Seven Pilates moves for beginners that will help you develop strength all over

Get started with resistance training using this bodyweight routine

Man doing Pilates bridge pose in apartment
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Bodyweight exercises are a great way to build strength, particularly if you're new to resistance training and don't know where to start.

Personal trainer and Pilates instructor Katy Bath recently shared a beginner-friendly bodyweight routine that strengthens muscles across the body. It's a Pilates-style workout, featuring seven slow, controlled movements designed to build strength and improve posture and coordination.

You don't need any equipment for this workout except for a yoga mat, so it's a great one to do from home or a quiet corner of the gym.

How to do Katy Bath's workout

A post shared by Katy Bath | Pilates by Katy

A photo posted by katybath on

Complete 10 repetitions (reps) of each exercise, completing the reps on both sides of the body if it's a unilateral exercise. Repeat this a few times to challenge yourself and maximize the strengthening benefits of this routine.

Benefits of this workout

Pilates is a brilliant, low-impact way to build strength without putting pressure on joints like the hips and the knees, as other weight-bearing exercises might do.

The practice puts a particular emphasis on strengthening your core muscles, which are your mid-body muscles located in your trunk and hips. Building these muscles can improve your posture and support your lower back. This is particularly important if you spend a lot of time sitting, which can weaken your core muscles.

Some of the moves in this routine, such as the opposite reach and waist lift, require you to move different body parts simultaneously while keeping a balanced core. Exercises like this can boost your coordination and help you develop your mind-muscle connection.

Practicing this workout once or twice a week will help you gradually build strength and eventually move on to more challenging Pilates routines, such as this power Pilates workout for core strength.

Alice Porter
Freelancer Writer

Alice Porter is a freelance journalist covering lifestyle topics including health, fitness and wellness. She is particularly interested in women's health, strength training and fitness trends and writes for publications including Stylist Magazine, Refinery29, The Independent and Glamour Magazine. Like many other people, Alice's personal interest in combining HIIT training with strength work quickly turned into a CrossFit obsession and she trains at a box in south London. When she's not throwing weights around or attempting handstand push-ups, you can probably find her on long walks in nature, buried in a book or hopping on a flight to just about anywhere it will take her.