Build strength and boost your flexibility in just 15 minutes with this express Pilates routine
No need for weights, treadmills, or machines
If you’re looking for a quick way to get moving this week, look no further. This Pilates routine doesn’t require equipment but will boost your flexibility and strength in just 15 minutes.
The session comes from certified Pilates and yoga instructor, Nicole Mcpherson (Move With Nicole on social media), and is described as an "express" workout. Despite this, Mcpherson is still controlled in her flow, working through the moves with concentration and control to get the most out of them.
Watch Move With Nicole’s Pilates workout
The routine is fully guided by Mcpherson, so whether you’re a seasoned Pilates fan or new to the practice, you’ll be able to follow along with her demonstrations. She says you can spend a little longer in each move if you need more time to get a feel for them, so feel free to hit pause when you need to.
Benefits of Pilates
Pilates improves your strength and flexibility simultaneously. It's a low-impact form of exercise, designed to put less stress on your joints. If you find high-impact training like running or HIIT hard on your joints or you have an injury then routines like this will give you a more gentle workout. No equipment is needed, although you may want to do it on a yoga mat to cushion yourself from a hard floor.
Pilates is also great for building your core, a collection of mid-body muscles that are involved in most of your everyday movements. They connect your upper and lower body and help you transfer power between the two areas. The muscles in this area also play a pivotal role in your balance, posture, and spinal stability, so strengthening them can have all kinds of positive effects.
If you want more quick routines like this one, have a look at our five-minute Pilates workout or try this quick Pilates abs workout.
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Lois Mackenzie is a Fitness Writer for Fit&Well and its sister site Coach, covering strength training workouts with weights, accessible ways to stay active at home, and training routines for runners. She joined the team from Newsquest Media Group, where she was a senior sports, trends, and lifestyle reporter. She is a dedicated runner, having just completed her first marathon, and an advocate for spending time outdoors, whether on a walk, taking a long run, or swimming in the sea.
Lois holds a Master's degree in Digital Journalism, and has written for Good Health, Wellbeing & The Great Outdoors, Metro.co.uk, and Newsquest Media Group, where her reporting was published in over 200 local newspapers.
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