Morning Pilates: Benefits and Workout

“This is perfect if you’re like me and need some time to wake up slowly and lay down for a bit,” he says in this month’s Easy Morning Pilates Workout. Well + good Club trainer of the month. “It should feel like you’re still in bed doing a good morning stretch.”

Tone your muscles through a 24-minute workout. without it We’re going one step further. But if you want to make your exercise more challenging as your body wakes up, there are options throughout the workout that allow you to do just that. “No matter what, in the end you’ll be ready for the day,” he says.

Benefits of morning Pilates

The benefits of morning Pilates go beyond just lying down and starting your day. Exercising first thing in the morning increases blood flow to your brain and body, which not only wakes you up but also gives you more energy to start your day.

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The effects of training in the morning will also be felt in the afternoon and evening.A small 2019 study published in British Journal of Sports Medicine We’ve found that exercising in the morning improves your alertness and decision-making throughout the day, allowing you to perform at your best at work. Early training also helps you sleep better at night by regulating your body clock and promoting a healthier sleep-wake cycle.

The great thing about Pilates, especially in the morning, is that the gentle breathing and slow, controlled exercises you do during your workout activate your parasympathetic nervous system. This allows him to start his day in a calm headspace that more intense workouts like HIIT or cycling can’t.

Should I lie down during my workout? This morning’s Pilates Flow will slowly and gently wake your body up to help you relax and start your day.

What you can expect during this morning’s Pilates workout

By the end of Spencer’s workout, you’ll have targeted every muscle in your body without even realizing it.

hip raise

The workout begins with a booty, then completes a round of hip raises (aka Pilates bridges). If you’re in the mood (or, let’s be honest, awake enough), there are additional add-ons like Pulse. It’s more challenging. If your body still needs time to wake up, don’t overdo it. In fact, if that’s the case, Spencer recommends taking it even slower and relaxing. “Change your range. You might not go as high as the bridge as I go,” he says.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your arms at your sides.
2. Slowly draw your pelvis in and move your hips toward the ceiling in a bridge motion.
3. Relax your spine and return to the mat.
4. Repeat 4 more times.

Need an extra challenge? Add a round of hip pulses to the top of the bridge.

Forward curl with a twist

Next is the abdominal muscles. The aspect of morning Pilates that Spencer loves is core work. “I love morning ab workouts. It gets you off to a really good start,” says Spencer. “A lot of times you’ll feel it. You’ll think, ‘Oh my God, I can breathe so much easier after this.'”

Perform a series of core exercises, including forward curls with twists that target your obliques. If you want to keep things more conservative, you can continue with forward curls without twisting (either bending your legs or raising them to a tabletop position).

1. Start lying on your back.
2. Place your hands behind your head and lift your shoulder blades off the mat.
3. Place your feet in position on the table.
4. Curl your body and twist to the right, then return to the starting position.
5. Curl up and twist to the left, then back up.
6. Repeat 4 more times.

Need an extra challenge? When twisting, extend your opposite leg instead of keeping it on the table.

moving espresso

After stretching, which is exactly what your body needs first thing in the morning, Spencer moves on to his final exercise. This is what he calls “moving espresso.” Basically, if you’re not awake yet, “this is where you get ready for the day,” he says.

1. Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to toe.
2. Tilt your hips back like in child’s pose. Only this time his knees are floating above the floor.
3. Go forward while returning to plank.
4. Once you get used to the movement, increase the speed slightly and repeat 10 times.

So you’ve officially crossed daily workouts off your list. It’s no exaggeration to say that with the uplifting flow of Pilates and a cup of “Emotional Espresso,” which provides more caffeine than any canned coffee, you’ll stay energized for hours to come.