While it’s not always easy to find the time to train, spending 30 minutes working out is an investment in both your physical and mental health, and if you can fit this standing Pilates session into your day, you definitely won’t regret it.
The workout has been created by fitness trainer Eleni Fit, who guides you through the whole session and does it herself so you can copy her technique.
You don’t need any equipment at all for the workout, though if you have one of the best yoga mats to hand, it will give you better grip on hard floors.
If you have some light dumbbells or hand weights, they would also be easy to integrate into the session to increase its difficulty. If you do the workout once and find it comfortable, adding weights would be a great way to progress next time you do it.
Watch Eleni Fit’s 30-minute standing Pilates workout
Along with the workout itself, Eleni leads you through a warm up and cool down, which are worth doing as well if you have the time.
During the workout itself you do each exercise for 40 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds between moves.
It doesn’t sound like a lot of rest, but the moves you’re doing are gentle and flow together so it shouldn’t be too tiring overall, and you can always take extra breaks if required during the session.
As a Pilates-inspired workout, the focus is on moving with control and engaging the right muscles during each move while also maintaining good posture. Don’t rush through your reps, but instead try to match Eleni’s pace and form.
Several of the exercises involve pulses — small repetitive movements that are great for exhausting the target muscles quickly. You might need an extra rest after these moves, given how tiring they can be.
Throughout the workout you’ll also regularly train one side of the body at a time, and work on one leg, which is great for improving your stability and balance. If you’re worried about falling, make sure you’re near a sturdy table or chair to lean on if required.
Along with strengthening muscles all over the body, the fact that you’ll be moving for 30 minutes in total with this workout means it does also get your heart rate up and boost your cardio fitness.
This is despite the fact there’s no jumping around in this session, so it’s a good low-impact way to work on your cardio compared to more intense options like HIIT or running.
If you enjoy this workout and are looking for ways to increase the difficulty without adding in too much impact, then a standing dumbbell session would be a great option.
This 12-minute standing dumbbell workout focuses on your core strength, but also works muscles around the rest of your body, and if you use light weights at first it’s both accessible and effective.
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