Pilates is a great activity for improving flexibility, posture, breathing and stamina. Better still, it develops core muscle strength, as most exercises work the abdominal area and the lower back. You often don't require any equipment for pilates workouts, either. This workout is an excellent example of a short, low-intensity exercise that works the lower body and provides quick physical and mental results.
No wonder Dua Lipa's workout involves some Pilates movements! It effectively reduces lower back pain as your pelvic floor muscles are engaged, leading to better stabilisation. Pilates can help with injury rehabilitation and help prevent musculoskeletal injuries as this activity is based on slow, low-impact movements. This avoids stress and strain on muscles and joints commonly injured in high-impact exercises.
In this workout by German fitness superstar Pamela Reif, we’re invited to complete numerous pilates-style exercises that focus on strengthening and toning your glutes, quads and calves. This workout only takes 10 minutes, with each exercise lasting 30 seconds with no rest periods. Only an exercise mat is required for comfort. The exercises:
- Pile squat & arms (30 seconds)
- Sumo squat & tippy toe (30 seconds)
- Sumo squat & toe lifts (30 seconds)
- Hold & tippy toes (30 seconds)
- 3 sumo pulses & tippy toe (30 seconds)
- 1-toe & shoulder press (30 seconds)
- Sumo pulses (30 seconds)
- Stretch side to side (30 seconds)
- Pile squat & arms (30 seconds)
- Squat & side leg lift (30 seconds)
- Wide squat (30 seconds)
- Overhead pulses (30 seconds)
- Hold & tippy toe (30 seconds)
- Wide squat (30 seconds)
- Overhead pulses (30 seconds)
- Hold & tippy toe (30 seconds)
- Squat hold & tap out (30 seconds)
- Sumo pulses (30 seconds)
- Stretch side to side (30 seconds)
If you enjoyed this workout and wish to try something similar, then we encourage you to check out this 10-minute workout for big calves. For those wanting a structured full-body workout, we recommend pencilling in this push-pull-legs workout to help you build muscle more efficiently. Lastly, for those who don't have stacks of gym equipment lying around but still want a workout that aids strength-building and flexibility, look no further than a 10-minute resistance band routine for stronger glutes.
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