Pilates is commonly associated with floor exercises on a mat or Reformer workouts using a dedicated machine, but you can gain the strength-building benefits of Pilates while standing.
This 20-minute standing workout has been created by certified Pilates instructor and YouTuber FitLara, and it’s designed to be a low-impact way to strengthen muscles all over the body while improving your balance and stability.
It’s an accessible session that people of all fitness levels can try, and you don’t need any equipment to do the workout, though rolling out one of the best yoga mats will give you better grip.
Watch FitLara’s 20-minute standing Pilates workout
Lara does the workout with you and leads you through the whole thing, giving tips for each move as well as guiding your breathing.
Make sure you can see and hear Lara for advice on posture in particular, as she guides you into the right position at every step and helps make you more aware of your body in a way that will translate well to other workouts.
The session is a flow, moving from exercise to exercise smoothly. This helps the time fly by, especially if you focus on your breathing to control your movements.
Throughout the workout, maintaining good form is vital to engaging the right parts of the body, including the deep stabilizing muscles, so it’s important not to rush through any moves. Focus on controlling your movement, maintaining good posture and staying aware of the muscles you’re trying to work at all times.
To improve your balance, the workout involves several exercises where you stand on one leg at a time. If you’re concerned about falling, then you could do the session near a table or chair you can lean on during these exercises.
As well as strengthening your muscles, the session works as a full-body stretch, and if you fully engage with the flow there’s certainly a mindful element too. It will help you switch off from the worries of your day and focus on moving in a stable and controlled manner.
With no floor moves or jumping exercises in the session, it’s certainly a low-impact workout accessible to those looking to limit the stress on their joints.
This also means it’s a workout you can do several times a week without worrying you’re putting too much stress into the body. If you have the time, it’s a session you can do every day.
Consistency is certainly the key for maintaining strength and stability throughout the body, so the more often you can train with workouts like this, the better.
If you find you can complete the session comfortably, it will be worth progressing with more challenging workouts. You could do this by holding light weights during this workout, or moving on to tougher standing sessions like this 20-minute cardio blast.
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