Top 10 At Home Pilates Workouts for Beginners

Pilates was invented in the 1920s by Joseph Pilates. Now, 100 years later, it has become recognized as one of the best workouts for strengthening your body. Additionally, it’s a fantastic way to relieve back pain and improve your core strength, balance, and flexibility. One of the biggest reasons it has become so popular is that it’s not necessary to use any specialized equipment—although you certainly can! Either way, there are six main principles to doing an at home Pilates workout plan: 

• Centering
• Concentration 
• Control 
• Precision 
• Breath 
• Flow 

Best Pilates Workouts at Home for Beginners

Why has Pilates become so popular? It’s due to the simple fact that every single move can be modified. This allows people to do an at home Pilates workout without putting too much pressure on their bodies. Add to this that it’s a low-impact exercise that’s easy on your joints, and it becomes easy to understand why so many people are drawn toward Pilates. 

Are you ready to do some at home Pilates workouts for beginners? Try the following three exercises! 

1. Roll-Ups 

Roll-ups are one of the easiest Pilates moves, and you can see them in action by watching this YouTube video. Roll-ups also provide your spine with more flexibility! To begin, lay down on your back. 

• Extend your legs as you lay on your back. Next, begin to inhale as you slowly roll your body into a seating position. The correct way to do this movement is by lifting up one vertebra at a time until you’re seated.

• Once you’re in a seated position, exhale slowly as you move your body back into the lying position. Do this one vertebra at a time. 

Do you need to modify this movement to make it easy enough for you to do? No problem! While you’re rolling up, simply grab the back of your legs and bend your knees. This will provide you with extra support. 

2. Leg Circle 

You can easily add Leg Circles to your Pilates workouts for beginners at home. This simple movement will challenge your pelvic stability and core strength. Watch it in action on YouTube, and make sure you precisely follow each step listed below. 

• To begin, lay on the floor with your arms at your sides and your legs extended. Take a beat to breathe and try to balance the weight from your hips and shoulders onto each side. 

• Anchor your shoulders and pelvis as you pull your abdominal muscles inward. Take one knee in toward your chest, then extend it straight up toward the ceiling. 

• Cross your extended leg up and over your body as you inhale. It should angle over your overstretched leg and toward the opposite shoulder. 

• Lower the leg in a circling motion toward the center line as you exhale. Carry the open leg with control out to the side. Next, sweep it back around to center, and you’ll be in your starting pose. 

• Complete five circles in this direction. Then it’s time to reverse! Exhale as you reach your extended leg out toward the side. Next, circle back toward and over your body. 

• This easy at home Pilates workout segues into stretching at this point. Climb your hands up your outstretched leg until you’re holding your ankle. Gently pull the leg closer and closer as you move through three full breath cycles. 

• Switch legs and repeat the process. Be sure to end it with another stretch. 

3. Pilates Crunch 

Do you have difficulty doing regular crunches? Try a Pilates crunch instead! It’s part of the best at home Pilates workout, and it’s not nearly as likely to cause injury or soreness to a beginner. 

• Lie on your back. Bend your knees and place your arms at your sides. 

• Place your feet as wide as your hips and keep your heels on the ground. Tilt your pelvis forward. 

• Put your hands behind your head and keep your elbows wide. 

• Curl up with your head, neck, and chest until you’re in the crunch position. Exhale at the same time and hold for five seconds. 

• Lower back down as you inhale. 

Do at least five crunches to begin. If you need to modify this exercise, move your heels further out from your glutes. 

Pilates Workout at Home for Weight Loss (no equipment)

Are you motivated to try Pilates because you’re looking to lose some weight? Well, you’re in luck! Even though Pilates is a low-impact workout, it’s actually one of the best ways for a woman to lose weight. It won’t hurt men, either, but it’s specifically formulated to not impact women’s hormones in a negative way. Doing 20-30 minutes of an at home Pilates workout with no equipment is all you need to lose weight fast! 

4. Standing Lunge 

Are you ready to strengthen your hamstrings, gluteal muscles, and quadriceps? Whether your knee needs to be strengthened or you’re looking for hip stabilization, doing some standing lunges is exactly what you need! Follow the directions below, then catch a video of it on YouTube. 

• Start with your right heel touching the inside of your left foot. Meanwhile, position your right knee so that it’s looking to the right. 

• Move your right leg out diagonally in a wide stance. At the same time, lower your hips to end up in the lunge position. Your left leg should be bent to a 90-degree angle. Your back leg should be stretched out so that its heel and foot are on the ground. 

• Stretch both arms upward next to your ears. This creates a single, straight line from your fingertips down to your back leg’s heel. 

• Hold still for five seconds, then push upward from your bent right leg. Move so that your leg goes diagonally behind you. Push your body down by doing a curtsey. 

• Push upward to get into the standing third dance position. Repeat this motion 3-5 times using each leg. 

Important note: Make sure that your knee doesn’t go beyond your toes. It’s imperative that you always keep your ankle and knee in line while in the lunge position. 

5. Side Steps to the Left 

This next exercise will seem deceptively simple, but we promise you that it works! It works so much, in fact, that it’s often recommended by physical therapists to people who need to increase the speed and ease of their movements. Watch the way it works on YouTube, then get ready to follow along with the step below. 

• Begin with your feet together and knees slightly bent. 

• Using your left foot, step to the side. 

• Next, bring your right foot over to meet up with your left foot. 

• Step 3 more times, and ensure your steps are comfortable and short.

• Now, do the same process in the opposite direction. 

• Keep going back and forth for at least 2-3 minutes. 

• That’s it! 

If this movement is too simplistic for you, try adding a resistance band to up the ante. 

6. Tabletop Legs 

This beginner movement targets your abs. The only thing you’ll need is a yoga mat, although you can technically do tabletop legs without one, too. One of the nice things about doing tabletop legs is that they specifically target your transverse abdominis muscle, which is difficult for most exercises to reach. To see how it works, check out this YouTube video. 

• Start on your back with your knees bent and feet placed flat on the floor. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed and your spine is neutral. Inhale. 

• As you exhale, raise one leg and deepen your ribs. Your thigh should be straight up. Your knee should be over your hip and bent. This places your shins at a 90-degree angle and puts the ankle in line with the knee. 

• Now it’s time to lift your other leg into the same position. 

• Inhale and exhale. At the same time, hold your position for at least 10 seconds. 

• Lower your legs one at a time until they’re on the floor. Exhale. 

And you’re done! Are you interested in making tabletop legs more challenging? Take a foam roller and lie on it lengthwise down your spine. This adds some instability to this move, which will rachet up the difficulty and intensity. 

Wall Pilates Workouts

Now it’s time to move onto a couple of wall Pilates workout at home moves that you can do with nothing other than a wall. Yes, using just your wall is enough to allow your spine to mobilize, stretch, and strengthen. Use your wall as a blank canvas as you work your way through the following two exercises. 

7. Wall-Assisted Bridges 

This easy Pilates workout at home will strengthen your back muscles and hamstrings. See what it looks like by watching YouTube. Once you’re ready, follow along below! 

• Lay down on your back. Put your feet on the wall. You want to have your knees over your hips with your knees bent and your calves resting almost parallel to the ground. Position your feet slightly higher up than your knees. 

• Use your feet to press into the wall. At the same time, lift your hips up to achieve the bridge position.

• Drop your hips back down. 

• Repeat! 

Wall-assisted bridges are a great component of a longer Pilates session. They should account for about 40-60 seconds of your workout. 

8. Wall Squats with Arm Lifts 

Before you begin this Pilates workout at home with no equipment, you should watch this YouTube video to ensure you understand how to do basic wall squats. Once you’re up to speed, you can incorporate arm lifts by doing the following Pilates exercises. 

• Press your upright and straight back into the wall. 

• Slowly walk your feet out in front of you. 

• Now it’s time to enter the wall squat. Slide your back down the wall. Ensure that your ankles are beneath your knees and your knees are bent. 

• Get your leg muscles to fire by thinking about pushing the floor away with your feet as you dig your heels downward. 

• Begin with your straight arms against the wall. Place your palms so they’re facing the wall. Next, lift your arms so they come up in front of you and then go overhead. Reverse the motion and repeat. 

Do this motion for at least 60 seconds. It might not look that hard, but you’ll definitely feel it when you do this move. 

Other Easy at Home Pilates Workouts

To complete your full body Pilates workout at home, we’ve included two more exercises below. Again, neither of these requires any equipment, which makes Pilates one of the best bangs for your (non) buck available! You don’t need a gym either, so relax in the privacy of your own home and get started with Pilates. 

9. Pilates Push Ups 

Are you ready to do some push-ups? Let’s learn how a wall push up works for Pilates. You can watch a video to make sure you’re doing this move correctly. Get ready to build stronger torso muscles! 

• Begin by standing with your toes approximately two-foot lengths from the wall. Put your hands on the wall, placing your fingers in front of your shoulders. 

• Scoop your abs by clenching your inner thighs and buttocks. Keep your elbows close to your body and lengthen tall. Roll your shoulders back and downward. 

• Inhale as you lower to the wall. Make sure your elbows stay close to your body.

• Hold. Remember to keep your shoulder blades down! 

• Exhale as you push the wall away. 

• Repeat!

As always, there are ways to modify this movement if it’s too difficult. For example, if you experience neck pain, modify the exercise so your neck stays long and relaxed. Or, if you experience shoulder pain, you can lower yourself only halfway to the wall. 

10. Hip Flexor Stretch 

Finally, we’ll conclude this round of Pilates exercise by stretching out your hip flexors. You can do this stretch with or without a wall. Watch this video to see how to do it with a wall, then follow the instructions below. 

• Kneel down onto your right knee. 

• Place your left foot on the ground. Be sure your left knee is at a 90-degree angle. 

• Maintain a straight back as you drive your hip forward and lean your torso forward. 

• Hold this move for approximately 30 seconds. 

• Repeat this motion 2-5 times per leg. 

As you work through this motion from day to day, be sure you increase the amount of time you spend stretching. For example, if you hold the stretch for 30 seconds the first week, extend it to 35 seconds for your second week. You’ll receive the many benefits associated with this movement, including improving your posture, alleviating back pain, and increasing your flexibility! 

Recommended socks for Pilates

Some people make the mistake of doing Pilates in their bare feet, but this could actually cause you to get hurt. Instead, you need the grippiness that socks provide. Don’t just wear an old pair, though. Reach for compression socks from TRUEENERGY®, and you’ll experience the advanced healing and cellular regeneration that only our special Infrared Energy can provide! Treat your feet the way they deserve to be treated! Wearing TRUEENERGY® socks will make it easier to keep working out daily, so you’ll be glad you did. 

FAQs 

Is 20 minutes of Pilates a day enough?

Absolutely! Doing Pilates for 20 minutes a day is all it takes to get into Pilates shape! 

How can a beginner start Pilates at home?

Follow along with a beginner video and/or the instructions listed above. That way, you can make sure you do each movement correctly. 

What type of Pilates is best for beginners?

Begin by doing Mat Pilates. In other words, doing Pilates motions that only require you to have a mat. This requires only a small investment in your health and can often be purchased for less than $20. 

How long should a Pilates workout be for beginners?

Ideally, you’ll begin your Pilates workout with a 20-minute session. However, even if you can only stick with Pilates for five minutes at first, then that’s what you should do! Basically, begin your workouts by meeting yourself wherever you are and work your way up from there! 

Do Pilates and Wear the Right Socks! 

As you can see, it’s easy to find an at home pilates workout plan that will work for you. When you move your way through each of the listed Pilates moves, make sure you focus on the six main principles: centering, concentration, control, precision, breath, and flow. These aren’t exercises to do quickly. Instead, breathe through each movement and be sure to control them, too. That way, your body can reap the full benefits of Pilates. 

When you need the mixture of mild compression and infrared technology, there’s no better choice than TRUEENERGY®! You’ll also enjoy how soft and breathable our socks are, along with their expanded heel pockets, seamless toes, and comfort welt tops. Are you ready to treat your feet to the very best? Purchase a pair of socks to help you do Pilates from TRUEENERGY® today!