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Pilates has earned a reputation as a beginner-friendly exercise thanks to its low-impact and easily modified movements. It may be less impactful on your joints, but it’s still powerful when it comes to strengthening and toning your core.
Pilates is also popular because it’s so accessible: All you need is enough space to lie down and you can do Pilates exercises without any additional equipment. Not to mention, Pilates moves can be easily modified to accommodate physical limitations or injuries.
So it’s no wonder that Pilates studios across the country have found new ways to take this exercise to the next level with the introduction of the Pilates Reformer machine. The latest Pilates trend uses something we all have at home – a wall – to mimic the exercises done on a Reformer machine while adding extra resistance. Not surprisingly, wall Pilates has been a social media hit since its inception.
Wall Pilates enthusiasts claim that by using a wall, they can achieve similar benefits to a Reformer Pilates class without having to leave the comfort of your own home.
What is Wall Pilates?
Wall Pilates focuses on the foundational movements found in traditional Pilates practice. Movements such as Bridge Pose and Pilates 100 are still part of the workout, but in this practice, the wall acts as a foot bridge for the Pilates Reformer.
How does it work? Pressing your feet against the wall in various Pilates positions adds extra resistance to each movement, leading to more effective strength training.
“In Pilates, the only real resistance is gravity. By using the wall as static resistance, you’re actually creating force,” Heather A. Milton, exercise physiologist supervisor at the Sports Performance Center at NYU Langone Health, told TODAY.com.
“This is a type of resistance training called isometric training,” explains Milton. “Basically, you can choose to exert yourself at different levels of maximum 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, you typically keep your feet elevated throughout the workout, which can improve circulation, aid digestion, improve sleep, and reduce muscle spasms.”
No equipment? No problem. Wall Pilates is a simple workout that doesn’t require any extra fancy work and is effective at improving balance, strength, and stability. “A wall adds resistance to your workout without needing any extra equipment,” says Jardine.
Because wall Pilates is still a relatively new workout, Milton says there isn’t a ton of research on the claims that it’s effective (and most of what’s out there is fairly anecdotal). That said, she says the research on isometric training comes close. Milton says the research shows that training this way is an effective tactic for building strength without putting too much stress on your joints.
So are there any benefits to adding wall Pilates to your workout repertoire? Milton answers: “Yes.”
“The benefit is that it strengthens the abdominal wall,” she says, “and because it’s low-moderate intensity exercise, it won’t have the same benefits as moderate or vigorous exercise in terms of improving body composition or cardiovascular health, but if you’re someone who’s never exercised before, taking up wall Pilates you’ll get the benefit of improved musculoskeletal health.”
If you’re worried about maintaining proper Pilates form, Milton says that using a wall can actually help: “Exercises that use the wall as feedback, such as side leg raises with your heels sliding against the wall, are a great way to maintain proper alignment,” she adds.
Typically, when you take an in-person Pilates class, your Pilates instructor will pay close attention to your posture. “When you’re at home, using a wall is a good alternative,” says Milton.
Wall Pilates Results
Wall Pilates’ popularity on social media has encouraged fitness creators to launch month-long challenges, with compelling before-and-after photos of those who complete the entire duration. One of the most well-known challenges, created by Rachel’s Fit Pilates, has been viewed almost 1 million times on YouTube.
One of the most impressive success stories comes from fitness influencer Renée Mowatt, who discovered wall pilates on TikTok, where there are thousands of videos with the hashtag. After seeing visible results, she created her own version of a wall pilates workout and shared it for anyone who wanted to try it for themselves.
“I started by doing wall Pilates four to five times a week to help improve my form and strength,” she says. After about a month of 10- to 30-minute wall Pilates workouts, Mowat noticed improvements in her coordination, flexibility, and strength.
But can everyone achieve the same results? “If you start from scratch, you’ll certainly see improvements in strength and balance,” says Milton. “But if you’re an already active person and you switch your training to this, I don’t think you’re going to see much improvement in a month.”
Milton says it can take several months for noticeable results to appear with strength training, and even longer with lower-intensity workouts like wall Pilates.
“Strength building takes four to six weeks to improve the efficiency with which your nervous system activates your muscles, and it takes around 12 weeks before you start to see any real changes in muscle size itself,” she says. “This is when you’re loading your muscles at at least 60% of their maximum capacity. In Pilates, a lot of people use a low percentage of maximum effort when doing leg rotations, for example, so unless they do a very high number of repetitions, they don’t pull enough load for the muscle to adapt and get stronger or more defined.”
Wall Pilates: A Beginner-Friendly Workout
While it may take some time to see results, wall pilates is extremely accessible. If you Google wall pilates workouts, you’ll find tons of free classes you can enjoy, and no equipment required. All you need is a wall and the internet, so even beginners can give it a try.
“It’s a great alternative to attending a Pilates class if you’re looking for a more cost-effective workout that you can enjoy at home,” says Mowat.
Understanding the fundamental Pilates movements will undoubtedly help you in your wall Pilates practice, but another major reason why wall Pilates has become so popular is that it’s an easy workout to pick up, even for beginners.
For example, Mowatt had only just started Pilates 10 months before she discovered Wall Pilates. “I started with short, five- to 10-minute workouts until I improved my form,” she says.
Jardine’s Wall Pilates workouts are designed for beginners, with slow movements and lots of verbal instruction to keep newcomers focused on form.
3 wall pilates exercises you can do at home
Want to try wall Pilates at home? Here, Jardine and Mowat share some key movements to help you get started in your Pilates practice.
When you start wall Pilates (or any new workout), pay attention to the messages your body is telling you. “Take breaks and adjust your exercises if necessary, and don’t beat yourself up if it’s difficult at first,” says Jardine. This generally applies to everyone.Leg Raises
First, lie on your back facing a wall with your legs stretched vertically and your arms stretched out to the sides of your body. Place both heels against the wall and raise each leg toward your body at an angle of about 45 degrees. Repeat this 20 times, alternating between each position.
Start by lying on your back with your feet about a foot away from the wall. Place your feet hip-width apart against the wall. Your calves should be parallel to the floor and your thighs at a slight angle. Place your arms at your sides on the mat. Next, draw your hips down and press through your heels, slowly lifting your back off the mat into a bridge position. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position. Repeat 10 to 15 times.
Stand with your back against a wall. Slowly walk your feet away from the wall, bending your knees at a 90-degree angle as you squat. Make sure your ankles are directly under your knees. While still seated against the wall, roll through the balls of your feet to lift your heels off the mat. Lower your heels down. Repeat 15 times.
This article originally appeared on TODAY.com.
