If you’re looking for a more gentle approach to help tone and strengthen your muscles, and aren’t looking to lift weights, then Pilates could be the thing for you. Not only is this form of exercise low-impact, making it accessible to most people, but it doesn’t require anything more than your bodyweight. If you’re a beginner looking to get going, then this 15-minute routine from Pilates instructor, Katy Bath, is a great starting point.
Similar to strength training, Pilates is an excellent form of longevity training (a big fitness trend for 2025). Many of the exercises challenge your stability, build more resilient muscles and improve joint mobility, all of which can lead to better coordination for everyday activities and reduce the likelihood of injuries. It's also renowned for its core-strengthening benefits and studies have also shown it can significantly improve your posture. So, if you’re someone who sits at a desk all day it could offer the TLC your body craves!
All you’ll need for this workout is yourself and something soft beneath you, like an exercise mat. Work your way through each exercise, performing 12 repetitions for each (on both sides of the body where applicable). Try and perform three rounds in total, resting for 90 seconds to two minutes between each one. Here are your exercises:
- Squat
- Split squats
- Alternating toe taps
- Bridge dips
- Bridge march
- Clams
- Kneeling push up
If you think Pilates may now be a 'bit of you', why not give this other beginner-friendly workout a try next? It'll fire up your core, legs and glutes. For those wanting to give their mid-section some TLC (because Pilates is incredible for the core), try these five exercises from a certified Pilates instructor Lotty Campbell Bird.
-
You don’t need the gym – boost total-body strength with this beginner-friendly resistance band workoutIt's also low-impact and can improve your mobility too
-
New to kettlebells? Try this four-move, beginner-friendly workout to build full-body strength -
This five-move workout from Hugh Jackman’s trainer builds a stronger body in minimal timeIt uses compound exercises and supersets to hit multiple muscles, fast
-
You don’t need to train for hours – I tried Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 25-minute weight workoutAfter just six minutes I was left with a massive pump
-
4 muscle-building mistakes that are sabotaging your gains, according to an expertDon't stop yourself from getting swole by making these silly mistakes
-
Three underrated Pilates exercises that will build phenomenal core strengthRemove sit-ups and crunches from your routine and add these instead
-
Build muscle and burn fat with just two kettlebells and this 20 minute workoutDon't have long to train? A fitness coach says this workout delivers plenty of bang for your buck
-
You only need one dumbbell and these three exercises to burn calories and boost your metabolismIt combines strength and cardio to really ramp up the intensity
