We live in a sedentary society. Getting up, eating, going to work, going out to party… are frequent and daily activities in the lives of people in our society. However, in general most of the population spends most of its time sitting down in a world full of constant competition and stress.

Therefore, the practice of sport with a certain frequency is an indispensable element to maintain both physical and mental health. Within the world of sport we can find a great variety of disciplines, some of them involving a great economic expense at the time of maintaining them or an excessive consumption of time to combine with other responsibilities. However, there are alternatives that can be carried out without a great expense of money or time. An example of this is Pilates.

What is Pilates?

Pilates is a method originally intended for physical rehabilitation devised by Joseph Hubertus Pilates , in order to contribute to personal recovery through the union between body and mind. It is an anaerobic type of physical exercise that requires a high level of control of breathing and a certain capacity of concentration to carry out the various movements. With regard to breathing, it is important that the inhalation is done through the nose and while keeping the abdominal muscles in tension, in order to oxygenate and exercise the muscles correctly.

Its benefits are multiple, including stress reduction at both psychological and physiological levels, increased elasticity and strength in the muscles (especially lumbar and abdominal), correction of posture and increased self-esteem through improved dexterity, coordination, agility and strength.

Moreover, Pilates is an activity that can be done with very little material , so it is very cheap to do it with some assiduity. On the other hand, it does not require great technical skills or unaffordable efforts, since it works with the parts of the body; this makes Pilates an excellent option for people of mature age or who are not used to exercising.

Easy Pilates exercises to do at home

Below a series of simple exercises will be shown for those who want to get started in this discipline .

To perform them, it is not necessary to have a large amount of material, in most cases a mat is enough to comfortably perform the exercises, and they can be easily performed from our home. It is recommended to do it in a quiet area (do not forget that it is an activity that aims to relax both body and mind) and ventilated.

1. Roll up

This exercise is of great simplicity. It is based on sitting on the mat with your legs stretched out and proceed to try and grasp your feet with your hands , maintaining muscle tension for about fifteen seconds. Multiple repetitions of this exercise should be done.

This activity is used to work the abdominals, shoulders and leg muscles.

2. Rolling back

On the mat, one proceeds to sit embracing the legs, which will be bent towards the thorax and supporting the head on the knees . In this position, the user has to rock backwards until touching the floor with the shoulder blades, while inhaling, and then exhale while returning to the initial position. This is done continuously for three minutes.

3. Weights

This activity is done from a seat and with the help of some weights or substitutes (for example two bottles of water or Russian weights). Sitting with the feet resting on the floor at a certain distance from each other and with the back completely straight and the weights in the hands, the exercise is based on stretching the arms upwards while exhaling , and bending them behind the neck while inhaling.

This exercise serves to work and strengthen the triceps, and helps reduce the flaccidity of the inner arms.

4. The Saw

Waist strengthening exercise . The individual sits with legs open and arms and back stretched. Then, while inhaling, the trunk is turned to the left, making an effort to grasp the left foot with the right hand. He then performs the opposite action, turning the trunk to the right and grasping the right foot with his left hand. Repeat continuously four to five times on each side.

5. Push ups

One of the most common ways to work the upper body. Lie face down on the mat. Then, with your knees on the floor and your back and head straight, do a bending, trying to do it slowly and feeling the muscle tension. Repeat the process at least ten times. If you have enough resistance you can do it with your legs stretched out.

6. Lumbar and abdominal toning

This activity, although simple, may require some effort . On this occasion the individual has to lie on his back on the mat. Then, with the arms stretched out for support, one should proceed by raising the legs at a right angle. After a few seconds (we recommend ten), and with the legs straight, continue the movement until the feet are in front of the head, touching the floor. After several seconds in this position, the legs are again placed at 90 degrees to the body, i.e. in their previous position. Finally, the legs are lowered until they are completely stretched out. It is recommended to perform several repetitions, according to the resistance of each one.

7. Spine twist

This exercise is very simple. The user sits with his legs together, with his arms stretched out. Then, while inhaling, the trunk is rotated three times to one side, reaching the maximum possible rotation. Once this point is reached, the user returns to the initial position while exhaling. Next the same procedure is repeated three times in the same direction , and then the same three repetitions in the opposite direction.

This is one of the best Pilates exercises to exercise the muscles of the trunk.

8. The Teaser (the V)

On the mat, the user is lying on his back with his arms stretched out . The legs are then lifted, stretched out, to a half height (around 45 degrees, although the inclination will depend on the capacity and resistance of each person) to proceed by also lifting the trunk and placing the arms parallel to the stretched legs. In this way the body forms a V, using a large amount of muscles in the lumbar and abdominal area, in addition to the muscles of the legs and arms.

9. Tricep backgrounds

This exercise is performed while standing, with the arms stretched upwards . As with the initial stretch, the arms are lowered to the floor. Next, walk with your hands forward, and you can rest your knees on the floor. Then proceed to do a series of three bending movements (resting the knees on the floor). Finally, we proceed to return to the initial position, chaining the steps followed so far in reverse. Several repetitions are possible.

10. Leg hug: Scissors

The present activity is carried out in the following way: first, lying face up on the mat, start by stretching both legs and placing them at a ninety degree angle to the body . Once this has been done, one of the legs is embraced while the other one returns to the original position, supported on the floor completely stretched out. After between one and two seconds of maintaining this position, the other leg is raised and embraced and the previous one is lowered, alternating in several repetitions (at least two series of ten).

This exercise can be used to practice muscle elasticity, and also strengthens the thighs.