As of 2023, there are 4,702 Pilates and yoga studios in the UK. Where I live in south east London, four new Pilates studios have opened in the past month alone, but good news: for those of you not prepared to fork out the £15+ (minimum) per class, Pilates can be done at home. Search 'Pilates workout' on YouTube and you'll find 6.4 million videos, with something to suit every experience level, timeframe, and goal.
As German PT and the man who invented Pilates himself, Joseph Pilates, so famously said: 'In 10 sessions you’ll feel the difference, in 20 sessions you’ll see the difference, and in 30 sessions you’ll have a whole new body.' Providing you practice good form, you can reap those rewards from your living room, too - Joseph never said anything about needing to spend a fortune on in-person sessions. Read on for our roundup of the best Pilates workouts, and how to do the exercises properly.
34 Pilates exercises
There are 34 original Pilates exercises, founded by Joseph Pilates and detailed in his book Return To Life. No matter which type of Pilates you do – reformer, mat, hot or otherwise – these Pilates exercises are the foundation of every class. Joseph would execute the exercises in the exact order listed below, as he believed this was key to reaping the rewards, but you’ll find that most current Pilates teachers will mix them up.
- The hundred
- The roll up
- The roll over with legs spread
- The single leg circle
- Rolling like a ball
- Single leg stretch
- Double leg stretch
- Spine stretch
- Rocker with legs wide
- The corkscrew
- The saw
- The swan dive
- The single leg kick
- The double leg kick
- The neck pull
- The scissors
- The bicycle
- The shoulder bridge
- The spine twist
- The jackknife
- The side kick
- The teaser
- The hip twist
- Swimming
- The leg pull - front
- The leg pull - side
- The kneeling side kick
- The side bend
- The boomerang
- The seal
- The crab
- The rocking
- The control balance
- The push-up
How to perform 5 of the most common Pilates exercises
The single-leg circle
Difficulty: beginner
How to:
- Lie flat on your back, arms and legs straight.
- Raise one leg in the air, exhaling as you do. Focus on keeping the pelvis stable.
- Without lifting your shoulder or hips off the ground, draw your leg across your body.
- Make a circle with your leg.
- Repeat in the other direction, and then with the other leg.
To modify: bend both knees to make the exercise easier.
Spine stretch
Difficulty: beginner
How to:
- From a seated position, extend your legs out in front of you.
- Still seated, spread your legs to mat width, or slightly wider.
- Raise both arms to shoulder height.
- Inhale. Then, when you exhale, curl your chin towards your chest, reaching your body forward.
- Inhale to return to a straight-back position.
- Repeat.
To modify: bend your knees to make the exercise easier.
The roll-up
Difficulty: Intermediate
How to:
- Lie flat on your back, arms and legs straight.
- Reach your arms overhead, and inhale.
- As you exhale, raise your arms to the ceiling, lifting your head and chest up as you slowly peel yourself off the mat to a seated position.
- Roll down to the mat, as though you’re completing the movement in reverse, to return to the original laying position.
- Repeat.
To modify: Use momentum to reach the top of the position if you need to. Or, bend your knees.
The shoulder bridge
Difficulty: Beginner-intermediate
How to:
- Lay flat on your back, arms down by your sides, and draw your knees up to plant both soles of the feet on your mat, hip distance apart and heels slightly below your bum.
- Exhaling, tilt your pelvis to raise your hips off the ground, peeling your spine off the mat one vertebra at a time to the shoulder blades. Press your arms into the ground. Knees, hips, and chest should all be aligned.
- Hold this position as you inhale.
- Exhaling, roll the spine back down to the mat and the starting position.
- Repeat.
To modify: hold the bridge for longer to increase the challenge.
Single-leg stretch
Difficulty: Intermediate
How to:
- Laying flat on your back, bend both knees, drawing them into your chest.
- Exhaling, raise your head and shoulders off the floor to look at your knees. Place both hands on one leg – outside hand over the ankle, inside hand over the knee.
- Stretch the other leg straight out in front of you.
- Draw your leg back towards your body as you stretch the other leg out in front of you. Continue alternating.
To modify: The lower you extend your leg to the ground, the more challenging the exercise will feel.
15 best Pilates workouts
Pilates workouts under 10 minutes
1. Blast your core in five minutes | Isa Welly
Less really is more, as the pro-dancer turned Pilates instructor shows.
2. Challenge your core in ten minutes | BodyFit By Amy
Warning: DOMS await you in this speedy workout by LA-based Pilates instructor Amy Kiser Schemper.
3. Advanced Pilates in ten minutes | The Live Fit Girl
Deanna ensures you don't rest on your Pilates laurels.
Pilates workouts under 20 minutes
4. 13-minute pregnancy glute workout | Pilates PT Hollie Grant
This quick session is perfect for a serious glute burn – whether you're expecting or not.
5. Feel-good Pilates in 15 minutes | Freshly Centered
Pilates instructor Tracey works every muscle in this relaxing workout designed for intermediate level upwards.
6. Total-body Pilates flow in 18 minutes | Lottie Murphy
This feel-good flow is one of Lottie's favourites – you'll see why.
This speedy session requires no equipment – just willpower and commitment.
7. Pilates for sculpted arms in 20 minutes | Blogilates
Trust Cassey Ho to target your biceps and triceps, all without a free weight in sight.
8. 20-minute full-body intermediate Pilates Class | Move with Nicole
Queensland-based Pilates instructor Nicole will put more experienced Pilates lovers through their paces in this no-kit session.
Pilates workouts under 30 minutes
9. Beginners Pilates in 23 minutes | Isa Welly
Calling all beginners, join instructor Isa for a full-body class.
10. Pilates for your bum in 25 minutes | BodyFit By Amy
Grow your bottom in this intense session.
11. Pilates for solid glutes in 25 minutes | Fiit
Lottie Murphy demonstrates how to hit your glutes from multiple angles.
12. Cardio Pilates in 26 minutes | Jessica Smith
Build up a sweat in this fast-paced session by the Boston-based instructor
Pilates workouts 30 minutes or longer
13. Pilates PT Method™ 30-minute workout | Pilates PT Hollie Grant
If you like to finish your Pilates session drenched in sweat then ready yourself for this workout with Hollie Grant. Her 30-minute 'Pilates PT Method™' workout blends HIIT exercises and core strengthening Pilates. Sweat towel option but advised.
14. 30-minute weighted Pilates total body workout | Isa Welly
Grab some dumbbells and get ready to work. Isa is here to torch, tone and sculpt your body in this full-body Pilates workout.
15. Fat-burning Pilates in 60 minutes | Pilates With Hannah
Want a challenge? Try Hannah's one-hour routine.
5 tips for a successful Pilates workout
1. Clear a space big enough
We get it – your flat-share may not even have a living room, but as long as you can stretch your arms out without touching the wall, you’re fine.
2. Invest in the right equipment
Before you slip into a ‘pelvic curl’, you’ll need to get your hands on a few pieces to make your session as comfy and safe as possible.
First up, sort yourself out with an exercise or yoga mat. FYI, thicker styles support and cushion your spine better than their cheaper cousins, particularly on a hard floor rather than carpet. If you’re a beginner or prone to back pain, a cushion under your bottom or back can alleviate pressure and provide extra support.
Some classes may require a resistance band, which come in different lengths, strengths and sizes. If your Pilates workout calls for one, they should guide you on which type. Watch the workout before to know exactly what you'll need. A word to the wise: the thicker the resistance band (and the tighter you pull it), the harder your muscles work.
Other Pilates workouts might ask you to use a small inflatable Pilates ball or a Pilates ring – both pieces of equipment that help with alignment and engaging the correct muscles. Again, see what's asked of you before you dive into the workout and come up short.
3. Breathe, rather than brace
We all think we know how to do it, but breathing is one of the most common Pilates mistakes. Don’t hold your breath as you’ll end up bracing your core and working the wrong muscles.
Instead, breathe deeply through the exercises and focus on scooping your belly button in and up.
4. Put your phone on silent
Pilates requires concentration, focus and precision, so the last thing you want is a bazillion Instagram notifications going off in the background. Put your phone on silent or leave it in the next room.
5. Shut all pets out of the room
There’s nothing worse than finally nailing an exercise only to be thrown off balance by a well-meaning furry friend. Try to keep your animal pals in another room during your workout.
Can you do Pilates at home?
Yes, there are styles of Pilates that require some hefty equipment (think the reformer, Cadillac, Wunda chair), all you need for Pilates is an exercise mat.
'We use bodyweight as our resistance,' Hollie Grant, Pilates instructor and founder of The Bump Plan says. 'Now don’t think that means it will be easy – your body might weigh 60kg or more – those kettlebells you think are heavy at the gym are probably more like 10kg.'
Lions Non-Slip Yoga Mat
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As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director (and a qualified yoga teacher), Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism. She secured her first role at Look Magazine, where her obsession with fitness began and she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!. Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red.
Now, she oversees all fitness content across womenshealthmag.com.uk and the print magazine, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, where we showcase the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise. She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how.
Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.
