“If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old; if it is completely flexible at 60, you are young.”

Joseph Pilates

While a simple google search can give us thousands of exercise routines, it’s important to know which routine is right for your body – especially if you have specific goals, like weight loss, in mind.

Most exercise routines can be broadly classified into two categories: High-intensity exercise and low-intensity exercise.

Pilates is a form of low-intensity exercise, and it can be performed anywhere with no equipment. This form of exercise was first created in the 1920s by Joseph Pilates who believed that poor health is rooted in bad posture, shallow breathing, and a lack of physical exercise. 

Over the last 100 years, millions have used Pilates for weight loss and strength building.

Is Pilates an aerobic exercise?

While Pilates is not aerobic, if you add it to your aerobic exercise routine, it will help improve your endurance. That’s because Pilates helps strengthen your core and increase your flexibility.

How many calories does Pilates Burn?

For someone who weighs around 58 kgs (130 pounds), doing Pilates for 1 hour can burn around 186 calories.

But that’s not all…

Doing Pilates regularly can boost your basal metabolic rate.

What does this mean?

Basal metabolic rate is the rate at which the body can burn calories when in the resting phase.

So, if the basal metabolic rate is higher, that means that no matter what you do during the day, you burn more calories!

5 Classic Pilates Roll Up Exercises for Weight Loss You Can Do At Home With Just A Mat

These are just a few of the Pilates exercises, and perfect for those who are beginners.

1. The Hundred in Pilates

‘The hundred’ helps reduce belly fat and improves blood circulation.

Here’s how to do this exercise:

1. Find a comfortable position to lie on your mat.
2. Bend your knees towards your chest.
3. Curl up your head, neck, and shoulders towards your knees.
4. Bring up your hands in a way that they are adjacent to your belly.
5. Now, extend your legs to 45 degrees.

At this point, you should be in this position:

Now begin to vigorously pump your arms up and down – without them touching the ground.

Inhale for the first 5 times and then exhale for the next 5 times.

Do 100 pumps before resting.

2. Basic Hamstring Pull or Single Straight Leg Stretch in
Pilates

This exercise helps strengthen the hamstring and boosts metabolism.

How to do Basic Hamstring Pull?

1. Lie flat on your back on your mat.
2. Lift your legs and bring them to a tabletop position. (Imagine how your legs would be if you were sitting on a chair. Now replicate that position as you lie on your back.)
3. Curl up your head, neck, and shoulders.
4. Stretch your left leg towards the ceiling and lay your left leg on the mat.
5. Keep the right leg straight and hold it above knee level. If you feel your hamstrings are too tight, you can bend the knee a bit or hold below the knee.
6. Stay there for a while.
7. Repeat with another leg.

3. Planks

Plank is one of the most popular Pilates exercises for weight loss. It helps strengthen the core and provides a whole body workout.

If done every day, Planks can burn more calories than any other core exercise. If you can hold a plank for 1 minute, you can burn up to 5 calories!

How to do Planks for weight loss?

1. Lie facedown on your mat.
2. Place your hands directly under your shoulders – like you would if you were about to do a pushup.
3. Get in the plank position, as seen in the picture below.

Stay in this position for 30 seconds for the first few days and then you can gradually increase the time.

4. Side Plank

Side plank is another very popular form of weight loss exercise. Just like planks, side planks can help you get the right posture and build a strong core.

How to do Side Plank?

1. Lie on your right side, and prop your upper body up on your elbow – as seen in the image below.
2. Raise your hips.
3. Stay in this position for 6 seconds.
4. Go back to position 1 and rest for 10 seconds.
5. Repeat this 3 times.
6. Switch to your other side and repeat the steps.

5. Boat Stretch

The boat pose is practiced in both Yoga and Pilates. The only difference in Yoga is you’d have to hold the pose while in Pilates there’s a slight movement.

How to do Boat Stretch?

1. Start in a seated position with your knees bent and your feet resting on the ground.
2. Begin to bring up your feet and strive to maintain your balance.
3. Now extend your arms.
4. Inhale and bring your feet at a 45-degree angle. Make sure your knees are straight. The position looks like this:

5. Exhale and bring your feet back down.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5, pausing for a few seconds each time you change the position of your feet.

How Often Should You Do Pilates?

Practicing pilates 3-4 times a week can be very beneficial. If you are looking to improve your body strength, endurance, and flexibility, doing it 4-5 times a week can reap rewards.

1 pilates session every week alongside other workouts, is great. It can help to recuperate from injuries and will also educate you on how to prevent yourself from injuries.

You will start feeling better in 10 sessions and in 30 sessions, you will find yourself owning a body that you dreamt of.

Conclusion

These are just 5 of the various basic exercises that you can do at home. It’s best to set some time aside every morning for Pilates as after a good night’s sleep, getting some stretches can help you feel fresh and ready to take on the new day!

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