9 Pilates Moves That Burn Major Calories

Get your heart pumping for a leaner physique

Pilates not only tone your muscles. If you perform properly, it is also a great way to burn calories. Are you ready to start sweating? Try these nine great exercises from the Health Big Book of Pilates women. Click here to see more

Adapted from the Women’s Health Big Book of Pilates by Brooke Siler, copyright 2013 Rodale Inc. is available here, and wherever books are sold.

SWIMMING

Lie on your stomach with your forehead down to your pubic bone anchor on the carpet, and your inner thighs squeezing together. Your arms should be stretched forward with your palm down, and your feet will be just. Raise your arms, legs, chest, and come up with a crime, and hold (A). Inhale and exhale as you replace normal right arm lifting / left leg (B) and left arm / right leg (C) without touching them to the floor. Counting from 1-10 as you swim, the more advanced and achieve progress also with each number. Sit back on your heels for a counter stretch in your lower back, if necessary.

PADDLE

Lie on your back with your hands layer, brush in hand, then lift your head and with your knees bent tightly to your chest (A). Inhale slowly and rotate body to the left until your right elbow to your left knee connection, straight right leg forward and hold it a few inches above the carpet (B). Exhale and rotate to control, connect your left elbow to your right knee and your left leg extended. Continue alternating sides, completing six of twists.

JOGGING KNEE / UPS Heel

Keep your elbows attached to the sides and pull your belly in and up, start jogging and knee lift your hip height as you do (A). After about eight knee lifts, and without breaking stride, start your rock bottom with your heels (B), keeping your elbows pinned to your chest and lift up. After eight rock bottom, or move to the next exercise or complete a set, this time reducing your lifts and kicks to six, then four, then two.

LEG PULL

Sitting tall with straight legs stretched, and squeezed them together tightly (your feet will be only). Place your hands, palms down, on the edge of the mat behind you, with only your finger inside. Click on your hands, and lift your hips (A) until your body is in a long diagonal line from head to heels. Inhale slowly as you lift your right leg up as high as it will go without changing your body from side to side or bottom of your fall (B). Exhale to control when you return your foot to the mat, keeping broad chest. Switch legs and repeat. Try six times to lift the legs and hips higher and higher with each of your rounds.

PLANK jacks

Standing tall, facing carpet at one end. Inhale as you bring to control your arms up, stretching your waist, and pulled back on your thighs tightly together (A). Exhale slowly as you bring your head and arms forward, keeping them out broad shoulders, and lower your hands to the floor by rolling over your spine (do not fold at your hips); Your abs should remain exposed. Place your palms on the mat with your head on your knees (bend your knees only when necessary) (B). Walk your hands forward in giant steps straight 3 1/2 until your arms are in a rigid plank position from head to heel, with shoulders over your wrists. You should be balancing on your toes (C, D, and E). Jump your legs open and closed six times, reinforcing stability, shoulder-to-position your wrists together jack (F). From your plank position, lift from your muscles and power folding your chest toward your thighs. Walk your hands back to your feet with straight arms, and roll up to standing. Repeat three times the order total.

TWIST

Lie on your back with a long, strong arm of your party. Squeeze your legs together tightly on the back of the inner thigh. Inhale slowly as you lift your legs in the air, roll back until your balance in between the shoulder blades and the back of your arms (A). Point your toes, and exhale to control when you come back down your spine, tilt your body slightly to the right (B). When your gluten must touch the mat, legs crossed and inhale slowly to the left (C), rolling up the left side of your body while your abdominal slap and lift the buttocks (D). Continue reversing circle each time, and complete three sets.

SIDE KICKS ANEMONE

Kneeling in the middle of your carpet with a long waist. Put your left hand, palm down, on the mat while extending your right leg to the side, in line with your hips. Your right hand should be behind your head, hips above your knees and your shoulders over your wrists (A). On a quick inhale, rotate your right leg back stronger without moving your hips in front of your knees or to disturb the position of your body (B). Exhale as you kick forced forward without moving your hips back or change the location of the chest and the elbow (C). Stone front and back eight times, and then switch sides and use the body back to the front opening, and using all eight front kick opportunity to deepen your scoop.

ROLLING LIKE A Cannonball

Sitting on the mat with knees bent to his chest and arms wrapped tightly around the front of your ankle. Tuck his head between his knees, and pull your abs in and up off the thighs (A). Roll up on your back (never allow the weight of your body to rest on the cervical vertebrae of you), and go back up to the equilibrium of the tail but this time, when you roll forward, pressing knees and your feet close together, your release hand, jumped into the air and (B, C, D and E). Land softly, and reverse the movement back to the floor. Go back and Cannonball up 4-6 times.

SEAL

Sitting on the mat with knees bent, feet together, knees apart, so you can see your ankles. “Dive” hands between his legs, and wind them around to the outside of your ankle, one palm on the outside of each ankle (A). Lift your feet off the mat, and balancing on your tail in contact with your belly, inner thighs engaged, and biceps shot (B). Inhalation of evidence, and deepen your abs to start rolling back onto your back. Exhale to go back up to balance on your tail. Try three simple seal, in the center on your carpet and strengthen your abdominal muscles with each roll. Next, add two or three claps of “flippers” of you (that is, open and close your leg muscles from your deep intensity) as you balance on your tail, and two or three flipper applause as you balance on the backs of your shoulders- never allow the weight of your body to rest on your neck (C and D). Roll like a seal six times.