Similar to arm circles, the torso twist helps reduce strain on the posture, spine, and back, an area many of us suffer from later in life due to unhealthy posture formed in work or school environments.īut what it also does is strengthen your core and abs, especially if you increase the difficulty by leaning back further into the exercise.

Make sure you keep your posture defined in a sitting position, as only if done with proper form will this move help stretch your spine, realign your body, and alleviate pressure on the back. Like a clock, you twist your torso, moving on an imagined clock around your body from 9 am to 3 pm. You do it by lying on your back with your knees bent and your arms extended out to the sides, dropping both knees to one side of your body. Known as the 9-5, the Torso Twist is number two in our list of Pilates exercises to start your day as it’s amazing at rotating your spine and realigning your body. To intensify this exercise, reverse the directions of the circles on your second go and add weights to increase the resistance. This is beneficial not only on a physical level, for office workers, homemakers, and physical laborers, because it also helps you start your day by helping you project a confident, self-assured persona wherever you may be. Posture is critical to our self-esteem and the healthy development of our spine, not to mention proper posture projects confidence and self-assurance. This Pilates exercise for arms also helps you be mindful of your posture, as you need to keep your back straight while performing it to reap the full benefits. While it seems basic, this move helps tone your arms, shoulders, biceps, forearms, and triceps, areas of the body we all use regardless of profession. One, they are a move so simple you can do them even if your feeling groggy or sleep-deprived, and two there’s no need to crack out weights or a resistance band, making them financially very inclusive.Īll you need to do is stand in a V stance, and draw small circles from your shoulders as you move your arms from facing towards the ceiling to down towards your side. Arm circles are truly a staple of any morning Pilates routine, for two important reasons.

The first exercise to start your day is a Pilates exercise for arms. Be it sitting at a desk typing away at work like blogs (shoutout to me), going to school, working as a homemaker, or doing intensive manual labor. That’s why we’ve assembled a list of five Pilates exercises that will help everyone, no matter what they experience in a day or do for a living. Some exercises that will significantly help one person start their day will be less effective for another, according to factors like their professional occupation, physical output, and emotional state. However, it matters what Pilates exercises you do. We recommend first learning about the basics, educating yourself on the essentials and history of the exercise, before you decide to make it a part of your daily routine. If you’re completely new to Pilates, a gentle morning routine can be a brilliant way to ease yourself into the exercise. With its mood-boosting properties and focus on the stretching and realignment of the body, a morning Pilates routine can be astronomically helpful in this process. That’s why it’s so important we all have our own strategies to help us get ready, morning routines that bat away the morning blues and leave us feeling energized and prepared for the day ahead. Starting the day can be a real challenge. Fighting the temptation to snooze for just five more minutes. Snuggled up under the cozy blankets and pillows.

List of pilates moves