10-Minute Pilates For Arms, Shoulders And Abs Home Workout

Certain advice: Don't judge a book by its cover, and certainly don't judge the pace of a workout. Pilates' slow, guided movements may not look tough

Certain advice: Don't judge a book by its cover, and certainly don't judge the pace of a workout. Pilates' slow, guided movements may not look difficult but tiny muscle pulses and complex poses (while, of course, keeping your core engaged all the time) can be deceptively intense.

That tightened core is one of the major reasons Pilates boasts so many advantages, well beyond the surface toning and sculpting that you see. Pilates will help you strengthen your posture, increase your flexibility, and even develop stamina, all without a big heart rate spike, which also makes it an ideal de-stress exercise.

And it doesn't take you a lot of time to enjoy all those rewards. Driven by Amy Jordan, creator of Wundabar Pilates, this 10-minute at-home Pilates routine is the regenerative workout your body requires, no equipment required.

Recall the bit of not judging a book by its cover? Don't judge this exercise by its title either: This routine focuses on the upper body, but Pilates uses all your muscles — so don't expect your lower half to take a day off. "The big thing about Pilates is we integrate every single part of the body into every single move," says Jordan. Take your mat and get ready for the most rewarding way to experience the fire.

Quick Tip

While this video should only take 10 minutes, with a few Pilates warm-up exercises, such as spinal twists and shoulder shrugs, you may want to prime your body.

The Workout Plan

You'll shift fluidly for 30 seconds each through the following Pilates exercises, holding your core-focused in your body 's forehead and back, Jordan says. Stop for breathers if needed but make sure to complete the practice all the way to work equally on both sides.

1. Long Bridge With Leg Raise: Raise and lengthen your entire body, says Jordan.
2. Wundabesque (right): breathe out as you bend your knee toward your stomach, and inhale as you touch your hip.
3. Hover Leg Crossover (right): "We'll profoundly trigger those triceps by hovering the elbows off the mat," says Jordan.
4. Side Bend Raise (right): Pull the knee and elbow towards each other while maintaining the limb weight.
5. 4-Point Knee Hover: Keep the toes flat on the ground for deep abdominal targeting.
6. Criss-Cross Hold: When you tap your toes to the floor, Jordan says, switch from the hip and not the knee joint. If that's too hard for your low back, raise both knees to the tabletop.
7. Hover Leg Crossover (Left): Put your forearms flat to the ground when you continue to tire.
8. Side Bend Lift (Left): "The concept here is to lift you with the arm and shoulder to really stimulate the abdominals," Jordan says.
9. Wundabesque (Left): Step as you draw your leg in with your heart, with power.
10. Upper-Body Jump: "Think about the ribs coming off the pelvis, then the quads would try to take over and we want to make sure the entire body works together," Jordan says.
11. Child's Pose With a Rotation: Talk of using your breath to distinguish your upper back from your lower back, she says.

Quick Tip

Don't miss the stretch section of this routine to remain injury-free. When you want to add some extra TLC to your body while you cool down, go through multiple cycles of breathing with each rotation in Child's Pose, Jordan says.