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Pilates is a beginner-friendly, low-impact workout that’s especially effective at strengthening and toning your core. And its popularity has only grown in recent years, thanks to trendy boutique fitness studios and reformer machines.
One of the best things about Pilates is its accessibility. This workout can be modified to suit any fitness level and doesn’t require a lot of space or equipment, making it perfect for an at-home workout.
And with the latest Pilates trend sweeping social media, enthusiasts can take this efficient workout to the next level at home. It’s called Wall Pilates. This version of the workout includes the use of a wall to change the intensity of each exercise to a level that suits you.
Fans of Wall Pilates claim that it provides many of the same toning benefits you get in a reformer Pilates class without paying the hefty fees of boutique studio classes.
What is Wall Pilates?
During Wall Pilates, you essentially perform the same traditional Pilates exercises, such as Bridge Pose and Pilates 100, with the help of a wall that mimics the foot bar used in Reformer Pilates classes.
By pressing your feet against the wall as you perform various exercises, you can add resistance to each movement and help build muscle strength.
“In Pilates, the only resistance that actually exists is gravity. Using a wall for static resistance can actually create force,” says the author of the Center for Sports Performance at New York University Langone Health. Heather A. Milton, exercise physiologist supervisor, told TODAY. .com.
“This is a type of resistance training known as isometric training,” Milton explains. “Essentially, you can choose to power through different levels of maximal effort.”
Benefits of Wall Pilates
“Wall Pilates is great for improving stability, balance, strength, and control,” explains Callie Jardine, Pilates instructor and founder of Sweaty Studio. “Unlike traditional Pilates, your feet are elevated most of the time during your workout, which increases circulation, improves digestion and sleep, and may reduce muscle cramps.”
Additionally, wall Pilates can be an easy way to improve your overall strength, balance, and stability in the comfort of your own home. “Walls add resistance to your workout without the need for additional equipment,” says Jardine.
Milton says research shows that isometric training is an effective way to build strength without putting a lot of stress on your joints. However, she added that there isn’t much research to back up her claims about wall Pilates specifically. And many of the claimed benefits are anecdotal or simply speculated based on the proven benefits of traditional mat Pilates.
However, Milton believes there are some benefits to incorporating this type of exercise into your daily life.
“It has the benefit of strengthening the abdominal wall,” she says. “Because it’s a low-moderate intensity exercise, it doesn’t have the same benefits in terms of improved body composition or cardiovascular health as moderate or vigorous exercise. However, if you’re not doing any exercise at all, you can start Wall Pilates. If you decide to do so, you’ll reap the benefits of improved musculoskeletal health.”
Using a wall is also an effective way to perform Pilates movements with proper form, Milton continues. “Exercises that use the wall as feedback, such as doing leg raises while lying on your side while sliding your heels into the wall, are a great way to maintain proper alignment,” she adds.
In a traditional Pilates class, you may observe your alignment while exercising in a mirror and get feedback from your instructor. “When you’re at home, a good alternative is to use the wall,” says Milton.
wall pilates results
Due to the popularity of this workout, a one-month wall Pilates challenge has gone viral on social media. One of her popular challenges, created by Rachel’s Fit Pilates, has been viewed almost 1 million times on YouTube. And the before and after photos of people who have committed to wall training for a month are convincing.
Fitness influencer Renee Mowat is one such success story. She first discovered Wall Pilates on her TikTok, where the hashtag has garnered her 12.6 million views. She has seen impressive results with her workouts and is now sharing her popular Wall Pilates workouts with others who want to give them a try.
“First, I did wall Pilates four to five times a week to improve my form and fitness,” she says. Mowat started seeing results after doing 10 to 30 minute wall Pilates workouts for about a month. She noticed that her strength, flexibility, and coordination were improving.
Are these results something everyone can expect? “If you start with nothing, you will certainly see improvements in strength and balance,” says Milton. “But if you’re already an active person and decide to change your workouts to this, I wouldn’t expect to see much improvement in a month.”
Milton added that it usually takes several months for the physical changes from strength training to show up, and that lower-intensity workouts like wall Pilates can take even longer to show changes.
“Increasing muscle strength takes four to six weeks for the nervous system to activate the muscles more efficiently, but it takes about 12 weeks before you actually see any changes in muscle size,” she says. says. “This is when you’re stressing your muscles to at least 60% of their maximum capacity. In the case of Pilates, many people use a low percentage of maximum effort when doing leg circles, for example, so they don’t put enough stress on their muscles. You can’t trigger it. You can’t adapt it to become stronger or more defined without doing a great many repetitions.”
Wall Pilates: Beginner-friendly training
Still, Wall Pilates is a workout with a low barrier to entry. The workouts are available for free online and require little equipment or space, making them easy for beginners to get started.
“If you want a fun, more cost-effective workout that you can do at home, it’s a great alternative to in-class Pilates,” says Mowat.
Understanding the basic Pilates movements is helpful for those who want to try wall Pilates, but this workout is becoming more popular because it’s beginner-friendly.
Mowat himself is a Pilates newbie, having started practicing just 10 months before discovering Wall Pilates. “She started with short workouts of 5 to 10 minutes until her form improved,” she says.
Jardine intentionally designed the Wall Pilates workouts for beginners, incorporating slow-paced movements and verbal cues to help Pilates beginners focus on their form and avoid injury. Masu.
3 wall Pilates exercises you can do at home
Interested in trying Wall Pilates for yourself? Jardine and Mowat share some simple movements to get you started.
As with any new workout, it’s important to listen to your body. “Take breaks and modify your exercises as needed. Don’t beat yourself up if it feels difficult at first,” says Jardine. “Normally everyone is like that!”leg raise
Lie on your back facing a wall with your legs extended vertically and your arms out by your sides. Place both heels against the wall and lift one leg at a time toward your body at about a 45-degree angle. Repeat alternately 20 times.
First, lie on your back facing a wall with your feet about 1 foot apart. Place your feet hip-width apart against a wall so that your calves are parallel to the floor and your thighs are slightly diagonal. Place your arms at your sides on the mat. Next, tuck your hips down and press through your heels to slowly peel your back off the mat into a bridge position. Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat 10-15 times.
Stand with your back flat against the wall. Sit in a squat and slowly move your legs away from the wall while bending your knees at a 90-degree angle. Make sure your ankles are directly below your knees. While sitting against the wall, lift your heels off the mat through the balls of your feet. Bring your heels back up. Repeat 15 times.
This article originally appeared on TODAY.com
