Beginning a Pilates practice using a Gym Ball

For this first workout, you'll do a Pilates warm-up and learn why breathing is so important in Pilates.
We're going to focus on strengthening and increasing the flexibility of your back.

Be kind to yourself and start gently.

Take your time for the pre-Pilates exercises to understand and feel the "Pilates breathing" method.
You should also get comfortable with the Swiss Ball as you'll be using it a lot!

For an extra boost of well-being, feel free to spend more time in final relaxation.

For this second workout, the focus is on the waist muscles.
You'll feel the waist contract by extending the spine and lowering your ribs towards your hips.

The deeper your Pilates breathing, the more you'll engage the muscles of the abdominal wall.

For an extra boost of well-being, feel free to spend more time in final relaxation.

During this workout, you'll do static exercises that will help you gain awareness of the muscles that support your posture.
They help you maintain good posture and prevent injury.

Hold each exercise as long as possible without compromising the integrity of the position.

For an extra boost of well-being, feel free to spend more time in final relaxation.

As we did during the first week, we're going to focus on strengthening and increasing the flexibility of your back while holding the positions longer.

The aim is to focus on two priorities: your breathing and your back. For each exercise, make sure you maintain the integrity of the posture the entire time. If you feel that you can't keep proper form, go back to the time you held it from the first week.

You can round off this activity with a cardio-based activity such as fitness walking, jogging, swimming or cycling.

For this second week, the focus will be on the waist muscles again.

Don't forget that lengthening your spine and lowering your ribs towards your hips will help you feel your waist contract better.

The deeper your exhale during your Pilates breathing, the more you'll engage the muscles of the abdominal wall.

You can round off this activity with a cardio-based activity such as fitness walking, jogging, swimming or cycling.

For the third and final workout this week, you'll do static exercises to gain awareness of your postural muscles that help you maintain good posture and prevent injury.

Hold each exercise as long as possible without compromising the integrity of the position.

You can round off this activity with a cardio-based activity such as fitness walking, jogging, swimming or cycling.

This week we will do some variations of the exercises from the first two weeks. This workout focuses on range of motion and moving more dynamically.

If you need to, stick with the basic exercises from the first couple of weeks. Do what feels right for you!

For the Swan exercise, keep your hips in a neutral position by pressing your lower belly into the ball to prevent arching your back.

You can use your ball as a chair at home or at the office!

As with the previous workout, today we'll be doing variations of the exercises from the first weeks.

Now that you've gotten used to contracting your waist muscles, remember to keep your shoulders down and shoulder blades together.

You can use your ball as a chair at home or at the office!

For this week's final workout, we'll do the same exercises as during the previous weeks but adding movement!

Maintain proper form to make them as effective as possible.

For the bridge exercise, as you lift up, the ball should not move backwards. If you need some extra support, place the ball against a wall.

You can use your ball as a chair at home or at the office!

You should start to be comfortable with the ball when doing the exercises, which we're now going to do for longer!

For this last week, remember all the tips we've given you until now: use the Pilates breathing method, engage your pelvic floor (perineum), keep your hips in a neutral position, keep your ribs and shoulders down, and bring your shoulder blades together!

Let's go!

The most important thing is to maintain good form and to breathe properly!

If you haven't tried them yet, check out our other mat-based Pilates programmes for beginners or more advanced users!

You've almost made it to the end of this programme - this workout will focus on extending the exercises!

The most important thing is to maintain good form and to breathe properly!

If you haven't tried them yet, check out our other mat-based Pilates programmes for beginners or more advanced users!

You made it! For this final workout, we'll add a few seconds on to each exercise.

Remember to maintain the integrity of the posture and keep breathing!

The most important thing is to maintain good form and to breathe properly!

If you haven't tried them yet, check out our other mat-based Pilates programmes for beginners or more advanced users!