Pilates Exercises for Weight Loss

Pilates exercises are an excellent way to loose weight, especially if you combine your Pilates moves with cardio training. Pilates will help you work muscles you did not know you had while burning calories and keeping your heart rate up. Pilates is also a good way to tone muscles as part of a workout routine to lose weight. Start with these three easy moves and try more advanced ones after you master them.

  1. Climb the Robe

    • Sit on your mat and place your feet little wider than your body. Lean backward as much as you can and release your hands, only using your abs to move your upper body up and down. Inhale when your rock back and repeat twice. Stretch your arms in front of you and move them up and down seven times pretending to climb up a robe with your hands. At the same time, use your abs to hold your leaned back position. Move your hands to your right side still holding your position. Try not to shift your hips. Continue to move your hands up and down as if you were climbing. Repeat seven times. Move your hands to your left side and repeat the climbing move with your hands seven times. Then slowly lay down to your back and put your hands behind your head. Lift your head off the ground and lift your legs up, keeping your heels but not toes together. Pull your heels away from your body straightening your legs and then pull your knees toward your chest while keeping your heels together. Scoop your abdomen when you straighten your legs. Repeat three times. Put your toes and heels together and pull your knees toward your chest while squeezing your abs when straightening your legs. Repeat three times. Then put your big toes together, your heels out, and straighten your legs three times while squeezing your abs. Keep your legs up and put your heels together, toes out and then toes together, heels out. Repeat three times. Bring your knees to your chest and lay your head down to the floor.

    Leg Circle

    • Lay down on your back and lift your legs up to 90-degree angle. Then lift your head up and either put your hands behind your head or up in the air into a 90-degree angle. Lower your right foot to a 45-degree angle and circle your left foot four times clockwise and four times counterclockwise. Lift both of your legs to a 90-degree angle and lower your left foot to a 45-degree angle and circle your right foot four times clockwise and four times counterclockwise. Keep your hips steady. First lower both of your legs down and then lower your head and arms down.

    Roll Up

    • Lay down with your legs and arms stretched, making you as tall as possible. Inhale and roll yourself up. Exhale when stretching towards your toes. Inhale and lower yourself back to the mat. Repeat four times. Sit up, keep your legs straight and lift your arms up. Press your palms together and twist your body to the right using a pulse-like movement. Repeat eight times. Come back to the center and twist your body to the left using a pulse-like movement. Repeat eight times. Lower your hands in front of you and lift your legs to a table top position. Keep your hands in their place and lower your legs, so you can roll them around left and right. Repeat four times.