Pilates for Beginners: A Complete Workout Guide for Your Health

Medically reviewed by Laura Campedelli, DPTMedically reviewed by Laura Campedelli, DPT

Pilates is a form of exercise that focuses on core strength. It is practiced through structured movements that increase in intensity over time. Each exercise requires precision and control and utilizes various muscle groups, including the core muscles.

The popularity of Pilates has grown in recent years due to its low-impact and focus on connecting the mind to the body. It can improve strength, mobility, and flexibility and act as a whole-body exercise. It also improves postural alignment. It’s also ideal for people of all ages and abilities because it includes over 600 exercises, variations, and modifications to suit almost anybody’s needs and experience level.

This article discusses the best ways to get started with a Pilates routine.

What Is Pilates Exercise?

Pilates is a body conditioning exercise that can be performed in various ways. Joseph Pilates developed it in the early 20th century. Initially, it was used mainly by dancers to recover from injuries.

During a Pilates workout, you will move through various exercises and patterns requiring abdominal and back muscles. The flow through the movements is seamless, requiring concentration, control, and breath work.

Each of the movements in Pilates is designed to cultivate a new level of awareness of the body. It emphasizes core stability, strength and flexibility, along with control of movement, posture, and breathing.

Is Pilates Ideal for Beginners?

There are various types of Pilates, most of which are great for beginners. The most beginner-friendly form of Pilates is mat Pilates, which involves the use of a gym mat and your body weight. It is perfect for beginners because you don’t need to invest in too much equipment, and the movements can be modified or tailored to your physical level.

Types of Pilates

Pilates includes both equipment and mat work. Equipment Pilates requires the use of a reformer machine, a tower, resistance bands, dumbbells, or exercise balls. Mat Pilates uses a gym mat and your own body weight to perform the exercises. Beginner Pilates is usually best done using a mat and nothing else until a person is well-versed in controlling their muscles and breath as they flow through the movements.

Related: 5 Beginner-Friendly Workouts That Can Lower Your Blood Pressure

Who Should Avoid Doing Pilates?

Pilates can be tailored to suit almost everyone’s needs, but you should get clearance from a healthcare provider before starting the exercise, especially if you fit into the following categories:

• Are pregnant

• Have a musculoskeletal injury

• Have heart disease
  

• Have recently had surgery

Pilates as Strength Training

While Pilates may not look like your typical strength training session, the control and movements work to improve muscle tone for increased stability and endurance. It’s not for bulking but for building a longer and leaner look through muscle toning and lengthening.

What to Know Before Starting Pilates

Before starting Pilates, you should be mindful of your fitness goals. Pilates can help you lose weight, but it is not the main goal of this type of exercise. It is mostly focused on improving flexibility and balance to increase range of motion.

Checking With Your Healthcare Provider

Before starting Pilates, you should check with your healthcare provider. This is especially important if you have a medical condition.

Related: What to Know Before Your First Hot Yoga Class

Equipment You’ll Need to Get Started

Most Pilates exercises use body weight to work on muscle groups, so you'll only need a mat and comfortable workout clothes to get started. Some classes may use the Reformer, a sliding platform that adds resistance via springs and a pulley system.

Pilates Principles

There are six principles of Pilates. They are:

• Concentration: Being able to focus your mind solely on the movements performed and the muscles used to perform them

• Control: Deliberate muscle control and intention when targeting specific muscles

• Center: Focusing on activating your core in all movements during the class

• Breath: Controlling your breathing throughout the movements

• Precision: Paying attention to the details to properly execute each movement

• Flow: The continuous smooth and fluid movements that are performed during Pilates exercise

Beginner Pilates Workout Plan

The number of Pilates classes you start with per week will be entirely up to you. You can do as little as one or perform a new class daily, depending on your overall level of fitness and health and what works best for your schedule. A study has shown that even two classes per week can improve well-being in people managing weight.

At-Home Pilates Exercises for Beginners

At-home Pilates classes are available through various fitness apps and even free videos on YouTube.

While it may be beneficial to start Pilates in classes with an instructor who can help guide you through the process, it is not always necessary. That said, supervised classes have been shown to be more effective than at-home workouts.

If you want to start your Pilates journey through at-home classes, you can find videos and apps with various classes geared toward all levels.

Starting With an Instructor

Starting your Pilates routine with an instructor is a great way to build a strong foundation. That way, you’ll be able to perform or modify movements based on what you’ve learned in class.

Other Considerations for Beginners

Speaking to a healthcare provider before starting any new exercise program, including Pilates, is essential. There are enough variations of Pilates to suit everyone, but you will want to ensure that you’re starting off right. That means knowing what your body can handle and choosing the low-impact class that’s right for you.

Summary

Starting a new exercise routine is admirable and will help improve your quality of life as well as your risk of developing chronic diseases. Pilates is a good workout for people just starting out at exercising since it can be tailored to your fitness level and also offer a challenge as you progress. To increase health benefits and avoid injury, get acquainted with the principles, movements, and variations of the exercise before starting Pilates.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.