The founder of Pilates exercise, Joseph Pilates came up with this very popular celebrity adopted form of exercise back in the 1920’s. The basic aim of Pilates exercises lies at toning and strengthening the muscles and promoting core strength, including the abdomen, the thighs, the buttocks, the obliques and the lower back.  This form of exercise is very similar to yoga except it emphasizes more on the core than anything else. Hence, it is the perfect exercise regimen for improving flexibility, enhancing coordination and balance, building muscular strength and promoting the formation of a good posture.

Pilates’ exercises engage the whole body into a movement based workout, which is hard to get bored with! You may be stretching a muscle at one part and strengthening another one at the same time, keeping the routine interesting! Pilates’ exercises can be very extensive but for starters, Pilates forbeginners is a more approachable form.
Here are some basic Pilates’ exercises which make for the perfect Pilates for beginners guide!

The Arm Raises

One of the best Pilates for beginner’s exercises is the arm raise! This Pilates exercise focuses on helping you coordinate your breathing capacity with the movement required by the workout, while helping you maintain a strong posture. Spread you Pilates mat out and sit on it bending your legs and crossing the ankles, while keeping your arms on the side absolutely relaxed. Now, as you inhale, keeping your elbows straight, slowly and gradually bring your arms up over your head. While you do so, make sure to keep your back erect and pull your spine in an upward direction. Now, exhale, and while you do so, relax your arms bringing them down, but while maintaining the same posture. Repeat the routine at least 6 times.

Head and Chest Float

The head and chest float is another Pilates exercise which like most others also focuses on strengthening the core, keeping the abdominal muscles tightened and straightening the spine. In order to practice this Pilates for beginners exercise, you need to lie down on your exercise mat keeping the knees bent and the legs spread enough that they are proportional to a hip-width amount. Keeping your hands behind the head, you need to pull yourself up with the help of your shoulder blades without lifting the neck so that they are just over the mat. Exhale throughout this motion. When you lower yourself down, inhale and suck your ribcage in as tightly as you can. Once again, repeat at least 6 times.

The One-Minute Roll Down

The one minute role down is yet another Pilates exercise that focuses on the core strength and the flexes and alignment of the spine. This is one of the most basic Pilates for beginner’s exercises. Here is what you need to do: sit on an exercise mat with the legs resting in a bent fashion and the feet apart, slightly more than the hips. Now, hold on to our shins gripping tight, inhale, and roll in a backwards direction on your mat. Now roll back up and inhale while you do so. Repeat the routine thrice.

If you master these three basic Pilates for Beginners exercises, you are good to go and ready to experience the true self of Pilates and have the pleasure of reaping its countless benefits! So, get started and become the Pilates champion you will not regret becoming!