A stash of workout equipment, like one of the best yoga mats or a handful of resistance bands, can come in handy when you’re looking to up the ante on home workouts. But bodyweight workouts can be just as effective at improving your overall fitness and you won’t have to use any equipment to get going.
Just take this quick, no-equipment session as an example. Compiled by instructor Rita Mark, this 10-minute Pilates workout will help boost strength, tone and improve flexibility.
“In just 10 minutes, you’ll engage your entire body — strengthening your core, toning your glutes, improving posture and boosting your energy,” Mark says. “This quick and effective routine is perfect for all fitness levels, whether you’re just starting or already experienced.”
Here’s how to do it yourself.
Watch Rita Mark’s 10-minute bodyweight Pilates workout:
Mark has divided this bodyweight session into short 30-second intervals. During each interval, you’ll complete a different Pilates exercise, like leg lifts, toe taps and crunches.
Many of the moves in this 10-minute session are core-centric. For example, there’s a plank, single-leg stretch and sideline series, which focuses on unilateral exercises, like side plank leg circles.
While Mark doesn’t include any long dedicated breaks throughout the 10-minute session, she does highlight that you should pause the video and rest if needed. “Don’t forget to breathe,” she adds. “Inhale when your muscles are relaxed and exhale when your muscles are tense.”
What are the benefits of Pilates?
Pilates provides a whole heap of benefits. For example, one 2023 review published in the Bulletin of Faculty of Physical Therapy found that Pilates can improve quality of life while lowering pain and disability. The same review said the practice can also help increase flexibility, strength, mobility, respiratory rate, body mass index and balance.
Due to the strong focus this type of low-impact exercise places on the strength and endurance of the deeper core muscles, Pilates can do wonders for your core.
Is 10 minutes of Pilates enough?
That all depends. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend adults complete muscle-strengthening activities on all major muscle groups two or more days a week. While 10 minutes of Pilates can help contribute towards this, if possible, it shouldn’t be the only form of fitness you do during the week.
When it comes to Pilates, your session doesn’t need to be one long and continuous class. One 2023 article published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine looked at the effects of 60 minutes of Pilates versus 30 minutes and found the health benefits of both program lengths to be equivalent.
So, even if you’re short on time or workout equipment, it’s worth fitting in a Pilates class, like this 20-minute equipment-free Pilates workout, or trying out the best Pilates exercises for strengthening your core and boosting posture.
More from Tom’s Guide
- Ditch planks — this 15-minute abs workout builds core strength with 6 moves and a resistance band
- Forget the gym — this 12-minute morning Pilates routine strengthens and tones your entire body
- I tried this 35-minute bodyweight Pilates workout — and it helped release tight hips and boost core strength
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