There’s a new Apple Fitness Plus collection in town and Pilates enthusiasts, listen up. The new collection, named Pilates for More Than Your Core is designed to tone your muscles using bodyweight exercises, and a resistance band. The collection description reads, “these curated workouts are designed to strengthen your entire body — without lifting a single dumbbell.” The collection includes 20 and 30-minute workouts. For weeks one and two, the trainers recommend doing a 20-minute workout every other day, then kicking it up to 30-minutes for weeks three and four.
To find out more, I grabbed a set of the best resistance bands and my yoga mat and tuned in to a 20-minute workout with trainer Daryll Whiting. Read on to find out what happened.
Later this fall, you will no longer need an Apple Watch to tune into Apple Fitness Plus workouts — anyone with an iPhone will be able to take them.
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I just tried Apple Fitness Plus’ latest Pilates collection — here’s what happened
I’ll caveat this article by pointing out that I’m a huge Pilates fan. I often tune into Pilates classes on the best workout apps, including those on Apple Fitness Plus, but I also love nothing more than attending a reformer Pilates class when I’m in the city, and have even attended a week-long Pilates retreat to really hone my form. I find nothing works better when it comes to sculpting my core.
For those new to the workout, Pilates is a form of exercise that focuses on strengthening the core. Like yoga, there is a focus on breathing and slow, controlled movements. This isn’t a workout that’ll send your heart rate skyrocketing, or help you work up a sweat; instead, it tones through small, precise movements.
One of my main issues with practicing Pilates at home compared to in a class is that I find, without the addition of a reformer machine, or Pilates props, I don’t push myself as hard. Enter the Apple Fitness Plus collection. I’d never used resistance bands during a Pilates class before, but I found like when lying on the reformer, the addition of the band made the workout more difficult. I also regretted choosing a class that focused so heavily on my arms (episode 12 for those who are interested) — I don’t share Darryl’s love of push-ups, and it didn’t take long for my biceps to feel it.
The best thing about using a resistance band is that it can easily be adjusted to make the exercise harder (by tightening the tension on the band) or easier (by relaxing it). You can also grab a lighter band if you’re new to the exercises, or reduce your range of motion.
Like all Pilates workouts, this one didn’t torch calories, or leave me a sweaty mess, yet it did leave me with that tired ache only a good Pilates class can. Pilates is a reminder that exercise isn’t about burning calories, it’s about decreasing stress, improving posture, reducing back pain, and working on deep core strength. I love my time on the mat, and I’m excited to try the rest of the classes in the collection.
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