For the last twenty years, I had been replacing workouts that made me happy with a no pain no gain mindset. Running became one of my go-tos, not because I liked it, but because I thought I had to do it to stay in shape. But by the time I was in my mid-30s, I was tired (my knees hurt and my back was tight). I thought there had to be a better way forward for my routine.
Discovering Pilates
That’s when I gave up my trainers for low impact barefoot happiness. I’m not the only one who loves Pilates. If you’re a loyal WH reader, you’ve probably noticed that many of the celebrities we’ve talked to have praised the method. But experts say it’s not a trend that only celebrities can follow. Fitness fads come and go, but Pilates has stood the test of time, says Carrie Campbell, who owns and teaches at Positively Pilates LLC in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Some people only do Pilates as their workout, while others use it as a way to cross train with other types of exercise. My body feels better now that I’ve been practicing for five years and got a certification. A lot of the stiffness in my back has gone away, and research backs this up. A recent review in the Postgraduate Medical Journal says that the method can help with chronic low back pain.
There are even more good things about it: According to a meta-analysis in Complementary Therapies in Medicine, Pilates can also help with depression and anxiety and improve overall mental health balance while supporting gentle body movement.
Meet the experts
Meet the experts: Carrie Campbell is a Pilates teacher and the owner of Positively Pilates LLC in Hoboken, New Jersey. Bridge Pilates in Brooklyn, New York, is owned and run by Blossom Leilani Crawford, who is known for extension based training and studio teaching.
Why Pilates Helps Runners
I’m not here to tell you to stop going to your favourite HIIT class or the track if you love it. But Pilates can help balance out pushing, pulling, and pounding. The International Journal of Sports Medicine says that one study even found that Pilates done clinically made recreational runners move better, which could mean fewer injuries later.
So, are you ready to get on the mat (or reformer)? Whether you want to do Pilates at home or in a studio, we’ve got the information you need to get started with beginner friendly Pilates routines.
A mat workout based on Reformer Pilates
Pro Blossom Leilani Crawford’s extension based flow will work your core, arms, back, and legs while creating balanced body strength and improving posture and mobility.
Work your feet
How to:
- Lie on your back with your head gently pressing into the floor, your arms by your sides, and your legs bent into a diamond shape with your feet flexed, your heels together, and your toes apart.
- Put your legs out at an angle that works your core but not your back.
- Point your toes.
- As you frog your legs in, bend your toes a little bit as if you were holding a pencil.
- That’s one rep; do ten.
Prone Hundred
How to:
- Lie on your stomach with your hands under your forehead and your legs straight.
- Lift your upper and lower body into a hover, making sure that the weight is evenly distributed between your ribs and pelvis.
- Count to five as you breathe in and out, clapping your feet on each count.
- That’s one rep. Do ten to get to your hundred.
Pulling Straps
How to:
- Lie down on your stomach with your arms around your face.
- Raise your upper body while keeping your rib cage down.
- Sweep your arms out and down until your palms touch your hips.
- Circle your arms back up and lengthen your neck as you lower your body to the floor.
- That’s one rep. Do it three to eight times.
Rowing
How to:
- Sit with your legs straight and your arms out in front of you.
- Keep your abs tight and pull your fists into your chest while rounding your back.
- Keep your position and open your arms to the side.
- Then bend your arms back in.
- Do between 3 and 8 reps.
Screwdriver
How to:
- Put your arms by your sides and your legs together at 12 o’clock.
- Move your legs in a circle around an imaginary clock face and back to 12.
- For the next rep, go in the opposite direction.
- That’s one group. Do three sets.
Lunge Stretch
How to:
- Begin with your right foot forward, your knee bent, and your left leg back with your heel up.
- To stretch your left hip and quad, bend and straighten your right leg a few times.
- Change sides.
Balance
How to:
- Put your heels together and your toes apart, and stand up straight with your hands behind your head.
- Get up on your toes and pull your thighs together, then lower your heels.
- That’s one rep.
- Do eight to ten.
What is a reformer for Pilates
You may have seen that machine with springs and pulleys in a studio. Or you’ve watched a TikToker with an impossible amount grace practically fly off the thing. In either case, the reformer can be slightly intimidating first.
This machine was made by Joseph Pilates himself. Pilates was a German gymnast boxer, and sometimes circus performer. During World War I, he was held in England, where he began teaching other prisoners the system he was perfecting at the time, which was called Contrology training system.
Many of his students were hurt or even bedridden, so Pilates got creative and attached springs to bed frames. This made resistance training easier and led to the development of reformer machine.
Today, the machine has a moving bed, also known as a carriage, that works with and against spring based resistance. There are a lot of good things about doing Pilates on a reformer. It was made with proper body alignment in mind.
There are blocks that stop your shoulders from shrugging up to your ears. Campbell says that putting your feet on the foot bar puts your pelvis in a neutral body position. The spring system also makes concentric and eccentric work possible.
You’re probably asking yourself, is the reformer harder than the mat. Yes and no. The springs make it harder for you to work against them, but they also help your body stay up against the pull of gravity.
Are you ready for your first class? Awesome. Wear clothes that fit well properly so your teacher can see how you’re lined up. Last but not least, don’t be too hard on yourself. Just have fun.
