This Week-Long Pilates Plan Will Have Every Inch of Your Body Believing Small Movements Know Best

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Looking for new ways to get your body moving but not sure where to start? Try this week-long Pilates plan. For it, we’ve rounded up six Pilates-inspired workouts to fill out your week.

Why not seven, you may ask? Because rest is essential for optimal muscle development and recovery. With that in mind, check out the workouts below and plan out how you choose to incorporate them into the next seven days.

Day 1: 30-Minute, Full-Body Pilates Workout

To kick your week off on a high note, start with this 30-minute, full-body Pilates workout led by East River Pilates instructor, Floss Brolsma. Featuring over a dozen different moves—none of which require equipment—you’re sure to feel the burn from shoulders to toes. Just know that it ends with abs, so your core is likely to burn the most when all is said and done.

Day 2: 10-Minute Standing Core Workout

While 10 minutes is a lot shorter than the first workout in this weeklong series, don’t get it wrong: Your abs are sure to quake after this core-focused routine, led by Pilates trainer Brian Spencer of East River Pilates. Part of what makes this workout so intriguing is that, unlike most core workouts, it’s done entirely upright. The trick is to wrap your abs in and keep your hips still so that your core benefits as much as possible from the movements.

Day 3: 15-Minute, Lower-Body Slider Workout

In-studio Pilates workouts often feature reformers or, in the case of Lagree, megaformers. Of course, not everyone is fortunate enough to have the money or space to have one of these high-end machines in their own home. Thankfully, sliders help mimic similar movements sans machines. With that in mind, Solidcore trainer Triana Brown walks viewers through 15 minutes of slider movements that offer just as much of a burn.

Day 4: Pilates Core and Glutes Workout

In this 10-minute routine, East River Pilates founder Kimmy Kellum leads viewers through a series of oblique exercises, leg lifts, and leg circles, all of which work to sculpt both glutes and abs. For the best burn (and most noticeable results), Kellum recommends using a mini stability ball; though, if you don’t have one, she says a rolled up blanket can work, as well.

Day 5: Pilates Workout for Beginners

New to Pilates? No problem. With this beginner-friendly workout, viewers can enjoy the benefits of Pilates without any equipment necessary. The 20-minute workout is led by Chloe de Winter of Go Chlo Pilates. It kicks off with slow cat-cow stretches and moves into planks, downward dogs, shoulder taps, and more. While working through all of these exercises, the goal is to stay slow and steady, maintaining core balance all the while.

Day 6: 22-Minute Cardio Pilates Workout

To wrap up your week of Pilates, you can look forward to a heart-pumping cardio boost, again led by Spencer. This 22-minute workout incorporates four, four-minute rounds that begin with a beginner Pilates exercise and progresses into a more advanced movement. While cardio may make you think of running and HIIT movements alone, this workout features a variety of upper-body, lower-body, core, and full-body exercises to ensure your heart-pump reaches from head to toe.

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