8 Simple Mat Pilates Moves for Beginners

Benefits of Trying Pilates

“Pilates exercises integrate stretching and strengthening for the entire body,” says Nicole Simonin, ACE-certified personal trainer, health coach, and certified Pilates instructor. “It also engages the mind-body connection through breathwork and visualization. Pilates may help reduce stress and fatigue, correct muscle imbalances and poor posture, thus improving daily activities and maintaining independence as we age.”

She explains that mat Pilates is a great fitness alternative for those who may not want to engage in traditional or high-impact exercises—or who may want to add variety and functional movement into their typical workout routine. The lack of jumping and joint-straining movement makes Pilates a wonderful exercise practice for those who suffer from arthritis, back issues, incontinence, or other chronic medical conditions.

Tips for Pilates Beginners

The most important things to know when starting a mat Pilates practice: Form is essential, breathwork is key, and controlled purposeful movement is the goal.

You’ll want to begin slow, simple, and steady to learn proper form and get to know your personal limits in terms of strength, range, of motion, and so on. Simonin says to focus primarily on connecting to and engaging your deep core muscles: Imagine drawing your navel back into your spine and drawing in your bottom ribs. Remember to use your breath (especially the exhale!) to deepen this core activation.

“The best [beginner Pilates] exercises are those that build the foundational work that is critical to a safe, supportive, and successful Pilates practice,” says Tabatha Russell, Master Pilates Educator and owner of tabPILATES and Bodyworks Center Inc. in Chicago.

Russell adds that when teaching foundational exercises in her classes, it’s important for beginners to work in all the different body position variations: standing, seated, on all fours (quadruped position), lying on their back, and lying on their front.

It can be tough to try a new exercise method for the first time, and it might be a bit frustrating at first as you work through each move and its specific set of cues. Simonin encourages you to stick with it as you’re teaching your body a new way of movement—it takes practice!

Beginner Mat Pilates Exercises

Here are eight beginner-friendly mat Pilates moves that offer a great mix of upper, mid-, and lower body moves. They may seem simple, but if you’re moving with intention enough and using proper form, you’ll start to feel the burn (often in multiple places) in no time.

Start by completing 10 reps of each exercise. For any exercises that work one side at a time (such as the side-lying clams), do 10 reps per side.

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Shoulder Bridge

“This is a great first exercise becayse it warms up the spine, and also targets the hamstrings,” says Randi Stone, owner of NYC Pilates.

Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Extend both arms straight along the sides of your body.
Squeeze your glutes, exhale, and lift your hips up four to six inches off the floor.
Inhale and slowly lower your hips back down to the floor to complete one rep.

02 of 08

Toe Taps (Marching)

Here is a fantastic exercise to strengthen your abs that requires zero crunching!

Begin by lying on your back.
Lift both feet up off the floor into tabletop position: with your knees over your hips and your lower legs parallel to the floor.
Place both arms straight along the sides of your body.
Inhale and gently lower your right foot toward the floor (keeping leg bent at 90 degrees).
Tap only your toes on the floor.
Exhale and return your right leg to your starting position.
Repeat with your left leg, then alternate dropping and tapping each foot for a total of 10 reps.

03 of 08

The Hundred

“This is the opening exercise in a classic Pilates workout,” Stone explains. She says it gets the blood flowing while working the core muscles.

Begin by lying on your back and bring both legs up one at a time into a tabletop position (knees over hips and shins parallel to both floor and ceiling).
Hover your arms a few inches above the floor, straight out along the sides of your body.
Keeping an activated core, exhale and peel your head and shoulder blades off the floor.
With your legs and torso still and stable, begin pumping your arms up and down at a fast, but controlled pace, moving them no more than about two inches.
Inhale for five counts, exhale for five counts. Do this 10 times.

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Roll Back, Roll Up

Beginner Pilates roll up, roll down core exercise illustration — Kailey Whitman

This is another classic Pilates exercise that helps build core strength, Stone says. She recommends beginners start with just the roll back and use a small range of motion (no need to roll all the way down to the floor at first). Progress from there to a larger range of motion.

Begin seated on the mat with your knees bent and both feet flat on the floor.
Hold both arms forward and parallel to the floor at shoulder height.
Exhale and slowly roll your upper body half way down to the floor, vertebra by vertebra. Really think about using your abdominal muscles—not your hip flexors—for stability and control.
Inhale, and then slowly roll your upper body up to return to your seated position.

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Swimming

“This is a great exercise to strengthen the deep stabilizing abdominal muscles that run up and down the spine” says Stone. As a nice bonus, it also targets the glutes and hamstrings.

Begin lying on your stomach.
Reach both arms straight overhead.
Engage your core, squeeze your glutes, and tuck your check to chest.
Lift both your chest and legs a few inches off the floor (similar to a superman position).
Inhale and exhale while you kick your legs and flutter your arms up and down at the same time, performing a moderately paced “swimming” motion. At the same time do a flutter-like motion with your arms.
Do this for 10 to 20 seconds, then rest and repeat.

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Wall Squat

“This exercise builds posture awareness, works the pelvic floor and glutes, as well as the front and back of the legs,” Stone says.

Begin by standing and leaning your back against a wall.
Place both feet about hip-width apart and about a foot away from the wall.
Extend both arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height, arms parallel to the floor.
Inhale and sink your body down 6 to 12 inches, using your back on the wall and your feet on the floor as support anchors.
Continue to take deep inhales and exhales, holding this isometric squat for 10 seconds.
Slide back up the wall to return to standing.

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Cat and Cow

A great movement to do for a total back and neck stretch.

Start on your hands and knees on the mat.
Inhale, then on the exhale, tuck your chin to your chest and round your back up toward the feeling and let your tailbone tuck under your pelvis.
As you inhale again, tilt your nose and tailbone up toward the ceiling and arch your back, letting your belly expand and drop toward the floor.
Repeat this combo in a fluid motion for 10 reps, moving with each breath.

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Side-Lying Clam

This exercise targets your glutes and hips.

Begin lying on your right side with your legs bent and stacked.
Place one arm under your head and neck for support.
Keeping your ankles together and hips facing forward, lift your top knee up about 6 inches, and then slowly lower down. Focus on using just your glutes (not your back) to squeeze and lift the right leg (aka open the clam shell!).
Repeat for 10 reps, then switch and repeat for 10 reps lying on your left side.

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