells Fit&Well.

“She focuses on workouts that make her feel strong and energized, which naturally makes consistency easier,” Coleman adds.

For a flavor of what to expect, Coleman shared the 15-minute core workout below, which uses the Pvolve P.ball, the brand’s take on a Pilates ball. (The equipment you need for the whole series is available in Jen’s Arms & Abs Bundle.)

How to do the workout

You’ll need a small Pilates ball.

Repeat the following circuit two or three times, resting for a minute between each round.

1. Glute bridge x 15
2. Dead bug x 10 each side
3. Curl over the ball x 15
4. Prone back extension x 12
5. Side plank leg lift x 30-60sec each side
6. Mountain climber x 30-60sec

Coleman says that moving slowly and using your breath will help you get the most out of this routine.

“The biggest tip is to slow down, stay connected to your breath, and to stay present in the work to help you move more mindfully through these exercises,” she says.

“Focus on moving at a controlled tempo throughout the exercises. Rest when needed,” Coleman adds.

Watch a run through of the workout

How to do the exercises

1. Glute bridge

Reps: 15

• Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor about a foot away from your body.
• Place a Pilates ball between your knees.
• Tuck your pelvis and push through your feet to raise your hips.
• Slowly return your hips to the floor.

2. Dead bug

Reps: 10 each side

• Lie on your back with your knees raised above your hips and your shins parallel to the floor.
• Press the Pilates ball into your right thigh with your right hand and extend your left arm straight up.
• Lower your left arm behind you as you lower and extend your left leg.
• Raise your left arm and leg back to the start.
• Complete all your reps on one side, then repeat on the other side.

3. Curl over the ball

Reps: 15

• Sit with your legs extended in front of you.
• Place the Pilates ball under your mid back.
• Place your fingers on the sides of your head, elbows pointing out to the sides.
• Engage your core and lean back over the ball so your chest faces up.
• Lift your upper torso so your chest faces forward.

4. Prone back extension

Reps: 12

• Lie on your front with your arms extended forward and your feet hip-distance apart.
• Engage your core and slowly lift your arms and legs. Only your belly, hips and upper thighs should remain on the floor.
• Hold briefly at the top of the movement then gently release.

5. Side plank leg lift

Time: 20-30sec each side

• Lie on your right side, propped up on your right forearm, with your right elbow directly under your right shoulder, holding the Pilates ball in your left hand.
• Lift your hips, so your body is in a straight line from head to heels, supported on the side of your right foot and your right forearm.
• Extend your left arm overhead.
• Raise your left leg as high as you can.
• Lower your left leg to hip height.
• Continue lifting and lowering your left leg for time, then switch sides.

6. Mountain climber

Time: 30-60sec

• Place the Pilates ball on the floor and place your hands on top of it, with your shoulders directly above your hands.
• Step your feet back so your body is in a straight line from head to heels.
• Bring one knee slowly to your chest, keeping the rest of your body as still as possible.
• Return to the start then, repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Sitting cross-legged comfortably can be harder than it looks.

According to Pilates instructor Jill Drummond, VP of Fitness at BODYBAR Pilates, this position requires coordinated mobility and stability through the hips, knees, ankles, pelvis and spine.

“When mobility is limited in any one of these areas, sitting comfortably cross-legged can quickly become challenging or even painful,” says Drummond.

“But there are certain dynamic stretches that can help.”

She suggests the exercises below to open up your hips and improve your mobility. Practice them daily if you can, holding each stretch for 30-90 seconds.

They should help you sit cross-legged more comfortably within one to two weeks.

1. Windshield wiper

Time: 30-90sec

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart on the floor, or on an elevated surface.
• Anchor your shoulders to the floor and lower your knees toward one side.
• Bring your knees back to center before lowering your knees to the other side.
• Move dynamically from side to side as you breathe deeply.

How it helps: “Begin here to open the hips and warm the spine up, before moving on to deeper work,” Drummond says.

2. Butterfly stretch

Time: 30-90sec

• Begin seated with your knees bent and the soles of your feet together.
• Lower your knees toward the floor as far as possible.
• When you feel ready to progress, hinge forward from the waist, folding yourself forward, elongating your spine.

How it helps: This stretch lengthens the adductors (in your inner thighs), which will maximize mobility in the exercises to come.

3. Mermaid twist Z-sit

Time: 30-90sec each side

• Sit on a yoga mat and bring your legs into a Z position, with both knees bent, your left lower leg running parallel across the front of your body, and your right lower leg pointing behind you.
• Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height.
• Bend your torso to the left, placing your left forearm on the floor if your mobility allows, and reaching your right overhead to the left.
• Rotate your torso to the right and bring your right forearm to the floor, so its parallel your left forearm.
• Rest your forehead on the floor if your mobility allows, and hold here for a moment, breathing deeply.
• Reverse the movements with control until your torso is upright.
• Continue for time, then repeat on the other side, swapping the position of your legs first.

How it helps: “The mermaid is a foundational Pilates exercise which opens the hips, lengthens the obliques and moves dynamically through a full range of motion,” Drummond says.

4. Runner’s lunge

Time: 30-90sec

• Begin in a high plank position on your hands and toes, with your body in a straight line from head to heels.
• Step your right foot forward, placing it outside of your right hand.
• Lift your chest and lower your hips to feel a stretch through the front of your left leg.
• Reverse the movements back to the start, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue alternating sides, leaning deeper into the stretch each time.

How it helps: The runner’s lunge is a dynamic move that stretches the hip flexors and quads while engaging the hip joint of the front leg.

5. Happy baby

Time: 30-90sec

• Lie on your back, bend your knees and lift the soles of your feet to face up.
• Grasp the soles of your feet and gently pull your knees toward the mat. You should feel a stretch in your inner thighs, hips and knees.
• Keep your spine in contact with the mat.

How it helps: “This is a great static stretch for opening the hips, lengthening the inner thighs, and increasing mobility in the spine and knees,” Drummond says.

A strong core is about so much more than having visible abs. It supports posture, balance and stability—helping us to move more easily day-to-day.

Yet, even though I know how important core work is—especially for women as we move through different life stages—I must admit I skip core workouts.

The idea of doing crunches, mountain climbers or holding a plank at the end of my gym session fills me with dread. So, I just swerve core work altogether.

That was until a few weeks ago when I stumbled across this low-impact, equipment-free workout on Instagram—and I’ve been doing it at the end of (almost) every workout since.

It’s created by Ash Sewell, Pilates instructor and founder of Studio Ash.

“This mindful core workout is designed to strengthen the deep core muscles while also building body awareness and control,” Sewell tells Fit&Well.

“The goal is not simply to feel the burn, but to help women understand how to properly engage their core so they can move with more strength and confidence in everyday life.”

The routine includes a series of Pilates-inspired moves that are slow and controlled, with a focus on activating deep core muscles while connecting with the breath.

It’s only been a few weeks, but this routine has already earned a place in my workout rotation. I can’t wait to feel the long-term benefits.

How to do the 15-minute core workout

Sewell’s routine focuses on stability, control and coordination by connecting with the body and the breath.

For a follow-along version of the workout, you can sign up to Sewell’s Pilates platform Studio Ash. Or you can familiarise yourself with the moves below and do it under your own steam.

The workout includes six exercises:

1. Breath and body connection
2. Toe taps
3. Dead bug
4. Leg lowers
5. Scissors
6. Oblique twist

1. Breath and body connection

How to do it:

• Begin by inhaling through the nose, expanding your ribcage.
• Gently exhale to engage the deep abdominal muscles.
• Focus on length through the spine rather than collapsing or rounding excessively.
• Avoid gripping or straining as you connect with the core. The goal is supportive engagement rather than forcefully pulling the stomach in.

“Core work should always begin with breath and alignment,” Sewell says. “When these foundations are in place, the exercises become far more effective.”

2. Toe taps

Reps: 10-12 each side

Benefits: Builds awareness of the deep core while keeping the spine supported.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your hips and knees bent at 90° and your arms resting by your sides.
• Engage your deep core by gently drawing the lower abdomen in as you exhale.
• Slowly lower one foot, keeping the 90° bend in your knees, lightly tapping the toes on the floor, then return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Move slowly and focus on maintaining stability through the pelvis.

Trainer tips: Keep your lower back neutral and avoid arching away from the mat. If your lower back begins to lift, reduce the range of movement, stopping before your toes touch the floor.

3. Dead bug

Reps: 8 each side

Benefits: Improves coordination between the upper and lower body while strengthening the deep core stabilisers.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your arms extended straight up, and your hips and knees bent to 90° in the tabletop position.
• Keep your ribcage soft and connected to the mat rather than flaring upward.
• As you exhale, slowly lower one arm behind your head while lowering and extending the opposite leg.
• Stop just before your hand and heel touch the floor.
• Return to the starting position, then repeat on the other sides.

Trainer tips: Move slowly and with control to avoid rocking through your pelvis. Focus on keeping your torso stable while your arms and legs move.

4. Leg lowers

Reps: 10-12 each side

Benefits: Strengthens the lower abdominals and improves core endurance.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with both legs extended straight up.
• Press the back of your ribcage gently into the mat to support your spine.
• Engage your core and slowly lower one leg, stopping before your lower back begins to arch.
• Lift your leg back to the starting position, then repeat with the other leg.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Trainer tips: Lower the legs only as far as you can maintain core control. A slight bend in your knees can make the exercise more accessible.

5. Scissors

Reps: 10-12 each side

Benefits: Strengthens your lower abdominals, while also encouraging length through the hamstrings and improved core control.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and extend both legs straight up.
• Lift your head, neck and shoulders off the mat, and interlace your fingers behind one leg, gently drawing it toward you.
• As you engage your core, lift your torso slightly toward that leg.
• On the exhale, switch legs, bringing the opposite leg toward you while maintaining the lifted upper-body position.
• Lengthen both legs as you move, one reaching toward the ceiling and the other extending away.

Trainer tips: Keep your core engaged to support the lower back as the legs switch. Lift your torso with your abdominals rather than pulling on the neck.

6. Oblique twist

Reps: 10-12 on each side

Benefits: Strengthens the muscles along the sides of the waist while also challenging rotational control through the core.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your hips and knees bent to 90° in tabletop position.
• Interlace your hands behind your head, with your elbows pointing out to the sides.
• Lift your head, neck and shoulders off the mat to engage the upper abdominals.
• Rotate your torso to the right, bringing your right elbow and left knee together, while extending your right leg.
• Return to the start, then repeat on the other side.

Trainer tips: Rotate from your ribcage rather than pulling your elbow across the body. Move slowly and focus on controlled rotation through the torso.

Pilates instructor Liz Hilliard is 72 years old and says she’s in better shape now than she was at 40. She puts it down to her workout regime.

The founder of the Hilliard Studio Method has been teaching Pilates for decades, developing a method that blends traditional Pilates principles with resistance-based strength work.

Training the core is an essential part of her workout regime.

“Your core supports your spine, balance and posture, so keeping it strong is one of the best ways to stay mobile and resilient as you age,” she says.

Below are Hilliard’s three top recommended core moves. Try adding them to your weekly workouts to build deep core strength as you age.

1. Standing oblique crunch

Reps: 10-15 each side

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and bend your knees slightly so your hips lower into a half squat.
• Keep your knees stacked over your ankles and your shoulders over your hips.
• Place your fingertips behind your head with your elbows pointing out to the sides.
• Slowly bend sideways from the waist, taking a count of three to bring one elbow toward the same-side thigh.
• Pause briefly, then engage your core to return your torso to upright over a count of one.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Make it easier: Reduce the range of motion and only bend slightly to the side.

Make it harder: Hold a weight in one hand on the side that’s lowering, and reach it toward your calf as you lower.

2. Forearm side plank lift

Reps: 10-15 each side

• Lie on your right side, propped up on your right forearm with your right elbow directly under your right shoulder.
• Bend your knees and stack one on top of the other, placing them slightly forward of the line created by your shoulders and hips.
• Keep your spine long and your shoulders stacked, one on top of the other.
• Use your core to lift your hips off the mat, until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your head.
• Slowly lower your hips to the floor.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Make it easier: Lift your hips and hold the position instead of repeatedly lowering and lifting.

Make it harder: Straighten your legs so your feet, rather than knees, are in contact with the floor, making sure your body forms a straight line from head to feet.

3. Forearm plank series

Reps: 10 heel presses, 10 knee bends each side, 10-second hold

• Lie on your front, propped up on your forearms with your elbows directly under your shoulders.
• Engage your core and lift your knees so your body is in a straight line from head to heels.
• Keeping your torso and pelvis as still as possible, perform the following.
• Heel presses: bend both knees to lower them, gently tapping the floor, then press through your heels to extend your legs again. Perform 10 taps.
• Knee bends: bend one knee, lowering it to tap the floor, then repeat on the other side, continuing in a controlled, slow jogging motion. Perform 10 taps on each side
• 10-second plank hold: return to a steady plank with straight legs and hold for 10 seconds.

Make it easier: Hold a plank on your knees instead of your toes.

Make it harder: Perform the exercise in a high plank, with your arms extended and palms directly under your shoulders,, or increase the number of reps and duration of the hold.

I’ve been doing Pilates for years and I think it's the best workout for building core strength and preventing injury. You can do it without any equipment, which is why it’s such a great home workout.

But investing in a few products can significantly improve your home Pilates practice, particularly if you’re new to Pilates and need to modify some movements or need help with your form.

My go-to brand for Pilates gear is BetterMe. It offers all of the Pilates essentials in stylish colours and sleek designs. And some of its products are up to 25% off on Amazon right now, as part of the Amazon Big Spring Sale.

Whether you’re looking for a Pilates ball to help you work on your alignment, ankle weights to build strength or a Pilates ring to improve muscle engagement, BetterMe has a wide range of equipment in a variety of colours.

It also offers starter kits, such as a beginner's Pilates set and a set with extra equipment if you’re ready to level up your practice.

Below are my favourite pieces of Pilates equipment from BetterMe that I’ve tried and tested.

While Pilates has evolved from the method created by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s, some still swear by the original 34-move sequence. But, as you can imagine, remaining faithful to that approach is time-consuming, so what do you do if you’re in a hurry?

Sophie Hatton, a classical Pilates instructor and founder of Reformer Retreats and Pilates Works Studio, recommends five exercises that offer a snapshot of a classical mat routine.

“Classical Pilates matwork traditionally follows the same sequence each time, but if you’re short on time, focusing on these five exercises will give you an effective, energizing start to your day,” she says.

Hatton explains that these exercises give you a taster of classical Pilates and what it tries to achieve: “Warming the body, building strength and encouraging control and connected movement,” she says.

“If you’re practicing at home, I recommend using a 15mm Pilates mat—not a thinner yoga mat—to properly support and protect your spine, especially during rolling exercises.”

1. The hundred

Reps: 100

• Lie on your back, arms by your sides and engage your abdominal muscles.
• Raise your arms overhead then lift your head, neck and shoulders as you inhale.
• Lower your arms by your sides to just above the floor.
• Raise your legs to 45°.
• Keep your core engaged as you pump your arms up and down.
• Inhale for five arm pumps, exhale for five arm pumps, until you reach 100.

2. The half roll back

Reps: 8

• Sit with your knees bent and heels on the floor.
• Inhale and lengthen through your spine.
• Exhale and extend your arms forward at shoulder height.
• Engage your core and gently drop your chin toward your chest.
• Round your back and slowly roll it down to the floor one vertebra at a time.
• Pause when you reach your waistline.
• Hold for a count of five, then reverse the movement to return to sitting up.

3. Single-leg circle

Reps: 8 each direction, each side

• Lie on your back with your core engaged and your arms by your sides.
• Lightly press the back of your head, arms and hands into the floor (use a small cushion or block if needed).
• Lift your right leg upward, toes pointed, keeping your left leg anchored on the floor, foot flexed.
• Circle your right leg across your body and back to your starting position, keeping your torso steady.
• Complete all reps clockwise, then repeat anticlockwise, and swap legs. Do the same on the other side.

Form tip: To keep your torso stable as you circle your leg, imagine you are balancing two cups of tea on your hips—don’t spill them.

4. Double-leg stretch

Reps: 8

• Lie on your back, bending both knees to your chest, keeping your lower back on the floor.
• Lift your head, neck and shoulders and hold your ankles or lower legs.
• Inhale as you extend your legs forward and your arms backward, keeping your abdominal muscles engaged.
• Circle your arms up and around as you bend your knees back to your chest to the starting position, then repeat.

Form tip: To maintain the correct position, imagine a tennis ball under your chin throughout the movement.

5. Spine stretch forward

Reps: 8

• Sit upright with your legs extended forward, feet flexed and wider than hip-width apart.
• Extend your arms forward at shoulder height.
• Inhale, extend through your spine.
• Exhale, round your neck and back, so the crown of your head points forward, keeping your arms up.
• Push through your heels to deepen the stretch.
• Hold for five deep breaths, then reverse the movement, one vertebrae at a time, to sit back upright, then repeat.

Form tip: For the correct position, imagine curving your body up and over a large balance ball.

Shop Pilates mats

As we age, our balance naturally starts to decline. But keeping your balance in check is important for preventing falls, which are a common cause of injury in adults over 60. The good news is that balance is trainable at any age.

Nico Gonzalez, founder of Pocket Pilates and instructor for Balanced Body, explains: “Regular balance training can reduce the risk of falls, and make everyday movements—like walking on uneven ground—easier.”

He recommends three moves for improving balance in your 60s. These moves are all performed standing, so they can be practiced easily throughout the day.

1. Single-leg stand

Sets: 3 Hold: 30sec each side

• Stand behind a sturdy chair or surface you can hold for support, if needed.
• Place your feet hip-width apart with your knees and toes pointing forward.
• Lift one foot slightly off the floor.
• Keep your body upright and balance on the standing leg.
• Try to release your hands from the chair and hold the position for up to 30 seconds.
• Lower your foot back to the floor and repeat on the other side.

How it helps: “When we can balance on one leg, we’re able to walk better and stay upright,” says Gonzalez.

2. Single-leg clocking

Sets: 3 Reps: 10 each side

• Stand with your knees and toes pointing forward, next to a chair or wall for support if needed.
• Lift your right foot, bending your right knee and raising it to hip height, balancing on your left leg.
• Tap your right foot lightly on the floor in front of you, then return to your right knee at hip height.
• Tap your right foot to the side, then behind you to complete one rep.
• Continue, completing all your reps on one side, then switching sides.

How it helps: This challenge to your proprioception (your sense of where your body helps with reaction time, says Gonzalez, explaining that this is vital for catching ourselves if we fall.

3. Tightrope walk

Sets: 1 Reps: 6 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, next to a chair or wall for support if needed.
• Step your right foot directly in front of your left, so your right heel touches your left toes, as if you were standing on a tightrope.
• Move your right foot directly behind your left, so your right toes touch your left heel.
• Continue, alternating between positions, shifting your torso back and forth as you move.
• Do all your reps with one foot, then switch sides.

How it helps: Standing heel-to-toe narrows your base of support, which challenges your balance and stability. “This mimics movements that happen in everyday life,” Gonzalez says.

You’ve probably heard about the benefits of Pilates—it can help you build strength, improve your mobility and work on your posture—but perhaps you don't know where to start with this form of movement.

You'll be glad to know that you don't need an expensive membership at a workout studio, or access to a Pilates reformer to get the most out of it.

In fact, as someone who has been doing Pilates for years, I think the best place to start is in your living room.

You can do Pilates with just your bodyweight and there are plenty of workouts available on free Pilates YouTube channels to help you get started. However, incorporating some equipment can not only enhance the benefits of Pilates, it can make it easier to get started as a beginner, allowing you to modify certain exercises to your level.

The Pilates ball is a particularly useful piece of kit for improving your alignment. And a block is equally helpful for supporting you in some moves, while challenging your stability in others.

If at the start of your Pilates journey, a mat and a pair of light dumbbells is probably the best place to start. Some teachers recommend a thin mat to help with your connection to the floor, while others recommend thicker, more comfortable mats. I’ve included both options below.

Luckily, Amazon’s Big Spring Sale is currently taking place and there are lots of discounts on Pilates equipment. Here are my top picks.

I’ve been dealing with a stiff right hip for about a year now, and while I commit to regular strength training and Pilates sessions, I’ve struggled to find something that can really help.

I asked Pilates instructor Jenny White, founder of The Kai Life, to see if she could help me understand why my right hip might be bothering me and what to do about it. She had a surprising suggestion for what might be causing it.

“Often, hip issues stem from long periods of sitting, and if you’ve got more stiffness on one side, it could be from favouring one leg crossed over the other,” she says.

White has experienced similar issues with her hip, and says that combining three moves in particular have helped.

She recommended trying this three-move sequence daily for two weeks to see if I noticed a difference.

“Every body is so different and hip issues can be pretty complex,” she says. “But if you do notice relief from the exercises, the results can really be pretty quick.”

Here is the three-move sequence.

The sequence

1. Trigger point ball massage

Hold: 60-90sec

• Lie on your back or side. If your pain is more focused in the glute area, you may want to lie on your back.
• Place a massage ball or tennis ball where you’re feeling the tension. Try to trace it to a connection point at your hip where the muscle meets the bone.
• Gently shift your weight into the ball and hold it, or slowly shift your weight around to explore tight spots.
• Pause on tender areas and take 4–5 slow breaths.
• If you have multiple points of tension, repeat.

How it helps: “This is great for really tuning into where you're feeling the tension, and the relief this brings,” says White. “When the muscle softens, the stretching that follows is much more effective.”

2. Figure four bridge

Reps: 8-10

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Cross your right ankle over your left knee.
• Place your hands on your hips to help keep them level.
• Press through your left heel and lift your hips.
• Try to keep your pelvis level throughout.
• Lower slowly with control.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

How it helps: “Tight hips definitely come from repetitive uneven movements,” White explains. “Strengthening the glutes and stabilizers can help.”

3. Reclined shoelace

Hold: 60-90sec

• Lie on your back and lift your legs.
• Cross your right thigh over your left.
• Lower your legs a little, making sure one knee is above the other.
• Hold behind your thighs, or at your shins or ankles, depending on your mobility. You may need to adjust your legs to find a comfortable position.
• Gently draw your knees toward your chest.
• Try not to force the stretch. Breathe slowly and let gravity do the work.
• Hold for time, then switch sides.

How it helps: “This is a yin yoga move that targets the deep gluteal fascia, encouraging tight hip release through stillness and your breath,” says White.

Did the three-move sequence help my tight hip?

I tried White’s three-move sequence daily for two weeks, usually in the evening after work when my hip stiffness feels its worst.

The trigger point ball massage was probably the most surprising part of the routine. Lying on top of a tennis ball felt uncomfortable at first, especially when I found particularly tender spots around my hip. But after a few slow breaths, I could feel the tension gradually start to soften.

Even though the move is simple and mostly stationary, it definitely felt like I was releasing some tightness before I moved on to the stretches.

The figure four bridge was helpful because it combined stretching with strengthening. I could feel my glutes working to stabilize the pelvis, which made the movement feel more purposeful than just holding a stretch.

If I had tried to come up with a routine on my own, I would have focused more on stretching than strengthening, so it was helpful to learn that strength moves can help.

The reclined shoelace felt a bit awkward at first, but once I’d found a position I was comfortable with (I held on to my shins), it felt like a really good stretch. It released a lot of tension in my glutes and right hamstring, which seemed to have a positive knock-on effect on my hip.

While I mostly struggled with stiffness in my right hip, I did each move on both sides, as White advised. She explains: “I’d repeat the sequence on both sides to even things out, and because it's excellent for preventative care for these muscles.”

After two weeks, this routine has genuinely improved my hip stiffness. I think it’s the unique combination of massage, gentle strengthening and stretching that has helped.

It’s a short routine, so easy enough to squeeze in on busy days. I’ll definitely be keeping it in my regular rotation.

Popular core exercises like planks can be a valuable part of your routine. But Brittni Johnson, a certified Pilates instructor with BetterMe, says they may not train your abs effectively for everyday activity. Her five-move core workout solves that problem.

“Planks are solid for building endurance,” she notes. “These moves take it further. Instead of just holding still, your core has to stay stable while your body is moving.”

Her workout utilizes everything from balls, bands and even the wall to bring some variety to your core training. “Adding just one piece of equipment can not only provide that extra challenge, but it can also point out some of our individual imbalances,” says Johnson.

“With that awareness, you can put more focus on areas you may need to improve upon while actually working the core the way it needs to work in real life,” she adds. “That’s how you build a core that’s genuinely strong and protected, not just rigid from holding a position.”

How to do the five core exercises

You’ll need a mat, a Pilates ball, a loop band, and a section of bare wall for this workout.

Johnson recommends doing the exercises for three sets of eight to 10 reps. You can do the three sets of an exercise one after the other, or “for those who like variety and feel bored easily, I would recommend doing it as a circuit,” she says.

“[These exercises] could be done every day if someone wanted to, as they’re low impact and the abdominals are a small muscle group that recover quickly,” Johnson notes. “However, if you do all the reps and sets recommended, it's not really necessary to do any more than twice a week.”

The exercises are:

1. Wall tap
2. Suitcase crunch
3. Oblique crunch
4. Corkscrew
5. Three-point leg drop

1. Wall tap

Video: BetterMe

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 each side

• Get on your hands and knees facing a wall, with your hands directly under your shoulders.
• Engage your core.
• Step your feet back one at a time, extending your legs, so your body is in a straight line from head to heels.
• Lift your right arm off the floor and tap the wall in front of you, keeping the rest of your body as still as possible.
• Place your right hand back onto the mat.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

Benefits: “This movement introduces a dynamic stability challenge that requires the core and shoulder stabilizers to prevent the hips from rotating as the base of support shifts,” says Johnson.

2. Suitcase crunch

Video: BetterMe

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, and your arms extended behind you.
• Engage your core.
• Lift your arms, head, shoulders and feet, bringing your knees and chest together, reaching your hands towards your feet.
• Reverse the movement to the start with control.

Benefits: “This synchronized movement integrates the upper and lower abdominal regions, demanding higher coordination and muscular compression than a traditional crunch,” says Johnson.

3. Oblique crunch

Video: BetterMe

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 each side

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Place a Pilates ball between your knees.
• Engage your core.
• Drop your knees to the left, keeping your torso and shoulders on the mat.
• Place your fingers lightly on the back of your head.
• Squeeze your abs and lift your head and shoulders off the floor.
• Lower with control.
• Do all your reps on one side, then swap sides.

Benefits: “The addition of the ball squeeze engages the adductors and pelvic floor, which assists in stabilizing the pelvis while specifically targeting the internal and external obliques,” says Johnson.

4. Corkscrew

Video: BetterMe

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 each direction

• Sit upright with your back about six inches away from a wall, and your legs extended in front of you on the mat.
• Place your hands on the floor by your sides.
• Engage your core.
• Lean back onto the wall.
• Lift your legs off the mat.
• Circle your legs in a clockwise motion.
• Reverse direction, circling your legs in a counterclockwise motion.
• Continue, alternating direction with each rep.

Benefits: “This rotational trajectory moves the core through multiple planes of motion, engaging the deep transverse abdominis and waistline stabilizers more effectively than linear leg raises,” says Johnson.

5. Three-point leg drop

Video: BetterMe

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10

• Place a loop resistance band around your thighs, just above your knees.
• Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms by your sides.
• Engage your core.
• Lift your legs as high as you can.
• Keeping your legs pressed out against the band, lower your legs to just above the floor in three distinct phases, pausing between each phase.
• Go straight into the next rep without letting your legs touch the floor.

Benefits: “By segmenting the descent, the exercise eliminates momentum and forces the lower abdominal wall to maintain intense isometric tension at various angles of resistance,” says Johnson.

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I've been lifting weights for half a decade and not just because I want to build muscle. Strength training keeps my body as pain-free as possible, particularly with a long-standing knee injury.

In December, I embarked on a three month trip around New Zealand and Sri Lanka. I was excited but was worried about letting go of my usual weight training as I'd rarely have access to a gym while away.

Instead of lifting weights, I found a mat Pilates routine that I did at least weekly and I was surprised by how much strength I managed to maintain with just these bodyweight moves. It’s also kept me injury-free.

It’s a 30-minute full-body routine by instructor Charlie Faulkner whose Pilates and yoga workouts I've enjoyed doing for years.

How to do the 30-minute Pilates routine

All you need is an exercise mat for this workout. Faulkner also suggests using a Pilates ball if you have one, although I still found the routine effective without one.

A number of exercises are done from your hands and knees so I always had a blanket nearby for extra padding.

Faulkner demonstrates each move in real time so you can just follow along. She offers modifications for moves like the side plank and push-up, making it suitable for different levels.

What I thought of swapping weights for a mat Pilates workout

Before my trip, I was lifting weights two or three times a week, so I had forgotten how challenging bodyweight workouts can be.

This routine is particularly helpful for building core strength, which is something I wanted to focus on while away. Building a strong core is essential to improving posture, addressing back pain and it can support overall strength.

Many moves in this routine—such as side plank, tabletop toe taps and push-up—are compound exercises, meaning they work multiple muscle groups and joints at once, making your workout more efficient.

This workout also challenges your glutes, which are the biggest muscles in your body. I make sure my workouts target this area, because my knee injury has previously been exacerbated by glute weakness.

Having done this workout regularly for three months, I've noticed many improvements. I can now hold a side plank for longer and my push-up has become smoother. The exercises dedicated to core strength also feel easier.

I've been through periods without lifting weights in the past and it’s often led to a knee injury (one time I ended up dislocating it). I was pleasantly surprised to manage three months of travelling with only a couple of niggles. I believe the mat Pilates—and this routine in particular— played a big part in that.

I'll be returning to this routine to continue maintaining strength and stability, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for an effective full-body workout at home or when you’re travelling.

Kegel exercises—moves that involve squeezing, lifting and relaxing the pelvic area—are an incredibly effective way to strengthen your pelvic floor, but it’s not the most engaging option. Thankfully, Pilates is also effective.

Jill Drummond, Pilates instructor and vice president of fitness at BODYBAR Pilates says the combination of breath, deep core engagement and controlled movement in Pilates is an effective way to strengthen your pelvic floor too.

“The benefits of a stronger pelvic floor are wide ranging,” she says. “It’s a key part of your core, supporting the spine, pelvis, and internal organs while helping your body move with strength and control.”

Drummond highlights four Pilates exercises that are particularly helpful for building pelvic floor strength.

Aim for 15 to 20 repetitions of each move, and repeat the sequence two to three times to turn it into a workout for best results.

1. Bridge

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and heels on the floor or on an elevated surface.
• Press your heels into the floor and lift your hips.
• Squeeze your glutes and inner thighs to activate your pelvic floor.
• Hold at the top for two to three breaths.
• Lower your hips to the floor with control.

Make it harder: place a resistance band above your knees to further engage your outer thighs and glutes.

How it helps: By strengthening your glutes and engaging your deep core, this move helps to support and activate the pelvic floor muscles.

2. Double-leg stretch

• Lie on your back with both knees close to your chest and hands on your shins.
• Curl your chin toward your chest to lift your shoulders off the floor.
• Extend your legs in front of you at a 45° to the floor as you sweep your arms behind your head.
• Engage your deep abdominal muscles and activate your inner thighs.
• Return your arms to hug your knees.

How it helps: This move challenges your deep core while coordinating breath and control, helping the pelvic floor work with your abdominal muscles to stabilize your spine.

3. Plank variations

• Start in a high-plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and legs extended behind you, with your body forming a straight line from your feet to your shoulders.
• Draw your belly into your spine, and squeeze your glutes and inner thighs to start.
• Sideways jump: jump your feet outward and back in again.
• Up-down: lower your elbows to the floor, coming into a low plank on your forearms. Reverse the movement back to a high plank.
• Single-leg raise and pulse: lift one leg at a time to above hip height, pulse in the air for three repetitions.

How it helps: “By focusing on activating your inner thighs, glutes and deep abdominals, planks can support pelvic floor stability and strength,” Drummond says.

4. Squat

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Bend your knees and send your hips back as you lower toward the floor.
• Drive through your heels to return to your standing position.

Trainer tip: As you return to standing, imagine you’re zipping up your body from your heels to your head, pulling everything in.

How it helps: “The pressure changes during a squat naturally activate the pelvic floor, helping to strengthen the muscles over time,” Drummond says.

Mat-based Pilates sessions are a firm favourite of mine, but there’s no denying that reformer Pilates challenges the body in a different way.

But like studio memberships, at-home reformer Pilates machines usually come with a hefty price tag, expect four figures for OG brands, which is why I was intrigued by the Gymproluxe Pilates Reformer.

It’s a lot more affordable than other Reformer machines at $398, but still promises to deliver studio-quality Pilates at home, so I jumped at the opportunity to try it out.

What is the Gymproluxe Pilates Reformer?

It’s a portable, foldable reformer machine that’s a step up from plastic Pilates boards. It’s lightweight enough to pack away and store when you’re not using it, which is one of the main draws.

The Gymproluxe Pilates Reformer consists of a sturdy, solid wood base, slider board, adjustable resistance bands (which go up to 90kg), and a detachable bar. The machine can be used for strength training, Pilates and HIIT workouts.

After using it for 30 days, here’s what I discovered.

My experience

1. It’s easy to put together and take apart

As excited as I was to try the Gymproluxe Pilates Reformer, I was a little nervous about where I’d store it. But its portability became one of my favourite features, because it meant I could set up and pack the reformer away with ease.

It only takes a few minutes to set up and take down, which I think is important for any at-home workout equipment—I’m less likely to use equipment if it feels like a hassle.

The speed of set-up meant I was still happy to get the Gymproluxe Pilates Reformer out on busy days when I only had time for a quick 15-minute workout.

It’s a little intimidating when the Reformer first arrives, but there’s a handy tutorial on YouTube that walks you through the set-up process.

2. It’s great for building strength at home

What impressed me most about the Gymproluxe Pilates Reformer is the range of strength exercises you can do on it. Gymproluxe has a handy exercise library online which shows all the different ways to use the machine. You can also access the library of over 100 exercises in the Gymproluxe app.

When using the machine for the first time, I made the mistake of trying to tick off as many exercises as possible, which left me feeling a little overwhelmed.

I’d definitely recommend focusing on specific areas of the body—at least for the first couple of times—rather than trying to do everything at once.

After about a week of testing, I realized I could put together great upper-body, lower-body, and core workouts at home. Some of the moves that stand out as particularly challenging are plank, side plank, heel taps, curtsies and skaters.

Most of these moves involve drawing a slider board (on the base) in and out, which really challenges both balance and strength. It doesn’t take many reps before the targeted body area starts to shake from the effort required.

The challenging nature of the workouts encouraged me to skip a few gym sessions in favour of home workouts on the reformer.

I’ve tested other pieces of workout equipment in the past, but nothing has encouraged me to stay and train at home as much as the Gymproluxe Pilates reformer.

3. It’s as good for stretching as it is for strengthening

During my 30-day testing period, I realized I was using this machine to stretch as much as I was to strength train. This is something I didn’t expect, but as someone who experiences a lot of stiffness in my hips and glutes areas, I was pleased.

Hooking my feet into the footstraps and placing my lower body on the slider board meant I could do 360° leg circles, which were always punctuated with satisfying clicks as my hips adjusted to the movement.

It allowed me to stretch in a way that’s hard to replicate on the floor, and there were a couple of instances when I got the reformer out just to stretch after a long day of sitting.

4. It’s a great way to challenge balance

Aside from stretching and strengthening, the Gymproluxe Pilates Reformer is a great way to challenge your balance. Any moves that involve the slider board are naturally less stable than if they were performed on the floor, so even a simple squat becomes a balance challenge.

It takes both strength and balance to keep the slider board still, and over my 30-day testing period, I started to notice more stability when using the reformer.

There’s also the option to use the reformer as a balance board. For this, two balance board sliders are added to the Pilates board (separate from the slider board and base) and the challenge is to keep the board as steady as possible. It’s hard, especially when you start to squat.

Balance isn’t something I work on regularly, so I was pleased with this unexpected extra.

My verdict

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the 30-days of testing.

I was a little skeptical at first, but after a month of using it, I can confidently say that my home workouts have never been better.

It even began replacing gym sessions and in-person classes, because I found I could get just as good a workout at home using the reformer machine.

It’s safe to say that the Gymproluxe Portable Pilates Reformer has earned a permanent spot in my home.

Planks are often seen as the gold standard for building core strength, but they’re not the only way to do it.

Jenny White, Pilates instructor and founder of The Kai Life, says there are other options that still train stability and control.

“There are many reasons why someone can’t do a plank, including being a beginner and not having built up the core strength yet, being postpartum, or having limitations like an upper-body injury or sensitivity in the lower back,” she says.

Give the moves below a try. Practiced consistently, they can help you build core strength just as effectively as a plank.

1. Dead bug

Reps: 10-15

• Lie on your back, with your knees raised and bent to 90°.
• Extend your arms up over your chest.
• Engage your core to gently press your lower back into the floor.
• Slowly extend one leg forward, keeping it just above the floor, and lower the opposite arm behind your head.
• If your lower back rises off the floor, stop lowering your leg just before your back lifts.
• Return to start with control and then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

How it helps: “Dead bug allows you to build true core stability without holding your full body weight [as you would in a plank],” White says. “It teaches control before requiring load.”

2. Glute bridge march

Reps: 5-6 each side

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Press your feet into the floor and lift your hips until your body is in a straight line from shoulders to knees.
• Keeping your core engaged, lift one foot off the floor, bringing your knee toward your chest.
• Place your foot back on the floor, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

How it helps: While this might feel like a glute-focused move, it integrates your core and teaches anti-rotation stability.

3. Supine heel slide

Reps: 8-10 each side

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Engage your core to keep your pelvis steady.
• Slowly slide one heel forward along the floor until your leg is almost straight.
• Pause, then slide it back in with control.
• Repeat on the other side.

How it helps: “This movement strengthens the deep core—especially the transverse abdominis—without putting pressure on your wrists, shoulders or lower back,” White explains.

“It teaches you how to stabilize your spine, which is exactly what a plank demands, just in a more accessible position.”

If aches and pains have been nagging away at you for days, Pilates instructor Brittni Johnson has a special routine she relies on to restore equilibrium.

It involves some gentle foam rolling, mild myofascial release (gentle manual therapy to release tightness) using a massage ball, and four mobility moves you can do before bed or while watching a boxset.

“After a tough week of work or training, your body needs time to recover properly,” says Johnson, who teaches at BetterMe.

That’s when she turns to this three-step remedy. “Foam rolling boosts blood flow to tired muscles, gentle stretching releases tension, and stability exercises help protect the spine,” she says.

Combined, it will help shake off any lingering soreness you've been carrying with you, downregulate your nervous system to lower stress, and allow you to move, rest and recover better.

How to do the routine

Johnson recommends spending five minutes before the workout targeting knots or areas of tightness in your muscles with a foam roller and massage ball.

“Lie on the roller and slowly roll it over your calves, quads and upper back,” she says.

“Go slow, roughly one inch per second, so the pressure can actually work into the muscle. When you hit a tender spot, just sit with it for a few seconds and breathe.”

This technique promotes blood flow to the area and helps break up fascia (adhesions in the connective tissue) that surrounds muscles, limiting their mobility.

Next, Johnson suggests using the massage ball on your glutes and the soles of your feet.

“Let your weight sink into it, and when you find a tight spot, pause and take a few deep breaths,” she says. “Feel it soften as you exhale. Using a massage ball will enable you to get deeper knots that a foam roller can't reach.”

Now your body is ready for the main course. Perform the exercises in order, for one minute each with a slow and steady tempo. Repeat the routine two or three times.

Johnson uses Pilates props, like a ring, for the first three moves, but you can use a resistance band or a towel.

1. Windscreen wiper

Time: 60sec

This move will stretch your hamstring, IT band (down the outside of your thigh) and your inner thigh.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back, with one foot inside the ring or around the end of a resistance band.
• Hold the other end of the ring or band on the same side and straighten your leg.
• Sweep your leg slowly out to the side.
• Return it to the starting position then repeat.

2. Seated forward fold

Time: 60sec

This targets your mid-back and helps reverse the forward slouch posture commonly caused by sitting all day.

How to do it:

• Sit tall with your legs stretched out wide and your feet flexed.
• Hold the Pilates ring with both hands on the floor in between your legs.
• Place your hands on a low chair, stool or table if you don’t have a Pilates ring.
• Gently lean forward and press into the ring (or other support), keeping your back straight.

3. Inverted air squat

Time: 60sec

This controlled movement targets the lower abdominals and pelvic floor while improving hip mobility.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Extend both legs straight up, feet flexed.
• Bend your knees out the sides, keeping your heels together.
• Return your legs to the starting position, and repeat.

4. Glute bridge with arm extension

Time: 60sec

This exercise strengthens your glutes and hamstrings, while promoting shoulder flexibility and spinal alignment.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, arms resting by your sides.
• Lift your hips into a bridge.
• Simultaneously sweep your arms up and overhead to the floor behind you.
• Slowly lower your hips and arms back to the starting position together, and repeat.

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Whether you have a desk job or not, you’ve probably become aware of the stiffness and damage caused by too much sitting.

Over time, hours seated or hunched over screens can lead to muscular imbalances, poor posture and decreased mobility.

With this long-term risk in mind, I found Pilates instructor Lottie Murphy’s 15-minute routine for desk posture to use as a regular practice.

It was short enough to slot into busy work days, yet impactful enough to address imbalances and support my posture.

I committed to this routine for 30 days—here’s what I found.

The 15-minute Pilates for desk posture routine

What I discovered

My shoulders finally relaxed

I didn’t expect such a gentle routine to make a noticeable difference to my shoulders, but it did.

The windows move—lying on my back with my arms reaching upward, opening my elbows wide, rotating my palms upward, then sweeping my arms overhead—was the most effective.

At first, my shoulders felt stiff and awkward, but after a couple of weeks, I noticed a better range of motion. Thread the needle and cat-cow stretches contributed to this improvement as well, helping me move more easily through my spine.

By the end of the month, I realized I’d stopped rolling my shoulders to relieve tension—they felt looser naturally.

It woke up my lower body

Even though the routine isn’t intense, it switched on my hips and legs.

The glute bridge is not something I would usually think of doing to combat desk stiffness, but it was another standout move. Holding the lift and then lowering slowly made me realize how little I engage my glutes during the day while seated.

My hamstrings felt tight at the start of the month, but that gradually eased as I repeated the routine. Instead of leaving me feeling exhausted, the session energized me, and my lower body felt mobile and ready to move.

I became more aware of my posture

An unexpected benefit was how much more aware I became of how I sit and stand.

Exercises like the plank rock and cat-cow made me focus on spinal positioning—keeping my core lightly engaged and my shoulders stacked over my hips instead of collapsing forward.

Even the simple arm movement at the end of the routine made me notice how often I round through my chest.

That awareness carried over into my workday. I caught myself adjusting my ribcage when I was typing or softening my lower back when standing. These small alterations felt natural rather than forced.

By the end of the month, I was checking in with my posture more often and correcting it sooner.

Of everything I learned, this felt the most significant. After all, awareness of your body and posture is the first step to changing it.

Pilates is a great all-round form of exercise, helping to improve posture, balance, strength and mobility, while also supporting mental wellbeing.

It’s no surprise then that mat and reformer Pilates have become so popular, particularly with women approaching midlife.

“After 40, you need to pay more attention to core strength, posture, joint mobility, balance and back health in your workouts,” says Rebecca Dadoun, Pilates instructor and founder of Pilates Prescription.

“Pilates helps with all this, as well as the mind-body connection, which becomes increasingly important as we age—helping to maintain confidence, reaction time and movement control in everyday life,” she adds.

That’s why Dadoun created a seven-move at-home Pilates workout for women over 40.

“If your hips feel tighter, your back feels grumpier, or you keep having those ‘I used to move easier than this…’ moments—this little sequence is your new best friend,” she writes in the caption to the sequence she shared on Instagram.

“It’s not about pushing harder—it’s about moving better,” Dadoun tells Fit&Well. “Consistency, patience and good technique matter far more than intensity.”

Dadoun shared a step-by-step guide exclusively with Fit&Well below, which also features modifications, so you can adapt and progress when you’re ready.

How to do the seven-move Pilates workout for the over 40s

Dadoun recommends doing this routine two to four times per week.

“Even doing it twice a week can make a noticeable difference to flexibility, strength. and how the body feels day to day,” she says.

To try Dadoun’s low-impact routine, all you need is a Pilates mat, which tend to be thicker than yoga mats to better support the spine.

The moves:

1. Roll down
2. Ankle point and flex
3. The hundred
4. The hundred with scissors
5. Hamstring stretch
6. Leg circle
7. Up-down

1. Roll down

Reps: 8

How it helps: This mobilizes the spine and releases tension in the back and neck.

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
• Slowly roll down through your spine, vertebra by vertebra.
• Let your head and arms relax.
• Roll back up, one vertebra at a time.
• Use controlled breathing throughout.

Make it easier: Stand with your back against a wall then roll down.

2. Ankle point and flex

Reps: 8

How it helps: Improves circulation and lower leg mobility.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your legs extended straight up.
• Slowly point and flex your feet, moving through the full range of your ankles.

Modification: Keep one foot on the floor, raise the other leg but bend the knee.

3. The hundred

Reps: 50

How it helps: Builds core endurance and improves breathing control.

• Lie on your back with your legs lifted, either extended or with your knees bent to 90°.
• Raise your head and shoulders off the floor.
• Lift your arms off the floor and hold them by your sides, palms facing down.
• Pump your arms while breathing in for five counts and out for five counts.

Make it easier: Keep your feet on the floor to support your back if needed.

4. The hundred with scissors

Reps: 50

How it helps: This adds coordination and challenges pelvic and abdominal stability.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your legs lifted, either extended or with your knees bent to 90°.
• Raise your head and shoulders off the floor.
• Lift your arms off the floor and hold them by your sides, palms facing down.
• Pump your arms while breathing in for five counts and out for five counts.
• Simultaneously alternate lifting and lowering your legs in a controlled scissor movement.
• Maintain core connection and controlled breathing.

Make it easier: Keep your head on the floor or focus on alternating leg lifts slowly, one leg after the other, for better control.

5. Hamstring stretch

Reps: 8 each side

How it helps: Helps release tight hamstrings and reduces lower back tension.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Lift one leg and gently stretch through the back of your thigh.
• Keep your pelvis grounded.
• Complete the repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

Make it easier: Thread a towel behind your leg and hold either end to support your stretch if needed.

6. Leg circle

Reps: 8 each side

How it helps: Improves hip mobility and pelvic stability.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your legs extended on the floor.
• Lift one leg and draw small circles in the air with your foot, moving slowly and with control.
• Change direction halfway through your reps.
• Repeat on the other side.

Make it easier: If needed, bend your knee.

7. Up-down

Reps: 8 each side

How it helps: This is a functional movement that strengthens the core and legs while improving coordination.

How to do it:

• From standing, step your right foot behind you.
• Bend both knees to lower and rest your right knee on the floor.
• Step your left foot back and place your left knee next to your right.
• Reverse the movement to return to a half squat position.
• Return to standing.
• Repeat on the other side, leading with your opposite leg.

Make it easier: Before doing this move, practice a low squat.

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If you’re low on energy but still want to move your body, a short Pilates flow can be a smart choice.

I asked Nicole Hernandez, co-founder of Pilates Pros and a certified Pilates teacher, to create a gentle seven-minute routine that would switch on the glutes and deep core muscles, without putting extra strain on the joints.

The routine focuses on slow, controlled movements to build stability, improve body awareness and help you reconnect with your breath.

Try it on recovery days, after long periods of sitting, or whenever you want a quick reset. It’s simple to follow and easy to do.

Overview

1. Quadruped cat-cow x 8
2. Bent-knee kickback x 10 each side
3. Fire hydrant x 10 each side
4. Bent-knee kickback to fire hydrant x 10 each side

1. Quadruped cat-cow

Video: Nicole Hernandez / Pilates Pros

Reps: 8 Rest: 15sec

How to do it:

• Get on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Inhale as you drop your belly slightly and lift your chest, extending through your spine.
• Exhale as you tuck your pelvis, round your back and draw your chin toward your chest.
• Continue, moving slowly, and matching each movement to your breath.

How it helps: “The cat-cow is a tried-and-tested move for connecting breath to movement, and mobilizing the spine,” says Hernandez. “It’ll help you find a neutral starting position before activating the glutes and core.”

2. Bent-knee kickback

Video: Nicole Hernandez / Pilates Pros

Reps: 10 each side Rest: 15sec

How to do it:

• Stay on your hands and knees, and gently engage your core.
• Flex your right foot and, keeping your right knee bent at 90°, lift your right leg back and up so the sole of your right foot faces the ceiling.
• Lower your leg with control, without arching your lower back.
• Keep your pelvis steady and your gaze down throughout.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

How it helps: Hernandez chose this move because “it targets the glutes while teaching hip extension without compensating through the lower spine.”

3. Fire hydrant

Video: Nicole Hernandez / Pilates Pros

Reps: 10 each side Rest: 15sec

How to do it:

• Stay on your hands and knees with your core gently engaged.
• Flex your right foot and, keeping your right knee bent at 90°, lift your right leg out to the side.
• Only lift as high as you can without shifting your weight or rotating your torso.
• Hold the position for a moment before lowering slowly back down.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

How it helps: Fire hydrants are great for strengthening the outer hips and improving pelvic stability, which supports both the core and knees.

4. Bent-knee kickback to fire hydrant

Video: Nicole Hernandez / Pilates Pros

Reps: 10 each side Rest: 15sec

How to do it:

• Stay on your hands and knees with your core gently engaged.
• Flex your right foot and, keeping your right knee bent at 90° throughout, lift your right leg back and up so the sole of your right foot faces the ceiling.
• Lower your leg with control, without arching your lower back.
• Lift your right leg out to the side.
• Hold the position for a moment before lowering slowly back down.
• Move slowly, alternating between the two exercises, and avoid shifting your weight through the torso.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

How it helps: “This one combines hip extension and abduction to challenge balance, coordination and deep core stability,” says Hernandez.

You are not the only one with hip and/or knee problems—it’s one of the most popular topics on Fit&Well, so we take every opportunity we can to speak to experts for ways to help people struggling with stiff knees and tight hips.

“Knee and hip pain often stems from a lack of mobility, proper movement mechanics, and muscular imbalances,” says Jill Drummond, an experienced Pilates instructor for BODYBAR Pilates.

“Pilates targets these culprits by training you to establish all movement from a strong center, with proper posture and alignment, working through a full range of motion,” she adds.

While regular Pilates practice will help develop those attributes, Drummond highlighted four underused Pilates moves that are particularly beneficial for hip and knee stability.

Practice these moves and add them to your weekly workouts. Doing them consistently will help you achieve the best results.

1. Mermaid twist

Reps: 4-6 each side

• Sit on the floor with one leg bent in front of you and the other bent behind you, knees pointing in opposite directions.
• Extend both arms out to your sides at shoulder height, forming a T shape.
• Place the hand on the side of your front leg on the floor, by your hip.
• Reach your other arm up and over into a side bend, keeping both hips on the floor.
• Turn your chest toward your resting hand and place your other hand down on the floor.
• Pause briefly, leaning into the side twist.
• Slowly reverse the movement to return to your T shape position.
• Perform all the repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

2. Up-down

Reps: 4-6 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and extend your arms in front of you at shoulder height.
• Keeping your shoulders directly above your hips throughout, step your left foot behind you and bend both knees to lower so your left knee rests on the floor.
• Place your right knee on the floor next to your left.
• Step your right foot forward, so your right knee is directly above your right foot, then step your left foot forward to return to standing.
• Alternate your leading leg to work both sides evenly.

3. Runner’s lunge and twist

Reps: 4-6 each side

• Get on your hands and knees, then step both feet back to adopt a high plank position, with your hands under your shoulders and your body in a straight line.
• Step your right foot forward to the outside of your right hand.
• Lift your chest slightly to stretch your left hip flexor.
• Rotate your torso to the right and extend your right arm overhead, without overextending.
• Reverse the movements back to the high plank position, then repeat on the other side.
• Move slowly and with control, alternating sides with each rep.

4. Reverse kneeling leg variations

Reps: 6-8 per variation, each side

• Get on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Engage your core and, maintaining a stable torso throughout, perform the following variations, completing all the variations on one side, then repeating the sequence on the other side:
• Leg extension: Lift your right knee and foot just above the floor, then extend your right leg behind you to hip height. Reverse the movement so your right knee is bent and just above the floor under your hips.
• Side sweep: With your leg extended behind you at hip height, sweep your right foot out to the side then back to the center, keeping your leg at hip height.
• Lift and lower: With your leg extended behind you, lower so your toes gently tap the floor, then lift as high as your mobility allows.
• Hamstring curl: Holding your right leg behind you at hip height, flex your foot and bend your knee to approximately 90°. Bend your knee further to bring your foot closer to your torso, then return to a 90° bend.

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.

Brittni Johnson is a certified Pilates instructor (NCPT) with a background in competitive gymnastics and professional dance.

Highly skilled across multiple modalities, including reformer, mat-based and spine corrector, she now specializes in Pilates for seniors.

“My love for fitness started when I was young,” says the BetterMe instructor.

“I was a competitive gymnast for 12 years and with that came a lot of conditioning, which became my favorite part of the sport. I was just a little girl who was obsessed with getting stronger.”

Johnson went on to pursue a dance career, which led her to Pilates to keep her body strong and supple. “It really served me well in terms of injury prevention and longevity within my dance career,” she tells Fit&Well from her home in California.

From the stage to the studio, she’s been teaching Pilates for eight years and practicing it for 18, but one of her driving forces is to help everyone embrace exercise like she has.

“I try to keep [my routine] pretty well-rounded,” she says. “A little bit of weights, a little bit of Pilates, a little bit of cardio. I’ve always been a really active person—I just can’t sit still.

“I know that doesn’t always come naturally for everybody, so my goal as a trainer is to help create that lifestyle for people so that [being active] becomes second nature—they get up and work out the same way they get up and brush their teeth.”

While exercise has become her way of life, she admits it can often be a struggle to fit everything in, so further below she’s provided tips for building a realistic workout routine you can stick to.

“For me,” she says, “it’s all about the long game—staying healthy, injury prevention, keeping your body healthy and strong.”

Here, Johnson shares a snapshot of a typical week in her Pilates pumps.

Brittni Johnson’s Weekly Workout Routine

Johnson says she tends to work out first thing in the morning, typically between 6 and 9am.

Monday
60-90min upper-body push/pull strength workout

Tuesday
60min BetterMe mat-based Pilates and lots of steps

Wednesday
60-90min lower-body strength workout

Thursday
Active recovery walk and mobility

Friday
60-90min upper-body and core strength workout

Saturday
Cardio and 60min BetterMe mat-based Pilates

Sunday
Rest day

Brittni Johnson’s advice for building a workout routine

Johnson says she typically teaches 10 Pilates classes per week, works with three or four individual clients and tries to squeeze in 10-12 hours of exercise for herself.

However, like anyone with a busy schedule, she acknowledges it can sometimes be difficult to prioritize her own health and fitness.

“Sometimes it’s a struggle to make time for yourself,” she says, “but carving out this time is so important.” Here are the failsafes she bakes into her routine when time is tight.

Make your workouts shorter

If you’re running low on time, simply make your workout shorter and focus on the exercises that target multiple muscle groups at once, like squats and deadlifts.

“You don’t always have to hit three or four sets per exercise,” says Johnson. “Twenty minutes is better than nothing.”

Take exercise snacks

Johnson similarly encourages her clients to snack more.

“Exercise snack breaks, like a 10-minute mobility flow or 10 minutes of walking between meetings, can be really beneficial.

“You don’t need to complete a full workout. Just make sure you’re moving your body throughout the day and try to avoid being too sedentary for too long.”

Walk between meetings

If time is so short you don’t even have time to get into your workout gear and exercise, Johnson says taking a walk can help give your mind and muscles a boost.

“Simply going for a walk, especially outside if it’s a nice day, can work wonders for both mental and physical health,” she says.

If hip strength is a focus for you this year, there’s one move that can help you achieve it more effectively than other moves, according to Pilates instructor Nina Popp at Life Time.

Popp says that the side-lying leg lift can strengthen your hips, thighs and abdominal muscles.

“By practicing this move, you can see benefits in not only your Pilates practice, but in your standing posture as well,” she says.

“You’ll also notice better hip control while walking, and even when doing higher-intensity exercises such as running, cycling or swimming.”

By strengthening the hip abductor muscles in your outer hips, the side-lying leg lift “promotes balance and teaches your legs how to work from the core,” says Popp.

Try adding this move into your workouts or doing it on its own a couple of times a week to see results.

How to do side-lying leg lift

Popp emphasises the importance of setting yourself up in the right position to perform the move correctly.

Reps: 5-10 each side

• Lie on your side, propped up on your elbow, forming a straight line through your elbow, ribs and hips.
• Position your legs at an obtuse angle, halfway between straight and 45°.
• Place your top hand in front of your chest for support.
• Ensure your shoulders, hips and ankles are stacked and your lower foot and ankle are flat on the floor.
• Raise your top leg to hip height, then kick it forward toward you, then back as far as you can.
• Work in a range of motion where you can keep your shoulders and hips stacked, and your chest lifted.

Make it easier: Reduce the range of motion by not lifting your top leg so high, just a few inches off the floor. You can also keep your big toe lightly brushing the floor as you slide it forward and back for extra support.

Make it harder: Place your top hand behind your head, elbow pointing up. This adds some instability, making it more challenging to balance.

Pilates is a great type of exercise for building core strength because it targets all of the muscles in your torso, including the deep-lying ones that support the spine, which help you to maintain good posture and balance.

Movements tend to be slow and controlled, which means you have to work hard to keep your body stable as you move. When you strengthen the core in this way, it builds endurance and can also reduce the chances of experiencing lower back pain.

If you’ve never tried Pilates before and want a few basic exercises to get started, the five-move workout below is for you. All you need is a mat and 10 minutes to spare. It’s great for slipping into the start of your day before anyone else gets up.

How to do this workout

Perform the workout as a circuit, doing all of the following five exercises in sequence to complete one round. Do each exercise for 40 seconds and take 15 seconds of rest before doing the next move. Rest for 50 seconds between rounds. Perform two rounds in total.

Workout overview

1. Bird dog
2. Modified hundred
3. Toe tap
4. Glute bridge
5. Lying leg lift and toe tap

1. Bird dog

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

How to do it:

• Get on your hands and knees, with your shoulders directly above your wrists and your hips directly above your knees.
• Engage your core, then extend your left arm forward and right leg behind you, keeping your back and hips as still as possible.
• Lower your arm and leg to your starting position and repeat on the other side.

2. Modified hundred

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

This move is called the hundred because you’re meant to do this pumping action 100 times, but for beginners, just stick to the 40 seconds at first.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and gently press your lower back into the mat.
• Raise your legs to tabletop position, bringing your knees directly above your hips and bending them to 90°.
• Lift your head and shoulders off the floor, looking up at the ceiling rather than towards your knees to avoid straining your neck.
• Lift your arms just off the floor, then pump them up and down at pace, inhaling for five pumps and exhaling for five pumps.

3. Toe tap

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and gently press your lower back into the mat.
• Raise your legs to tabletop position, bringing your knees directly above your hips and bending them to 90°.
• Keeping your left knee bent at 90°, carefully lower your left leg until your left foot gently taps the floor.
• Carefully return to tabletop position and repeat on the other side.

4. Glute bridge

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
• Lift your hips, squeezing your glutes until your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Pause at the top for a second, then lower back down to the mat.

5. Lying leg lift and toe tap

Time: 40sec Rest: 65sec

How to do it:

• Lie on left your side, propped up on your left elbow, with your right leg on top of your left.
• Slowly raise your right leg as far as is comfortable, then lower it to the start.
• Then move your right leg forward, rotating your hip to tap your toes on the floor in front of you, then tap it behind you, then return to the starting position.
• Switch sides for the second round.

Welcome to Fit&Well’s Gym Bag Essentials, a series asking expert trainers, coaches, writers and product testers what they won’t leave home without.

There are a few staples that Brittni Johnson has come to rely on—whether travelling to the gym for a morning strength session, teaching clients mat-based Pilates in person, enjoying an evening reformer class or clearing her head with a weekend run.

Here, the Pilates instructor (NCPT) at BetterMe provides a rundown of the training gear and nutritional supplements she carries with her.