Exercising is a great way to maintain your body healthy and stay fit. You will have more youthful skin, better brain health, and memory, and a better mood throughout the day, if you workout. But what if you don’t have time or money to go to the gym for regular workouts? Fortunately, you can now lose weight and tone your body with simple exercises that you can do at home. In this article, we will present the best five Pilates workout for toning and weight loss.

What Is Pilates And How Does It Work?

Pilates is a form of physical activity which aims to improve posture and strengthens lean muscle. It is not as energy-consuming compared to a typical exercise routine. But you can still get leaner muscles and other health benefits such as improved posture and more maintainable body weight.

Pilates focuses on training the whole body, which makes it different from other exercise routines. It develops the muscles in a balanced way. Because of this, your body will be stronger without being buff. That’s done by improving muscles in the back, pelvic floor, as well as abdomen. A lot of people usually prefer Pilates because it is accessible and doesn’t rely on fancy equipment. All you need is a mat and a set of comfortable clothes.

Keep in mind that Pilates is not designed for miraculous weight loss or out of the world core strengthening. Additionally, it is not a high-impact workout, which means this is more of a slow burn. Pilates adds the movement you do in a day to burn more calories. The more you do Pilates, the more calories you burn, and the more fat you lose. Here are the five pilates exercises which you can do at home.

5 Pilates Workout You Can Do At Home

1.   Plank-To-Pike

Plank to Pike is an exercise that will work your core muscles, especially your hips and abs. First, you need to do the plank position, in which you’re facing the floor while your hands are supporting your upper body weight. Next, pull your hips up and into the pike position which should look similar to this / while keeping your legs straight as possible without locking your knees. Jump back to your plank position and repeat this ten reps for two or three sets.

2.   Swimming

First, lie on your stomach while keeping both of your hands and legs straight and not touching the floor. Then, lift each of your legs, chest, arms, and head in one count, alternately repeating this step while breathing normally. Both hands and legs should not touch the ground. Finish this exercise after counting from 1 to 10 as you swim. You should lift your hands and legs higher the longer you count from 1-10.

3.   Kneeling Side Kicks

Side Kick Kneeling is an exercise that targets both abdominals and glutes. The main objective of this exercise is to strengthen the torso and improve balance coordination. To make this move, you need first to kneel using your left knee while your other knee is lifted in a straight line. Your right hand should be resting in your head. Your left hand should be on the floor, providing support. Swing your right leg forward and back again. Do this for two minutes and sit down once you’re done with the exercise.

4.   Rolling Like A Cannonball

For this exercise, you might need a soft cushion for support. First, sit on the mat and support your knees using your hand. Take an inhale and roll yourself up to the shoulder part. Get back up while exhaling, make a pause, and then do the first instruction again. You can do this four to six times. This exercise helps release the tension in the back, as well as work the abdominals. Make sure that your hands are exerting the same force to exercise your abdominals equally. Also, make sure that the force that sends your body backward is your hands and not your upper body.

5.   Leg Pull

Leg Pull is an exercise that targets the back, the hamstrings, and the arm. First, you need to place your hands in your back as support. Extend both of your legs, so your body is in a diagonal line. Lift one of your legs while inhaling. Exhale when you return to your former position. Do this for both legs and hips six times.

Pilates isn’t just effective at toning your muscles, but it is also great for burning calories. Try these five pilates exercises and achieve amazing results.