Like millions of others, I got swept up in the drama of Love is Blind. Who would stay coupled up outside of the pods, and whose relationships were doomed from the start? (Zanab and Cole’s early disagreement over the word "great" speaks for itself)
Yet as I was watching the relationship between Raven and SK develop, one scene in particular stood out to me as a fitness editor — Raven putting her new fiancé through his paces during a killer Pilates workout.
As a Club Pilates Pilates instructor, Raven Ross could be seen exercising throughout the series, especially during her time in the pods. (Remember those jumping jacks as Bartise poured his heart out?) Yet if like me, you’ve wanted to try a class with Raven for yourself, you’re in luck — she has her own YouTube channel of free Pilates workouts, and she also shares her workouts on her Instagram.
To find out more, I unrolled my yoga mat, and tried a five-minute core Pilates class with Raven herself. Read on to find out what happened.
Looking for more Pilates workouts? Check out these 8 Pilates exercises that target your core for the ultimate burn, as well as this 30-minute Pilates workout with over 4 million views. You can also read more about whether Pilates for weight loss works here.
What is the 5-minute Pilates ab workout?
The express Pilates core workout doesn’t require you to have any equipment, making it an easy one to slot into your routine if you’re traveling. The workout allows you to follow along with Raven and includes a lot of Pilates planks to work the core in a short amount of time.
Like to know what you’re getting yourself into? Here are a few of the exercises that feature in the workout:
Rocking plank: For a rocking plank, start in a forearm plank position, with your bodyweight on your elbows, then rock your body forward until you are on your tiptoes. Then, slowly rock back to your starting position. Keep repeating this forward and back motion.
Side plank: Lie straight out on one side, legs stacked. Rest your forearm flat on the floor and ensure your elbow is in line with your shoulder. Engage your abs and raise your hips and knees from the floor, keeping a straight line from head to feet. Only your forearm and foot should be in contact with the ground. Don’t allow your hips to sag and keep looking straight ahead for the duration.
Raven advances this move by raising her top leg and lifting and lowering it for 10 reps.
Hundreds: Lie on your back, with your lower back pressed against the floor. Pressing your thighs together, raise your legs at a 45-degree angle, pointing your toes. If this is too much for your lower back, hold your legs in a tabletop position. Engaging your core, raise your head and shoulders away from the mat, creating a C shape with your neck, and reach your arms down alongside your body. Pump your arms up and down for 100 counts, inhale for 5 counts, and exhale for 5 counts.
Here's more information on how to do the hundreds exercise, and the best variations to try.
I just did Raven from Love is Blind’s 5-minute Pilates ab workout — here's what happened
There’s nothing I love more than a good Pilates workout. I’m a huge fan of Pilates, and even spent a week in Thailand on a Pilates retreat learning more about how to get the most out of the various exercises. In my experience, it’s one of the best forms of exercise when it comes to getting results across your core, and I was really keen to give this one a go.
Like a lot of the best ab workouts, I appreciated how this one got going quickly — there wasn’t a lot of chat beforehand, and it got straight to the chase with a rocking plank. Raven does a great job of explaining the poses and offering modifications, making this a good one for beginners to Pilates to add to their routine.
Being just five minutes long and not requiring any equipment, this one is super-easy to slot into your home workout routine. It reminded me that, once again, you don’t need to raise your heart rate or get super-sweaty to work your core. This is definitely one I’ll be adding to my weekly ab schedule, plus, I’ve spotted some resistance band Pilates workouts by Raven that I’m keen to try next.
