Everyone is doing reformer Pilates and if you’ve been to a class, you’ll know why. Not only can it make muscles ache that you didn’t even know existed, but it comes with a wealth of benefits for the body, and mind. If you can’t get booked onto a class at your local studio, then this home workout from fitness trainer, Lily Sabi, is perfect. It replicates the former using two small towels and a slippery surface, and you only need 10 minutes to do it.
Although this workout has a fairly different set-up to a usual reformer class, the benefits will be similar. It will challenge your strength and balance thanks to its slow, controlled movements that help isolate your muscles, placing them under constant tension. However, it also targets those smaller, stabilising muscles. These can often get overlooked in other types of training, but are important for reducing our risk of injury, improving our posture and carrying out daily activities.
If you want to make this workout even more challenging, you can add some very light dumbbells into the mix. However, try with just your bodyweight first, as we think it’ll surprise you. You’ve got 10 60-second exercises to work through and there’s no rest, so make sure you have your gym water bottle nearby! “With reformer, it’s super slow and controlled and making sure you have that mind-muscle connection happening,” Lilly says in her video. We appreciate the list of exercises may sound a little abstract, so we really encourage you to watch Lily’s video too, as it’s great to follow along to. Anyhow, here’s the workout:
- Lateral lunge (right leg) pulse for last 20 seconds
- Lateral lunge into skater lunge (right leg) pulse for last 20
- Lateral lunge (left leg) pulse for last 20
- Lateral lunge into skater lunge (left leg) pulse for last 20
- Reverse lunge with arm lift overhead (right leg)
- Reverse lunge with arm lift overhead (left leg)
- Crunch to pike
- Sliding mountain climbers
- Leg circles (four to the right and left)
- Scissors stretch
Looking for more Pilate-style workouts? Great, we’ve got plenty that’ll keep you feeling strong and fit, like this eight-move full-body workout that’s brilliant for strengthening your entire body and improving your posture. Alternatively, if you want to give your abs a little TLC, try this three-move workout, it’ll hit those deep core muscles and leave your midsection on fire!
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