One of the great things about mat Pilates is that it requires minimal to no equipment, yet studies have shown it can still increase strength across our body. Take this workout from Annabel Luke, Founder of Pilates By Bel, for example. Not only does it help develop stronger arms and shoulders with just six bodyweight moves, but it will also engage your core muscles to aid better posture and balance.
"This workout also helps to increase your mobility and range of motion around the shoulder joint, which helps to keep pain at bay and reduce the risk of injury," says Annabel. "Additionally, regular upper body Pilates workouts will promote better posture by strengthening the shoulder girdle, helping to relieve tension and stress in the upper body, which will lead to greater physical freedom and overall wellbeing."
The 10 minute workout
All these exercises should be performed as a sequence, where you flow from one move into the next. Although no weights are required, if you want to increase the intensity, Annabel says you can use a light pair of dumbbells, wrist weights, or you could use two small water bottles. Work your way through the exercises below, performing each one for 12 reps. Once you've completed an entire round, take a few seconds breather, then repeat the workout two more times. Make sure your gym water bottle is nearby incase you need it. Here's your workout:
1. Lateral to front raise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight softness in your knees. Lengthen your arms down by your sides with palms facing in toward your body
- Raise your arms out to either side of your body until they are in line with your shoulders and parallel to the floor, forming a T-shape
- Ensure your shoulders, elbows and wrists are all in line with one another
- Keep your arms lengthened as you slide them in front of your shoulders to a front raise position
- With control, lower your arms down in front of you, palms facing towards your legs
- Reverse the direction for your next rep, starting with a front raise, then sliding out to a lateral raise, then lowering your arms back down to your sides with palms facing in toward your body
2. Scapula squeeze
- From the previous exercise, keep your arms lengthened out either side of your body in a lateral raise position, with palms now facing backward
- Press your palms back behind you to squeeze your shoulder blades together, as if you are trying to pinch a pencil between them
- Hold the squeeze for a second or two, feeling the contraction in your upper back muscles
- Release the squeeze, allowing your shoulder blades to return to their natural position and hands to return back in line with your shoulders
3. Ceiling reach to tricep press
- Start with your arms in a front raise position, fully extended from your shoulders through to your fingertips
- Raise both extended arms overhead towards the ceiling, keeping them close to your ears and palms facing forward at the top
- Maintaining the extension in your arms, slide them down and press slightly behind your body until you feel your triceps activate with your palms facing behind you
- From this tricep press position, raise both arms overhead again and repeat
4. Shoulder press
- Start with your elbows bent and lifted in line with your shoulders, hands up above your elbows and palms facing forward
- Press your arms upwards to the ceiling until they are fully extended above your head. Your arms should be in line with your ears, with your hands slightly separated and palms still facing forward
- Slowly bend and lower your arms back to the start position, with elbows in line with your shoulders
5. Tricep extension
- Start with your arms fully extended above your head and palms pressing in to touch one another
- Lower your hands behind your head by bending your elbows until your forearms are at about a 90-degree angle with your upper arms. Only your forearms should move, while your upper arms remain stationary
- Press your hands back up until fully extended in the start position
6. Sumo squat + oblique + overhead reach
- Stand with your legs and feet wide and your toes turned out to about a 45-degree angle
- Place your hands behind your head with elbows flared out to the sides so your chest remains open
- Bend your knees and lower your hips into a sumo squat position, keeping your knees tracking out and over your toes
- While holding the squat position, tilt your torso to the right, bringing your right elbow down towards your right thigh with your left elbow up and your gaze forward
- Then, extend your left arm over your head into a long reach
- Bend your left arm back to your head and return to centre with your torso upright
- Repeat the same tilt and reach to your left side, feeling the stretch and engagement in your right oblique
- Bend your right arm back to your head and return to centre with your torso upright.
- Stand up out of your sumo squat by pushing through your heels and straightening your legs
- Return to the starting position with your hands behind your head.
