Why is Pilates the best exercise for core muscles and strength?
Pilates is one of the best exercises for core muscles and strength because it forces you to use different muscles during one exercise. You always keep your core engaged and work your inner or outer thighs, your biceps, your hips. It does not bulk; it’s used to tone and lean your body.
Pilates really strengthens and balances your core which essentially is the foundation of your body, so over time you will not only develop better posture and flexibility, but also increase your muscle strength and tone.
Let’s start with a little warm up I love to do to get my heart rate up and my muscles to warm up!
Warm up:
Feet a bit further than hip width distance apart, take a breath as you lift your arms to the ceiling and drop down to touch the floor to stretch your hamstrings and keep your core engaged. Let’s do 8 of those!
High knees! Bring your knees high up to your chest, for 8!
Otherway: Bum kicks! Kick your bums as hard as you can with your feet, for 8!
Stop and immediately go into a squat, your back is straight, stay as low as you can as you lower and lift one heel at a time: 8 heel lifts (each feet!) On the last one, lift both heels at the same time and lower for 10!
Alright, let’s get down to business!
Pilates workout:
On your mat: Go into a bridge position but sit straight on your hands, curve your pelvic bone and lift your bum up, push your knees out and lower back down; 10 times!
Now you can lie back down into a normal bridge, your head, neck and back are on your mat, knees are lifted, feet are planted on the mat, round your pelvic bone and lift one vertebrae at a time until you are at the top, keep your ribs down for your lower back to be fully supported!
Lower and lift for 10 and add the arms that swing behind your head as you lift back up!
On the last one, stay lifted and pulse your knees out for 10.
On the last one you are going to stay lifted and lift one leg straight up to the sky, lower and lift that leg for 10! Other leg, same thing.
The dead bug: On your mat, lie fully on your back and lift your legs into table top at a 90* Angle and your arms are lifted in front of your chest to the ceiling, one leg lowers as the opposite arms lowers straight behind your head and alternate legs and arms. 10 of them!
On your mat, on your back, place your hands right under your bum, lift your legs up at table top, touch both soles of your feet together so your legs will look like a diamond shape, lower your toes to your mat, touch and lift back up, for 10!
On your hands and knees, hands are positioned directly under your shoulders, neck is long, back is straight, flex your feet and lift your knees 1 inch from the floor and pulse your knees out for 15!
Repeat this series one more time 🙂 and don’t forget to breathe!
Lara Pictet, who is the lead star in new film By Light Of Desert Night which is out now on Sky Store and will be available on Amazon Prime and other digital platforms later this month!