Pilates For Beginners – 5 Exercises You Can Try Today! At-home Pilates
- Pilates With Natalia
- May 25
- 4 min read
As a beginner, Pilates can often be overwhelming! There is a lot to learn; for a start, there are 8 principles of Pilates. All 8 principles should ideally be practised on and acknowledged for best practice.
I have been teaching Pilates online, free Pilates, and in-person Pilates for many years now, and I know that most of my beginner clients would feel totally baffled if I were to discuss these with them! That is why I always stick to the first 3 principles as a foundation; these are your alignment, breathing and core control!
These 3 principles are arguably the most important for beginners in Pilates to master. Alignment is all about making sure your body is in the correct position before you start an exercise and throughout the exercise. With your breathing, always try to remember to exhale when doing the harder part of the movement! And using your core is important to protect your spine but also to strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles! Now I know this is super brief; I have a free Pilates eBook, which you can read and learn in a lot more detail, and videos on YouTube, which you can go to later. But for now, just knowing these 3 and being aware of them is a great place to start!
If you've never done Pilates, it has never been easier to start! You can literally do free Pilates workouts from home. I have many classes available, plus I have also created a free 30-minute guided Pilates online class to get you started. But more on that later! Now let's go through 5 exercises you can try today at home!
Cat/Cow
The Cat/Cow is great for spine & hip mobility.
Round your spine into a c-curve as you exhale
Inhale, hold the position
Exhale, travel through your neutral and extend through your spine
Repeat up to 5!
Squats
Squats are great for toning your lower body: your glutes, thighs and hamstrings.
Inhale to squat, keep your back straight and push your hips back
Exhale, return to standing
Do up to 10 reps
Pro tip: use a block or a book and place your heels on the book; you'll be able to squat lower and target different muscle groups!
Press Ups
These are a game changer for strengthening your upper body and core! I highly recommend not neglecting your upper body!
Inhale to prepare
Exhale to do the entire pressup, bending your arms to the side and returning to the start; use your breath to get the momentum
Use your core and keep your neutral spine
Try and do at least 10!
Hundreds
This is a classic! The 100s are amazing for toning your abs and core. I have linked a video (click on the image below to watch) which shows you how to do the hundreds and what to look out for!
Curl up, and lift your legs to either a bent or straight leg (pictured) position
Inhale to pump your arms x5; exhale pump your arms x5
Use your core and keep your head as lifted as possible, without straining your head or neck!
Try to continue until you do the full count of 100!
Donkey Kicks
These are great for toning your glutes, and they are relatively simple to master without getting overwhelmed with the Pilates principles!
You start on all fours; you inhale to lift your leg to 90 degrees
Exhale to lower your leg back down
Squeeze your booty at the top
Do 20 per leg; adding small ankle weights makes this way more effective!
Where to Find Free Pilates & Resources!
Get a completely free 30-minute guided Pilates class plus a detailed beginner Pilates eBook here; this is FREE, and you can access it instantly:
I also have plenty of workouts available to you on YouTube, which I will link below. If you would like to try a class and try some of the exercises I listed above, head here:
My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NataliaPilatesUK – free workouts for all levels, including core, posture, and stress relief
I also recommend outdoor walks in nature. I love going for a long walk during the spring and summer months, and I also love sitting in the sun. Just being outdoors and feeling the fresh air is a great way to move my body; it is still low impact and not too strenuous on the joints!
Final Thoughts!
I hope this article has motivated you to try a free Pilates class and then hopefully continue practising with me! At the very least, try some of the above exercises and see for yourself how beneficial they can be for your physical health! Remember to practise regularly. Allow progress to take time! If you ever have any questions, please do reach out. I am always here to answer any questions you may have, and I would love to help you if I can!
Have an amazing week, and remember that just starting is key to feeling amazing both inside & out! 🤍✨
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