All posts tagged: Pilates

Ease back and hip stiffness with this 10-minute beginner Pilates flow

Ease back and hip stiffness with this 10-minute beginner Pilates flow

Published by Jenni Sidey

Looking after your joints pays off in your later years; keep them strong and mobile now, and you’ll be able to move with ease when you’re older. An efficient routine like this one from Sundrop Pilates instructor Hannah Lawrence will help your joints stay happy. Doing the 10-minute session will not just maintain your mobility—it will improve your ability to move and hold certain positions, too. Latest Videos FromFit&Well “The idea is that sitting cross-legged and reaching toward your toes will start to feel more comfortable and natural,” says Lawrence. She suggests moving slowly through the exercises and making sure each one feels like a stretch, but doesn’t cause any pain. You may like 1. Pelvic curl/bridge Pelvic Curl | The Ultimate Spine Stretch – YouTube Watch On Reps: 6-8 Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart. Exhale, tuck your tailbone, and peel your spine off the mat one vertebra at a time, until your knees, hips and shoulders are aligned. Inhale, then exhale and slowly roll back down. 2. …

A Cadillac Pilates instructor says this low-impact home workout is ideal for anyone new to Pilates

A Cadillac Pilates instructor says this low-impact home workout is ideal for anyone new to Pilates

Published by Jenni Sidey

Once the sole preserve of the studio, the Pilates reformer has found its way into homes, with mini Pilates boards, full-spec reformers and everything in between available to buy. But the Cadillac Pilates machine, another piece of equipment patented in the early 1950s by Joseph Pilates, looks set to stay (mostly) in the studio due to its size. The apparatus resembles a four-poster bed with adjustable springs, bars and straps. Because the attachments can provide assistance, as well as the resistance you’d expect from a reformer bed, it’s especially well suited to rehabilitation (I first encountered it when rehabbing a torn ACL) and Pilates newcomers. Latest Videos FromFit&Well “The combination of support and resistance it provides is exactly what makes it so effective and approachable for people new to Pilates or coming back from an injury,” says Daisy Zhang, founder and instructor of Mind Pilates, which has two locations in New York City. Daisy Zhang using the Cadillac Pilates machine (Image credit: Mind Pilates) If you can’t get to NYC, or another studio with Cadillac …

A Pilates instructor says this inexpensive piece of equipment can encourage better posture and reduce neck tension

A Pilates instructor says this inexpensive piece of equipment can encourage better posture and reduce neck tension

Published by Jenni Sidey

Pilates balls are a small tool that can have a large impact. They tend to be around nine inches in diameter—the size of a soccer ball—and are soft and malleable. They also happen to be the favourite piece of equipment of veteran Pilates instructor and Balanced Body educator, Portia Page. Latest Videos From “This deceptively simple piece of equipment is versatile as a modifier, prop or to add challenge,” she tells Fit&Well. Page, whose Pilates ball of choice is the nine-inch TOGU ball from Balanced Body, explains why Pilates balls work differently to the large inflatable exercise balls often found in gyms. You may like “Unlike the traditional exercise ball, the TOGU ball is small, lightweight and unstable—yet able to provide some support. “That instability is exactly what makes it so effective. It helps awaken deep stabilizing muscles while providing support where many people need it most.” Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox. She adds that she favours the TOGU ball specifically because “while standard generic …

I tried using the Gymproluxe Pilates reformer for 30 days—my home workouts have never been better

I tried using the Gymproluxe Pilates reformer for 30 days—my home workouts have never been better

Published by Jenni Sidey

Mat-based Pilates sessions are a firm favourite of mine, but there’s no denying that reformer Pilates challenges the body in a different way. But like studio memberships, at-home reformer Pilates machines usually come with a hefty price tag, expect four figures for OG brands, which is why I was intrigued by the Gymproluxe Pilates Reformer. It’s a lot more affordable than other Reformer machines at $398, but still promises to deliver studio-quality Pilates at home, so I jumped at the opportunity to try it out. Article continues below You may like What is the Gymproluxe Pilates Reformer? (Image credit: Katie Sims) It’s a portable, foldable reformer machine that’s a step up from plastic Pilates boards. It’s lightweight enough to pack away and store when you’re not using it, which is one of the main draws. The Gymproluxe Pilates Reformer consists of a sturdy, solid wood base, slider board, adjustable resistance bands (which go up to 90kg), and a detachable bar. The machine can be used for strength training, Pilates and HIIT workouts. After using it …

Five pieces from Rita Ora’s Primark Pilates collection to pick up

Five pieces from Rita Ora’s Primark Pilates collection to pick up

Published by Daniella Wilson

Britain’s post-pandemic wardrobe has embraced activewear as its uniform. No longer just for workouts, these comfortable garments are the go-to for coffee dates, errands, dog walks, and even first dates. Leggings, once a functional afterthought, now form the foundation of everyday dressing. New Primark research highlights this, showing nearly half of Britons feel more confident in activewear than other clothing, with almost two-thirds wear it beyond workouts. open image in gallery Rita Ora has launched an activewear range with high street favourite, Primark While there’s a huge demand for gym-wear beyond the studio, 78 per cent of shoppers say high prices stop them buying the pieces they really want, with the market dominated by luxury brands. That was part of the reason singer Rita Ora decided to collaborate with Primark on its new Performance collection, making affordable, trend-aware activewear designed to move between studio and street. Importantly for Ora, all pieces are breathable, “I love hot mat [Pilates], it’s basically all I do now […] I just love the sweat,” she says – a reality …

Best pieces from Rita Ora’s new Primark Pilates range to try

Best pieces from Rita Ora’s new Primark Pilates range to try

Published by Daniella Wilson

Since the pandemic, activewear has become the uniform of Britain. No longer reserved just for Pilates class, it’s the go-to for coffee dates, errands, dog walks – and, for some, even first dates. Leggings are no longer a functional afterthought but the foundation of everyday dressing. New research from Primark suggests nearly half of Brits feel more confident in activewear than in any other clothing, with almost two-thirds now wearing it beyond workouts. While there’s a huge demand for gym-wear beyond the studio, 78% of shoppers say high prices stop them buying the pieces they really want, with the market dominated by luxury brands. That was part of the reason singer Rita Ora decided to collaborate with Primark on its new Performance collection, making affordable, trend-aware activewear designed to move between studio and street. Importantly for Ora, all pieces are breathable, “I love hot mat [Pilates], it’s basically all I do now […] I just love the sweat,” she says – a reality that directly shaped the range. Fabrics are lightweight and ventilated, built for …

The 26 best Pilates studios in L.A.

The 26 best Pilates studios in L.A.

Published by Sam Flores

While interned during World War I, a German-born physical trainer named Joseph Pilates developed a precise method for rehabilitation. It began as a series of mat exercises and evolved into an exercise that made use of equipment he fashioned from bedsprings and whatever materials he could find to help bedridden patients regain strength. Pilates brought this complete system, originally called “Contrology,” to New York in the 1920s, where it gained popularity among dancers and performers. A hundred years and several wellness-industry booms later, he would hardly recognize the luxury studios his eponymous system now inhabits. Or the many equipment offshoots — Megaformers! Miniformers! — his method has inspired. For the record: 11:32 a.m. April 17, 2025A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Joseph Pilates inspired Wunda Chairs. He invented them. The equipment itself — sliding carriages and strange chairs surrounded by coiled springs and straps — can sometimes resemble medieval torture devices. Yet behind this machinery and the not-insignificant price one pays to use them lies militaristic precision: a workout that strengthens the body …