Pilates beginners can rejoice — this short 30-minute Pilates workout strengthens the core muscles and hips without requiring weights. Although Reformer Pilates packs plenty of health benefits, mat Pilates remains hugely popular as an accessible way to gain the many benefits the workout style has to offer.
Although not specifically made for Pilates, the best yoga mats work well for this sequence, and all you need to do is roll yours out in a quiet space that allows you to spend 30 minutes uninterrupted.
I love practicing first thing in the morning, at lunch, or before bedtime to help refocus my busy mind — but you could do this Pilates routine pretty much anywhere, anytime. Led by YouTuber and instructor Raminara, the abs and hips workout is perfect for beginners to follow along. Here it is.
Watch Raminara’s 30-minute abs and hips Pilates routine for beginners
One of the six Pilates principles includes breath — it’s one of the things I wish I had known as a Pilates beginner early on. All movements are precise and controlled, centering around expansive breathing, which helps to connect mind and body, engage your core and improve alignment and posture during exercises.
Your Pilates instructor should cue the breathing but try to avoid holding your breath during this session, especially when a movement feels particularly uncomfortable or challenging.
Try to avoid holding your breath during this session, especially when a movement feels particularly uncomfortable or challenging.
We recommend watching the video below and following along with Raminara if you can. The beauty of practicing Pilates online is that you can pause at any time and take a breather if you need one. If you’re at a more advanced level of practice, this might not be for you, but if you’re confident enough, you may decide to modify throughout.
It’s a full-body workout with a strong emphasis on hips and abs, meaning you’ll focus a lot on the muscle groups packed around your torso responsible for stabilization and support around your pelvis and spine. Practicing regularly could help you strengthen these muscles, contributing toward a taller posture, better stability and balance and improved functional movement quality.
What are the benefits of Pilates?
Ever wondered what an hour of Pilates can do for your body? It may not exactly change your world straight away (it might make you feel calmer, though), but consistent practice packs a wealth of benefits over time, including stronger, more stable joints and muscles, better posture and reduced likelihood of injury.
You may not leave dripping in sweat, but you could build a more robust and resilient body. Like yoga, there’s a focal mindfulness component, which allows you to connect better with your breath and, in turn, builds stronger core muscles alongside a calmer nervous system.
Learning to activate and properly engage these powerhouse muscle groups, which originate between the pelvis and ribcage, translates to other forms of exercise, too. For example, you'll need a strong core if you enjoy sports like CrossFit, running, or weightlifting.
If your goal is Pilates for weight loss, sadly, the research is more limited, but some exists. For example, one study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found eight weeks of Pilates improved body composition in sedentary and overweight women.
However, it’s important to recognize that exercise accounts for a small percentage of your total daily energy expenditure (known as TDEE), and other factors like diet and overall movement levels will heavily influence weight loss.
Consider exercise a top-up to overall calorie burn, and factor in all the wonderful benefits of exercise — mental and physical — that you can access alongside calorie burn.
More from Tom's Guide
- Ditch planks — this 15-minute abs workout builds core strength with 6 moves and a resistance band
- Forget frog pose — these 3 mobility exercises unlock tight hips and release tension in your glutes and lower back
- I tried these 4 stretches that boost your hip mobility — and they make a huge difference
