Movement

Pilates Flow To Strengthen And Sculpt

Pilates is a great way to strengthen your core muscles and helps you bend and stretch better. If you want to shape up and get fitter, try these eight Pilates exercises.

By URLife Team

27 Mar 2024

Pilates is a set of exercises meant to make your body better by sculpting muscles, making sure your body is in the right shape, and helping you move more efficiently.

It's good exercise for making the small, deep muscles in your body stronger. People often say it works from the inside out. According to a 2010 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, in active middle-aged men and women, exposure to Pilates exercise for 12 weeks, for two 60-minute sessions per week, was enough to promote statistically significant increases in abdominal endurance, hamstring flexibility, and upper-body muscular endurance.

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Does Pilates Help You Get a Strong Core?

Short answer, yes! Having a strong core is super important for your overall fitness. It's not just about visible muscles, but inner strength too. Your core includes deeper muscles like the transverse abdominis, as well as your hips, lower back, and pelvic floor. Pilates has lots of exercises that can help strengthen your core muscles. A strong core can also stop lower back pain, which is important for overall health. There are loads of good core exercises out there, and uses body weight and resistance to build strength and muscles. But Pilates focuses specifically on your core, so it's a great choice for working those muscles. Strengthening these muscles helps keep your body balanced and steady, keeps your posture right, protects your spine, and helps you move better.

Plus, if you're new to Pilates, adding it to your routine can give your muscles a new challenge, which is always good!

Why Choose Pilates?

One of the best things about Pilates is that it is easily accessible and can be performed with minimal equipment too. This also means that you need not go to a gym or studio to do pilates exercise, it can be done in the comfort of your home. The health benefits of Pilates include:

Boosts core strength
Enhances flexibility and mobility
Improves balance
Decreases lower back pain
Promotes better posture
Aids in rehabilitating certain injuries
Can assist with weight loss and weight management

Pilates: Strengthening and Sculpting Exercises

For building strength, Pilates is great for improving flexibility, balance, coordination, and breath awareness. It's suitable for everyone, with lots of exercises for beginners and more advanced options for those who want a challenge.

1. Leg Circles

Lie on your back with your arms down by your sides, palms facing down.
Bend your left knee and place your left foot flat on the floor. Straighten your right leg up so it's straight up in the air.
Move your right leg in a circle out to the side, down towards the ground, and then back to the starting position. Keep your lower back on the floor and make the circle as big as you can.
Reverse the circle. Do all the repetitions on one leg, then switch and repeat on the other leg.

2. One Hundred

Lie on your back with your lower back flat against the floor.
Keep your thighs together and lift your legs up at a 45-degree angle, pointing your toes.
If your lower back feels strained, you can bend your knees and hold your legs in a tabletop position.
Engage your core muscles and lift your head and shoulders off the mat, forming a "C" shape with your neck.
Extend your arms down beside your body.
Pump your arms up and down for 100 counts, breathing in for 5 counts and out for 5 counts as you do so.

3. Bicycle Crunch

Lie flat on the floor with your back against the ground.
Place your hands next to your head and lift your shoulders off the mat.
Bend your knees and lift your legs, creating a tabletop position.
Bring your right knee toward your chest while straightening your left leg. At the same time, twist your body so your left elbow touches your right knee.
Repeat the movement on the other side, ensuring that your legs and shoulders stay off the ground throughout the exercise.

4. Rotating Planks

Start in a side plank position. If you're advanced, stack your feet on top of each other. If you're a beginner, bend your lower leg and place your knee on the floor. Support your weight on your elbow.
Keep your hips in line and raise your upper hand toward the sky. Thread that hand under your body, twisting your torso.
Go back to the starting position. Try to do 15 repetitions on each side. Make sure to do the movements slowly and with control.

5. Roll-Ups

Begin by lying on your back with your arms stretched out overhead.
Slowly roll up, reaching towards your toes.
Then, slowly roll back down.
Make sure to keep your abs engaged the entire time.

6. Single Leg Stretch

Lie on your back.
Bring both knees in towards your chest and place your hands on your shins.
Lift your head up off the floor.
Extend one leg out at a time, switching sides.
Keep your lower back pressed against the floor and your core muscles engaged the entire time.

Related story: Yoga Is For Everyone

7. Double Leg Stretch

Lie on your back with your face up.
Bring both knees towards your chest and curl your head up, placing your hands on your knees.
Extend both legs out in front of you while reaching your arms overhead. Keep your lower back pressed against the floor and try to straighten your legs.
Circle your arms out and around back to your knees as you pull your knees back in towards your chest.

8. Scissor Kick

Begin by lying on your back with your hands under your hips.
Lift both legs off the ground.
Alternate crossing one leg over the other.
Keep your abs engaged throughout the movement to maintain control and stability.

Pilates is an excellent method for toning your body and boosting your fitness level. Incorporating these eight Pilates exercises into your workout can enhance your core strength, posture, and flexibility. To learn more about Pilates and other exercise methods, consider checking out UR.Life's Digital Classes for valuable knowledge and skills.

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