The At-home Pilates Workout That’ll Tone Your Whole Body

It is important to include at least 20 min workout at home that focuses on building your core and firming your body in your workout program, no matter what it is. They will not only help you avoid injury, but they will also improve your overall health.

We have sourced out information from Tahlia Ware, a Pilates teacher, and One Hot Yoga to create this exercise challenge, which is designed to sculpt and strengthen your entire body from head to toe, each based on pilates workout 20 minutes concepts: centering, control, breath, focus, flow, and precision.

Combine these 20 minute pilates workout with your regular exercise program two to three times each week and watch your body develop.

Week One: Precision

Roll Over

The right 20 minute pilates workout can improve spinal mobility and abdominal strength. Learn to stretch the back of your body by using your abdominals to achieve spinal articulation. This 20 min abs workout aids in hamstring flexibility.

1. To start, lie down on your back with your legs extended on a diagonal and your arms pressed into the mat beside you
2. Inhale – hinge your legs in the direction of the ceiling
3. Exhale – raise your backbone off the mat, stretching your legs overhead, parallel to the ground, and resting your weight between your shoulder blades
4. Inhale – hip-distance apart, open the legs
5. Exhale – softly draw the abdominals in and slowly roll the backbone back down onto the mat one piece at a time, bringing the legs together on a diagonal
6. Do the exercise five times more

Professional Tip: Increase the difficulty by stretching your arms back behind you at some time during the training. Remember to do this 20 min workout at home.

Safety Tip: When your legs are overhead, place the relaxation weight between your shoulder blades, not on your neck.

Scissors in the Air

This is the ideal 20 minute pilates workout for strengthening the abdominals. While keeping the torso motionless, stretch and move the legs. This 20 min abs workout helps improve backbone flexibility.

1. Begin by resting flat on your back with your legs extended on a diagonal and your arms pressed into the mat beside you
2. Take a deep breath and hinge your legs toward the ceiling
3. Exhale – lift the backbone off the mat, raising the legs upward, parallel to the ground, and resting the weight between the shoulder blades
4. Inhale – Support the back by bringing the palms beneath the hips
5. Repeat for a total of 3-5 times
6. Exhale then scissor the legs; one leg moves above the head while the other leg moves in the opposite direction towards the mat. After that, switch legs and scissor
7. Make an eight-times scissor motion
8. Inhale and bring each leg back toward the ceiling
9. Exhale and carefully and thoroughly roll your back down to the mat, one piece at a moment
10. Do the exercise three times more

Professional Tip: As you progress through the legs, keep your hips and pelvis motionless. Throughout the exercise, keep an eye on your hips — you might be able to see them!

Safety Tip: When your legs are overhead, place the relaxation weight between your shoulder blades, not on your neck.

Control Balance

This difficult 20 minute pilates workout improves flexibility and complete body coordination. This 20 min abs workout also helps strengthen the core and hip muscle groups.

1. Start by resting flat on your back with your legs extended on a diagonal and your arms stretching back behind you
2. Take a deep breath and lift your legs toward the ceiling
3. Exhale – raise your backbone off the mat, stretching your legs overhead, parallel to the ground, and resting your weight between your shoulder blades
4. Inhale, then raise your legs as high as you can
5. Exhale and descend one leg toward the mat, carefully grasping the ankle with the palms
6. Inhale – change legs in mid-air
7. Repeat for a total of 3-5 times
8. Inhale and bring each leg back toward the ceiling
9. Exhale and begin rolling down to the mat, one piece at a time, slowly and carefully
10. Do this three times more

Professional Tip: As ‘control balance’ incorporates aspects of each activity, learn to accomplish the ‘roll over’ and ‘scissors within the air’ first.

Safety Tip: When your legs are overhead, place the relaxation weight between your shoulder blades, not on your neck.

Side Bend

The core, side body, and shoulder muscular groups will all benefit from this 20 min abs workout.

1. Sit on one side with both legs bowed and the high foot in front of the bottom foot. The supporting hand is aligned with the hip and just enters the shoulder
2. Inhale – Press your supporting hand and foot into the mat to lift your hips toward the ceiling, straightening your knees and stretching your highest arm overhead
3. Exhale – restore the body to the starting posture with control
4. Repeat on the other side 5 times

Professional tip: Consider tracing a line across the ceiling with your upper arm as you reach it over, allowing as much room as possible to pass through your body. By lifting the ribs, you can make a semicircle with your body.

Safety Tip: Maintain a tiny bend in the supporting elbow so it does not ‘lock’ or ‘hyper-extend.’

Swan Dive

This pilates workout 20 minutes develops the back muscle groups’ strength and endurance while teaching the body to stabilize while in motion.

1. Start by lying on your stomach with your legs hip-distance apart and reaching back behind you. Bend your elbows and press your palms onto the mat beside you
2. Inhale – lift the chest off the mat and extend it
3. Exhale – maintain form through the backbone and dive forward, reaching arms in front of you and allowing the legs to rise
4. Inhale – keep arms reaching and rock the shape back up
5. Do this 3-5 times more. The goal is to collect five rocks at Swan Place
6. Inhale and return your palms to the mat
7. Exhale and return the upper body to the mat

Professional Tip: Hold the palms of your hands on the mat the entire train to help the body rock forth and back.

Safety Tip: Make sure you are not arching your lower back. To keep the back safe, focus on keeping the core muscle groups active.

Tips for a Successful Pilates 20 min Workout at Home

Invest in the Right Equipment

To make your pilates workout 20 minutes as comfortable and secure as possible, you’ll need to get your hands on a few components before slipping into a ‘pelvic curl.’

First and foremost, use an exercise or yoga mat to straighten yourself up. Thicker types, especially on a hard floor rather than carpet, support and cushion your spine more than their cheaper siblings. A cushion under your bottom or back can relieve pressure and provide extra support if you’re a beginner or have back problems.

Some lessons may necessitate the use of a resistance band, which are available in a variety of lengths, intensities, and sizes. If your Pilates workout requires it, they should be able to advise you on which type to use. Watch the workout beforehand to get a better idea of what you’ll need. A word of caution: the thicker the resistance band (and the tighter you pull it), the more difficult it is for your muscles to function.

Other Pilates workouts may require you to use a tiny inflated ball or a Pilates ring, both of which aid in proper alignment and muscle engagement.

Put your phone on silent

Pilates needs concentration, focus, and precision, so having a thousand Instagram notifications coming off in the background is the last thing you want. Put off your phone or leave it in another room.

Breathe, rather than brace

We all believe we understand how to do it, but one of the most prevalent Pilates errors is not breathing properly. Holding your breath in this 20 min workout at home will cause you to brace your core and work the wrong muscles. Instead, take deep breaths and concentrate on scooping your belly button in and up while you do the exercises.

Keep all pets out of the room

Nothing is more frustrating than completing an activity only to be thrown off by a well-intentioned furry companion. During your pilates workout 20 minutes, try to keep your pet in another room.