Starting a new fitness routine, or any new adventure in the health and wellness world can be daunting. Getting up the nerve to jump into that new class or gym can be tough enough -  not to mention you may be asked to move your body in ways you’ve never moved it before (or haven’t in quite some time). Taking care of both your physical and mental health is imperative when starting a new fitness routine to ensure you don’t get injured or burned out.

I have created my online Pilates classes to be user friendly for all levels. I lead you through a gradual pace of every single exercise so that you understand how to execute them with proper form and technique. As a Pilates beginner, it’s essential to learn the basics before moving on to more advanced versions of any exercise or movement system to prevent injury or overexertion.

Equipment You Need to Get Started

All of my beginner-friendly Pilates videos are equipment free! You do not need expensive equipment to enjoy Pilates at home. All you need is your own body and perhaps things you can find in the home, such as canned foods or water bottles to use as weights, a standard chair for my Chair Pilates videos, etc.

If you want to challenge yourself further, you can order a BOSU ball to incorporate into some of my videos. When asked, what is the one piece of home equipment in which everyone should invest, I always recommend the BOSU Ball. It is extremely versatile and can provide a safe, full-body workout. It can also be easily tucked away and stored when not in use.

Beginner Pilates Exercises

The Hundred is a classic Pilates mat exercise designed as a dynamic warm up to get your heart rate up and your blood pumping. It is an important exercise that teaches coordination of breath and movement. The hundred is a core focused exercise, named after the hundred beats your arms make while holding your legs extended and your head and shoulders off of the mat. Other benefits of the hundred include improved circulation, increased spinal mobility, better breathing habits, and stronger abdominals.

A great modification for this exercise for Pilates beginners is to keep your head resting on the mat while continuing with the lower half of your body in the advanced position. Alternatively, you can have your legs in a table-top position, rather than fully extended. Lastly, the exercise can be done with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor while keeping your upper body raised in the proper posture.

If doing 100 beats feels like it may be an advanced challenge I also suggest cutting it in half and focusing on quality over quantity.

How to Ensure You Get the Most out of your Classes

To ensure you get the most out of my online Pilates classes, my best advice is to listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right leave it out. Never sacrifice the intuition of the body for the glory of the ego. 

Pace yourself. Make sure that your form and alignment are correct before executing an exercise. Support all movements by keeping your core engaged, and focus on your breath. Breath is the connective throughline of the mind-body connection. Slowly build upon each workout as you feel you’ve got a good handle on the exercises, and your muscle memory has begun to kick in.

Most of all...have fun! No one is judging you or your pace. The best part about my online Pilates classes is that you are doing them on your own terms, and from the comfort of your own home without feeling the pressure to push yourself beyond your limits - as one may experience in an in-person class.

Enjoy the journey! I’m here for your growth every step of the way!