5 Pilates Tips You Should Know
When you are new to Pilates, it can all seem very intimidating. Maybe you’ve heard amazing things and wanted to try it, but something was holding you back. But now this is your sign to give it a try and start Pilates! #LETSSTARTPILATES
I love doing, teaching, and educating people about Pilates. I’ve been doing it for 9 years now and am just so passionate about this beautiful mindful movement that I got certified to teach it. (Well, I even wrote a book about it!)
Pilates has so many benefits for your mind and body. It is the most balanced, effective and mindful movement to get flexible and strong. Especially once you find an instructor you love and a routine you can stick to. In this post, you’ll learn my top five tips to get the most out of your Pilates workouts, whether you do it at home or take a group class.
Why should you care? Because all of these tips will help you:
Maximize the benefits of your practice
Improve your alignment and form
Get better results
Move more mindfully and stay centered
Prevent injuries and tension
1. Breathe.
Breathing should be the foundation of your Pilates practice. It’s actually the #1 Pilates Principle you learn in my ebook, Let’s Start Pilates. That’s because it’s a key principle that helps you prepare for the movements and connect in with your mind and body. In Pilates, we encourage inhaling through the nose, exhaling out through the mouth, engaging your abs while you do so. This breathing technique will encourage you to move mindfully and stay centered and stable as you flow from one move to the other.
2. Slow Down.
You might be tempted to think the faster you do the exercises, the better results you would get. However the truth is it’s always better go slow and activate your muscles properly than doing the exercises too quickly with bad form. You should always focus on your form and alignment over your speed. Think of “Quality over quantity.” Always.
3. Core, core, core.
Always keep your core engaged to stabilize and protect your spine. Even during more leg or arm focused exercises, your abdominals and glute muscles should be active. Because every single exercise in Pilates uses every part of the body (especially your core muscles) giving you a full body workout. This will also help you get the full body benefits of doing Pilates with every exercise you do.
Download your Free Pilates Core Routine
4 Core Exercises with step-by-step Instructions and Pictures.
I want it all!
Only the good stuff, no spams. Unsubscribe at any time.
4. Take Your Pilates Practice to Real Life
Pilates gives us a better posture and body awareness during our practice. So, try to apply what we learn about keeping a good posture and engaging your core to the rest of your day. When you walk, stand or sit, try to relax your shoulders, and keep pulling the shoulder blades down and away from your ears.
5. Create a Routine That Works For Your Schedule
It’s so helpful to have a Pilates routine, a) because it will help you be more consistent, b) because you will see better result and progress faster. Sure, you can just do a random 5 minute Pilates workout on Youtube, but that probably isn’t your best option if you want to see the results you want and get all the benefits of Pilates.
That’s why I’ve included my 4+ week Pilates program in my guide as a free bonus for you.
Once you download my guide, you will know exactly what to do each week with my full body routines that are only 20-30 minutes long. You can do all the exercises at the comfort of your home without any equipment. Commit to your wellbeing and start a mindful Pilates practice today. Your mind and body will be transformed.
