This 30-Minute Full-Body Pilates Workout Is a Low Impact Way to Get Your Sweat On


There are some workouts that you dread (but are so grateful for once they're over), and some workouts that you actually look forward to sweating through. Sorry HIIT boot camps, we love you, but Pilates gives out the warm and fuzzies (along with a whole lotta sweat). The best part about it? You can get a 30-minute full body Pilates workout that is low-impact and requires zero equipment whatsoever.

In this week's episode of Well+Good's video series Good Moves, East River Pilates instructor Floss Brolsma is bringing us exactly that: a half-hour long Pilates sesh that works your core, lower body (including those glutes), and upper body all at once. "This is the perfect series to do if you're stuck at home," she says (as we all nod our head yes). "It involves zero props and you can do it absolutely anywhere."

Ready to flow and activate all of your muscles? Grab your mat and get started.

Try this 30-minute full body Pilates workout

Squat: Stack your ribcage on top of your pelvis as you're in standing position, relax your arms by your side, then exhale to sit into a squat as you raise your arms overhead. Think about sticking your sitz bones back into space while keeping your chest lifted and your abdominals tight.

Squat hold: Hold your squat at the bottom and breathe. Then pulse it out, moving slightly lower and higher into your squat.

Heel raises: Stand up and pull your shoulders away from your ears. Stick your arms out straight in front of you, exhale, and press your big toes down into the mat as you raise onto your tiptoes. Lower back down. Repeat, holding at the top, extending your arms to the side, then back front and lowering down.

Heel raise squat: With your arms out in front of you, squat down as you stay on your toes. Keep your ankles squeezing towards one another and press your big toes into the mat. Then hold it at the bottom.

Lunge—left: Take your left foot forward, right foot back, about a step distance in between. Distribute your weight equally in both feet, lift your back heel up, square the front of your body, tuck your tail, and come down into a lunge. Bend through the back knee and bring your body down, then come back up and repeat.

Lunge heel raise—left: Lean forward onto the front leg with your arms raised overhead, raise your back heel up, and stay tight in the waist as you lift up and down.

Curtsy lunge—left: Take your back leg around to the other side behind you and squeeze down into a curtsy lunge, squeezing your glutes.

Repeat the lunge series on the right side. 

Plank: Come down into a plank with your feet hip-width distance apart, belly pulled in, shoulders away from your ears.

Plank march: Lift one foot up to hip height, place it down. Repeat with the other leg, and alternate, keeping as steady as possible.

Side plank—right: Stack your heels on top of each other, bring your left arm overhead, lean into your right hand as you raise into a side plank. Lift up through that bottom hip.

Side plank hip dip—right: While lifted in the side plank, raise and lower your hips while keeping everything in line.

Side plank with leg lift—right: Lift your top leg up, then lower it back down, staying in the side plank.

Bent leg lift—left: Come down onto your side with your knees bent in front of you. Lift your top leg halfway, then slowly lower it back down. Try to only move from your hip joint.

Leg circle—right: Straighten your top leg, flex your foot, and draw circles with that leg. The smaller the circle, the easier it is. Then switch directions.

Leg lift pulse—right: With your top leg lifted, do 10 pulses up and down.

Repeat the plank series on the left side.

Hover: Come onto your hands and knees, hands underneath the shoulders, knees under your hips. Tuck your toes under, pull shoulders away from your ears, and hover your knees an inch off of the floor. Find length through your spine and hold.

Hover march: Step one leg out straight into a plank, with your hips remaining level, then walk back to the over position. Switch to your other leg, then alternate, never letting your knees come to the floor.

Table top leg extension: From tabletop position, exhale and extend one leg out behind you to hip height. Slide it back and alternate legs. Keep your chest lifted and stay long in the neck, with your pelvis still.

Leg + arm extension: Keep doing the table top leg extension, but as one leg extends, reach the opposite arm straight in front of you. Then alternate.

Bridge lift: Come onto your back, place your hands by your side, and flip the palms up. Your feet are hip width distance apart on floor. Tuck your pelvis, squeeze your glutes, and push up into a bridge. Take tiny pulses up and down.

Bridge with leg lift: With your hips raised, raise one leg into tabletop position. Float it back down, then switch legs, and repeat.

Bridge with arm extension: In a bridge lift, take your arms overhead, then reach them back up to the sky. Repeat as you breathe.

Bridge lift with leg lift—right: Pulse at the top of the bridge with your right leg in tabletop position.

Bridge lift with leg lift—left: Repeat this with your left leg lifted.

Toe taps: Lie on your back with your knees bent, arms behind the back of your head. Pull up into a Pilates sit-up and hold as you bring both legs into tabletop position. Tap one toe down towards the floor, then alternate side to side. Keep your pelvis still.

Pilates sit-up: With your legs lifted, curl up as you breathe out, pulling your belly in, then inhale as you lower your head down. Repeat.

Single leg stretch: With your head lifted and legs extended out, bring one knee into your chest, squeeze, then switch. Repeat.

Also try these Pilates back exercises to balance out your postural muscles, then flow through this Pilates stretching workout to recover. 

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