Pilates is a great workout that everyone can enjoy. You can use the exercises to strengthen your core and improve your flexibility and balance. However, how long do you need to do Pilates to see these benefits?
10 minutes of Pilates per day can be enough. Joseph Pilates, the creator of this exercise, said you should do Pilates for 10 minutes daily and see the most benefits when you do it every day. Beginners usually start at 10 minutes, but you can slowly increase your workout time.
To get the most out of Pilates, you should try to make time for it every day. Luckily, 10 minutes is easy to fit into any schedule. This article covers everything you’ll need to know to understand how Pilates works and why you only need 10 minutes a day, so read on!
Why 10 Minutes of Pilates Is Enough
Ten minutes is easy enough to fit into any busy schedule. If you’re a Pilates beginner or are recovering from an injury, this amount of time would be the best to start with. As you become more comfortable with Pilates movements, you should increase your workout time slightly.
Here are the two main reasons why 10 minutes of Pilates each day is enough:
You Focus on Controlling Your Body
Pilates makes you focus on your breathing and movements, emphasizing performing the exercises correctly and with good form.
As long as you’re moving correctly, you can get benefits from these exercises. However, if you’re not doing the exercises right, you won’t get as much use from them, and you may feel strain in your body.
Pilates focuses more on control and technique, not performing as many reps as possible in a burst. Starting with just 10 minutes lets you adjust to the movements and learn to do them right first, without exhausting yourself. In fact, you can even see benefits in five-minute sessions, so ten is more than enough.
It’s a Full Body Workout
Additionally, Pilates uses various exercises in its routine, allowing the movements to target your whole body. Since you’re focusing on how you move, you can get the most out of exercising in a short session.
Full body workouts keep you engaged and help you burn more calories. You’ll feel the benefits quickly, since you’re using your entire body to perform the exercises. To quote Joseph Pilates, the creator of this exercise:
“You will feel better in ten sessions, look better in twenty sessions, and have a completely new body in thirty sessions.”
In short, full-body workouts are highly beneficial to us, even when performed in shorter, 10-minute sessions. As long as you make Pilates into a long-lasting habit, you will surely see results.
Don’t think it’ll be challenging enough? Give this workout a try:
Benefits of 10 Minutes of Pilates Per Day
Knowing the benefits of Pilates can help you stick to a more consistent routine. Here are some of the expected benefits you’ll receive from 10 minutes each day:
- Better mental health: Exercise can help boost your mood and concentration while lowering stress. Since Pilates focuses on rhythmic breathing, many people use it to relax during hectic days.
- Better posture: You’ll gain more awareness of your body position, helping you to keep good posture. Better posture means less back pain, and you won’t feel as stiff during the day.
- Strengthen muscles: 10 minutes of focus on muscle movement and using your body weight for resistance can build strength in your body. Keeping a routine will help you develop strength quickly.
- Improved flexibility: Pilates also enhances flexibility. Using the stretching movements in these exercises promotes more motion range in your body.
- Gives you an energy boost: Pilates is low impact, so you shouldn’t feel exhausted after a session. The exercise also increases blood flow, making you feel more energized.
- Improved sleep: You can also sleep better after a Pilates session since you’ll be in a more relaxed mental state. To get the most out of this benefit, you’ll want to do your routine in the evening.
Additionally, you don’t need to use any equipment to do Pilates, so it’s easy to fit a short session anywhere, at any time. You only need your body for resistance to see all these benefits, so it’s worth creating and keeping a workout routine.
How Many Minutes of Pilates is Effective?
10 to 20 minutes of Pilates is effective for most people. You’ll want to listen to your body to determine your best session time. You shouldn’t feel exhausted or strained, since it’s low impact. If you do, you’ve pushed yourself too hard and should reduce the next session’s duration.
It can be easy to overdo Pilates, especially as a beginner. If you feel drained afterward, you may want to shorten the session time slightly. Conversely, you can add a few minutes if you don’t feel like the workout challenges you enough. Pilates is flexible, so don’t hesitate to make changes where needed.
You’ll also want to do Pilates multiple times a week. Most people benefit from exercising at least three to four times a week. You can add another day as you get more comfortable with these movements.
Overall, Pilates can be very effective in short sessions. As you practice more, you’ll grow stronger. Soon enough, 10 minutes will feel like nothing to you and you’ll want to increase the session time. However, 10 minutes is perfect to start!
Fitting 10 Minutes of Pilates into Your Day
Starting a new workout routine can feel daunting. Many people also think there’s not enough time in their day to exercise. However, just starting with 10 minutes makes it way less overwhelming.
You can fit 10 minutes of Pilates into your day easily. For most, it’s easiest to do this at the beginning or end of the day, compared to the middle, when you’re likely not home. Pilates in the morning can help you wake up and get ready to take on the day, while doing so in the evening can help you wind down and relieve stress.
You can also join a class, and being around others will help to keep you motivated. There are many options, whether you want to do Pilates through an online course or at home, so you’ll want to consider it.
For most of us, daily exercise is a mental hurdle that we have to jump. Starting with 10 minutes makes it possible to build and stick to a long-term routine, since you won’t feel burned out.
Pilates is a low-impact activity, so it doesn’t put as much strain on your body as other exercises. That means you can safely practice Pilates daily if you work a different muscle group with each session.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, 10 minutes of Pilates is enough in a single day. You’ll focus on how you move and breathe so you use your muscles as efficiently as possible in a single session. That way, you can build strength efficiently as well.
There are many benefits of practicing Pilates in 10-minute sessions, including better mental health, sleep, and improved strength. As your body grows stronger, you may want to increase the duration of your sessions, especially if you don’t feel challenged by your workout.
Sources
- Appi health Group: Jo Pilates Top Quotes!
- Premium Pilates: How Hard is Pilates?
- Pilates Moves You: How Long Should You Do Pilates a Day?
- Very Well Fit: How Much Pilates Is Enough to Get the Full Benefits?
- Better Health: Exercise and mental health
- Shepherd Method Pilates: WHAT 10 MINUTES OF PILATES A DAY CAN DO FOR YOU
- SHEPPARD METHOD PILATES: HOW PILATES CAN IMPROVE SLEEP
