This Wall Pilates Workout Is Low-Impact and Perfect for Beginners
If you’re looking to stay fit and live a healthy lifestyle but don’t know where to begin, fitness pros recommend trying wall Pilates exercises, which are easily incorporated into any at-home workout plan. Not only are these moves low-impact but they’re beginner-friendly and effective too.
Another bonus? There’s no equipment required to get started. However, if you’d like to enhance the workout, you can use various props like resistance bands, the Pilates magic circle, or an exercise ball, explains Nandini Basu, N.P.C.P., lead instructor at Club Pilates.
Meet the expert: Nandini Basu, N.P.C.P., lead instructor at Club Pilates; and Vanessa Johnson, N.P.C.P., director of instructor training at Club Pilates
Below, find some of the best wall Pilates exercises in a beginner-friendly, 15-minute workout designed by Basu.
Looking for even more effective wall Pilates moves? Consider becoming a Prevention Premium member to download our 7-Day Wall Pilates Plan which includes additional exercises in a convenient step-by-step guide (plus other member-exclusive guides).
15-minute wall Pilates workout
Before getting started, Basu recommends beginning with Pilates breathing by lying on your back with your feet up against the wall. “Pilates breath work aims to fill up the lungs, widening out from left to right and front to back in what we call 3D breathing,” Basu explains.
After a few rounds of breathwork, move on to the workout below. Note: “These classical Pilates movements don’t require high reps to be effective,” Basu explains. “Typically eight to 10 reps done in a controlled and mindful manner will be effective in creating a strong and balanced body.”
Crisscross
The crisscross aids in “oblique and hip flexor work,” Basu explains.
To perform this move, begin lying down on the floor or yoga mat with your feet flat on the wall, knees bent at a 90-degree angle, and hands behind your head.
Followed by a deep inhale, exhale and roll your shoulders off the mat, tucking your chin to your chest. Keep your elbows wide as you roll up.
Twist your left elbow toward your right knee, fixing your gaze past your right elbow.
Roll back down to the mat, completing one repetition.
Continue for eight to 10 repetitions; repeat on the left side.
Leg circles
“This movement targets hip stability, abdominal control, and range of motion in the hip socket,” Basu explains.
Begin lying down with your feet flat on the wall, knees bent at a 90-degree angle, and arms down by your sides.
Inhale as you bend your right leg toward your chest, keeping your leg in line with your hip. Exhale, point your right foot, and extend it toward the ceiling.
Bring your right leg toward your nose, then cross your right leg slightly to the left, holding for three seconds.
Lower your leg toward the wall, holding for three seconds.
Open your leg slightly to the right, holding for three seconds.
Repeat steps two through five to make four more small clockwise circles. Reverse the motion and make five counterclockwise circles.
Bend your right leg to your chest and place your foot back on the wall, completing one repetition.
Continue for eight to 10 repetitions; repeat with your left leg.
Roll-ups
“This move advances our abdominal work and pelvic stability, and activates the muscles in the lower back and hamstrings, the muscles all up and down the spine, and our deep core,” Basu says.
Begin lying on the ground with your feet flat on the wall, your knees bent at a 90-degree angle, and your arms down by your side.
Reach your arms over the top of your head. Inhale and lift your arms to the ceiling, followed by your head.
Exhale and roll your shoulders up and off the mat while gazing toward your navel, keeping your chin tucked toward your chest.
Lower your arms and reach them forward as you roll up, keeping your waist and lower back on the mat.
Inhale through your nose and pulse your back by lifting your waist up and off the mat (like you’re doing a sit-up) then lowering back down.
Continue pulsing for eight to 10 repetitions.
Spine twist
Next, “the spine twist also activates the obliques to create that rotation while working on your scapular stabilizers to not let those arms and shoulder shrug up into the ears,” Basu explains.
Sit with the right side of your body next to the wall, knees bent toward your chest and legs together.
Reach your arms forward with palms touching, keeping them at shoulder height. Your right shoulder should be touching the wall.
Inhale and open your left arm to the side while turning your head to the left. Twist your torso to the left. Reach your hands away from each other to increase the stretch.
Return to the center with palms touching to complete one repetition.
Continue for eight to 10 repetitions; repeat on the other side.
Single-leg kickbacks
Lastly, work on your single-leg kickbacks, which target the back line of the body, according to Basu.
Begin lying down with your feet flat on the wall, knees bent at a 90-degree angle, and arms down by your sides.
After a deep inhale, exhale and tip your tailbone upward to lift your pelvis, waist, and ribs off the mat. Keep your shoulders flat on the mat and avoid putting weight onto your head and neck.
Bend your right knee into your chest. Tap your right foot down to the mat, keeping it in line with your knee and sit bone, then return it to your chest, then to the wall.
Roll your ribs, waist, and pelvis back down to the mat to complete one repetition.
Continue for eight to 10 repetitions; repeat on the other side.
What is wall Pilates?
Wall Pilates is a variation of traditional Pilates that uses a wall for support, as opposed to a mat or reformer machine. “Wall Pilates’ closest relative would be Mat Pilates practice,” explains Vanessa Johnson, N.P.C.P., director of instructor training at Club Pilates. “The exercises performed in Mat Pilates can be done using a wall as well.”
Wall Pilates benefits
Wall Pilates is beneficial for anyone seeking a low-impact, effective workout. It’s especially great for those just starting out with Pilates workouts, too. “Using the wall allows beginners to gain extra support in case of low back or hip issues, thereby building strength in the body with low impact on the generally weaker body parts and muscles,” Johnson explains.
Like all types of Pilates, Basu explains that wall Pilates exercises help to activate the deep abdominal muscles and “stabilize and strengthen our core muscles.”
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