Pilates focuses on toning different parts of the body. There are a number of exercises which you can perform at home. Some exercises are geared towards helping you lose weight.
Before we discuss the Pilates exercises for weight loss, we should first know the benefits of Pilates exercises. Moreover, we shall also be looking into equipment that may be used when performing these exercises.
Benefits of Pilates
There are number of health benefits that you can obtain from practicing Pilates exercises. It aims to strengthen your physical and mental health. Here are some of the specific health benefits for Pilates:
- Improvement of flexibility
- Balancing of strength of muscles to improve control of limbs and back
- Stabilization of spine
- Improvement of posture
- Enhancement of physical balance and coordination
Exercises for Weight Loss
Pilates exercises can also help you to lose weight. You can easily do this at the comfort of your own home. Provided below are some of the Pilates exercises that you can do at home.
1. Heel Ups
To keep your leg in shape, you can try the jogging or heel ups exercise. You can complete the exercise by doing the following:
- Place your elbows on your side and maintain the position throughout the exercise
- Start jogging by lifting your knees up to the height of your hips.
- After eight repetitions, start reaching your bottom with your heels in a kicking motion.
- You can repeat the jogging ang kicking exercises a few times or start the next exercise.
2. Plank
It is also important to tone your arm muscles. This exercise can help you strengthen your arms. Here are the steps in how to do this easy exercise.
- Stand facing the mat. Inhale as you ring up you bring up your arms
- Squeeze your inner part of your tights together
- Exhale as you slowly bring down your arms and head
- Keep your abdominal muscles scooped and slowly put your hands on the mat
- Your head should be in parallel with your knees
- Move your hands forward until you reach a plank position
- Make sure that you are balanced using the tips of your toes
- Jump your feet by opening and closing your legs for six repetitions
- Walk your way back to your original position and repeat the sequences for two more times
3. Footwork on Pilates Chair
Finding the best Pilates chair can be beneficial to you as it can help on some exercises such as this one. You can check out the best Pilates chair – our 2017 top picks are rounded up here!
This footwork exercise strengthens your feet and legs. Moreover, it can also improve the flexibility of your angle and foot.
- Sit on an upright position at the edge of the Pilates chair
- Place both of your feet on the top of the pedal
- Push the pedal down and up by working with your toes, heels, and middle of your foot
- You can utilize different feet variation while pushing the pedal down and up. Make sure that you keep your legs in place while doing so.
- Repeat the steps for up to 20 more times
4. Balancing with Stability Ball
You can also use a stability ball to help you in the exercises. It is a great addition to your Pilates workout.
- With your both hands placed on hips, sit still on top of the exercise ball
- Maintain a straight back by imagining a string on top that is pulling your head up
- Place your feet on the base in front of the stability ball
- Lift one of your foot from the floor and maintain the position for around four seconds
- Repeat on each leg, finishing eight times per leg
Final Thoughts
Pilates can be performed at your home. It is a great way to maintain a healthy mind and body without spending money and time in the gym. This eliminates the hassle of travelling as everything is already available in your home.
If you are trying to lose weight, there are Pilates exercises that target certain areas in the body for toning. You can also employ different Pilates equipment such as Pilates chair and stability ball to help amp up your exercise routine.