Home Practice Tips from Pilates Experts

Home improvement company Porch is the place people go when they’re thinking about a new renovation project and need some professional help. They reached out to us here at Pilates Collective to ask for some expert advice on creating the ideal space at home to practice pilates, plus some tips and advice for your daily practice.

As the owner of Pilates Collective, I try to get as many people excited about Pilates (and its benefits!) as possible, so I thought I’d offer some advice for beginners - don’t do too much too soon! Start slow and work on introducing new exercises with proper form. Engagement of the appropriate muscles is the best way to ensure you’ll get the most out of your pilates routine. I selected five beginner sequences you can try on your own to start to get a feel for the basics.

Be sure to check out the rest of Porch’s roundup of expert advice from studio owners and practitioners all around the country.

And of course, we’d love to see new faces here at the studio. I always recommend trying a 1-on-1 intro session to see if Pilates is right for you.

Five beginner sequences:

Breathing (for core activation): Start lying down on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place one hand on the ribcage and one hand on the low belly. Take a deep inhale through the nose and observe the ribcage expanding. Next, exhale through the mouth, imagining someone tightening a corset around the waist, forcing you to draw the abdominals deeply and towards the spine. Repeat 5 times.

Toe Taps: Start lying down on the back with knees bent and toes on the floor with heels lifted. Inhale to prepare, exhale and draw the right leg up to a tabletop position (90 degree bend, as if resting a leg on a tabletop) using your core. Next, inhale, place the right leg down, exhale, and draw the left leg up to the tabletop. Repeat 8 times for each leg. As you progress, try to find your balance between the legs change, making it more challenging on the core.

Modified Rollups: Start in a sitting position with a flat back, with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. With hands behind the thighs, for support, start rounding your back down towards the floor, engaging your core. Go as low as you can with control and then round back up to starting position. Repeat 6 times. Hands can come off the thighs as you progress, making it more challenging on the core.

Pelvic Lift: Start lying down on the back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, slightly wider than hips and turned out. Arms long at the sides on the mat. Inhale as you slowly start curling your pelvis off the mat, one vertebra at a time until you reach the mid-back, engaging your glutes, hamstrings, and core. Hold for a pause and then exhale and roll back down to the mat. Repeat 10 times.

Modified Criss Cross: Start lying down on the back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Bring hands behind the head with elbows wide for neck support. Inhale prepare. Exhale while bringing your right leg to the tabletop as you curl up with your upper body, twisting your left elbow towards the right knee. Core and your obliques (side abdominals) should be engaged. Inhale and lower right leg and upper body. Exhale and repeat on the left side. Repeat 8 times on each side.