Forget the gym — this 20-minute Pilates session will improve your core strength, posture and balance

Features
By last updated

Workout your entire body in just 20 minutes from home

Move with Nicole Pilates workout
(Image credit: Move with Nicole/YouTube)

Along with helping you feel energized, much more flexible, and perhaps work muscles you didn’t even know you had, Pilates has the magical power to strengthen your entire body — and in minutes.

Just take this 20-minute routine from certified Pilates teacher and yogi Nicole McPherson as an example. Using just one of the best yoga mats to help cushion each floor-based move — which makes this session ideal for completing at home, as you won’t need to be in a studio or pay for any gym fee or membership — McPherson, who runs her YouTube channel, Move With Nicole, has shared a low impact bodyweight workout that’s packed full of slow and controlled moves.

Pilates has a focus on core strength and stability, so these moves are designed to engage your core, build full-body strength, and leave you feeling stronger than the minutes that came before. To get started, keep scrolling to watch the video on how to complete this workout and find out more on whether or not 20 minutes of Pilates is ‘enough to notice any of the many benefits this mind-body practice can bring.

How to do the 20-minute bodyweight Pilates workout

YouTube YouTube
Watch On

ne of the brilliant things about Pilates is the fact that most classes won’t require anything other than a comfy mat and your bodyweight to begin. And McPherson’s workout is no different.

Of course, if you are looking to up the ante, small pieces of fit kit, like the best resistance bands or light dumbbells, can help you take your practice up a notch. But even with just your bodyweight, mat Pilates (and this particular workout from McPherson) can help you target your deep core, like your transverse abdominis, pelvic floor, and multifidus, to help increase your strength, endurance and carve out some muscle definition.

McPherson includes many of the best Pilates exercises for strengthening your core and boosting posture. For example, there are bicycle crunches and scissor kicks included, with other fiery moves, like the Pilates roll-up and pulse lunges thrown in for good measure.

If you’ve not mastered these moves just yet, don’t panic! McPherson guides you through the entire routine, doing the workout with you, while instructing you on how to perfect your form. So have the sound up so you can listen to the Pilates pro walk you through each exercise and hear firsthand how many reps you’ve got left.

Is 20 minutes of Pilates a day enough?

Twenty minutes of Pilates might not sound like much, but after completing McPherson’s workout, you’re bound to feel the burn!

So, to really answer whether or not 20 minutes of Pilates is enough, the answer to this question is it certainly can be. But this will all depend on your current fitness levels and your health and wellbeing goals.

For example, the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults complete 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. If broken down, this could result in 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. So this could include 20 minutes of Pilates plus some sort of aerobic activity.

That said, to really boost abdominal strength and endurance, a 2015 study and a 2023 article suggest you’ll need to complete two to three one-hour sessions of Pilates a week for 12 weeks.

More from Tom's Guide

Becks Shepherd
Becks Shepherd

Becks is a lifestyle journalist who specializes in writing about wellness and home products, from mattresses to weighted blankets and cooling comforters. She has tested a number of mattresses for Tom's Guide, putting them through their paces to see if they stand up to the brand's claims, and offering recommendations as to the type of sleeper they will (and won't) suit. 

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.