Pilates is becoming an increasingly popular way to exercise and with good reason—it's one of the best ways to build strength, while also developing your posture, coordination and mobility.
I've tried plenty of different types of exercise and I've sworn by functional weight training for years. However, I've recently started incorporating Pilates routines into my workout schedule and I've realized just how effective it is at building strength and I think it's something everyone should try.
If you're keen to try Pilates without committing to an expensive studio membership, try instructor Madeleine Abeid's one-month Pilates challenge.
Abeid runs one of the most popular Pilates YouTube channels with more than one million followers. All of the workouts in this plan are designed to be done at home and the first video in the plan only takes 20 minutes. The 30-day plan incorporates up to two rest days per week, to give your muscles time to recover.
Start Madeleine Abeid's Pilates challenge
You don't need any equipment for the first routine in this challenge. Abeid wears a pair of ankle weights, which will increase the difficulty of the workout, but this routine will still challenge you when done completely bodyweight.
Shop ankle weights
The other piece of kit you may want for this workout is a mat. If you don't have one, you can simply roll out a blanket or a towel. Or, if you're looking to invest, take a look at our guide to the best yoga mats.
The benefits of Pilates for building strength
If you've never tried Pilates before, you might notice that it's pretty different to other types of resistance training. It uses slow, controlled movements, but although these exercises might not look especially challenging, you'll be surprised by just how hard they work your muscles.
Pilates is a fantastic option for developing core strength in particular. That's because your core is engaged in almost every Pilates movement, even those that are designed to target other parts of the body too.
Plus, most Pilates workouts don't require equipment and they tend to be low-impact, meaning they’re gentler on your joints. This makes this style of movement a great choice for beginners, although Abeid's 30-day challenge may be too challenging for complete beginners. If you haven't exercised in a while but like the sound of Pilates, start with this eight-move Pilates for beginners routine. There's also this tried-and-tested 10-day wall Pilates challenge.
