All of us aspire to have the perfect body with toned abs and sculpted back and legs but achieving this dream required a lot of hard work and discipline in reality. The most functioning way to lose weight and have a great body is to combine a healthy weight loss diet and regular workout. Workout in any form such as running, swimming, cycling, hiking and dancing helps in speeding up the heart rate and burning calories. But certain special types of exercises such as pilates and calisthenics can help in reducing inches from targeted areas like belly, arms, back and leg.
Benefits of Pilates Exercise
Before getting on with the pilates workouts, we need to know its health benefits so that we can understand the significance of the training in a better way.
- Improves posture by correcting spinal and pelvic alignment
- Increases core strength and helps in developing flat abdomen and toned back
- Increases lean muscle mass and flexibility
- Prevents injury and boosts athletic performance
- Helps in Stress Relief
Top 8 Pilates Exercises for Flat Abs and Lean Legs
Pilates exercise can bring about a lot of positive changes in your workout routine and enhance its effectiveness without causing any injury to the body.
The Hundred
The Hundred is one of the most common and widely practiced Pilates poses. It is one of the most effective exercises to tone abs by working on the belly. It creates a tension in the entire body by engaging the arms, shoulders, back, abs, butt and legs. To do this workout, start by lying on the exercise mat.
Now raise the legs 75 degree angle and raise your upper body with the support of your arms and come to a position where your arms are raised straight in front of you beside the knees with the palms facing the floor. Hold this posture for 50 breaths while keeping your breathing normal and return to the starting position. Repeat it 5 to 6 times at a stretch with a gap of 10 seconds in between.
Crisscross
The Crisscross is yet another effective Pilates exercise that helps in reducing belly fat and helps you get flat abdomen. It works the oblique muscles and helps in reducing waist side by reducing inches from the sides of the abs. Lie on the yoga mat and bring your hands under your head and hold them together at the back of the neck. Now raise your head and shoulder off the mat and raise both your legs a few feet from the floor.
Bend your right knee and move your left elbow towards the right as if the elbow and knee will touch. Now follow the same on the other side instantly. This makes one repetition. Repeat it 20 to 30 times at a stretch to make 1 set. Repeat 3 sets with a gap of 10 seconds in between.
Side Kicks
The Side Kick is a simple yet effective exercise for back pain and leg pain that also helps in toning the glutes, leg muscles and abs so that you can have washboard abs in no time. Lie on the mat on your right with your head supported by your hand. Now move your legs repeatedly at 45 degree angle across the floor in front of you.
Keep your right leg fixed and lift your left leg to hip level and kick out in front with force and quickly swing it back without moving too much. Repeat it 10 times on one side and then change sides and do the same. This makes one set. Repeat 5 to 6 sets at a stretch for best results.
Double Leg Stretch
The Double Leg stretch is the basic pilates exercise that helps in toning the abdomen, legs and back, some of the most important muscles of the body. Lie on the mat with hands behind the head for support.
Now exhale and bring up your head and shoulder and bent your legs from the knees to bring them towards the chest and raise them straight upwards, pointing towerds the ceiling. Retain the position for 30 seconds and lower the legs to 45 degrees and then lift them back again for another 30 seconds. This makes one repetition. Repeat this movement 5 to 6 times at a stretch for effective results.
Shoulder Bridge
The Shoulder Bridge is an exercise that helps to relieve pain in lower back and legs and is the most effective exercise for abs toning. Begin by lying flat on the mat. Now, bent your knees and place your feet flat on the mat. Lift the torso off the mat exhaling and bring your body to a point where it from a straight bridge from your breast to knees. Rest your arms at your side on the floor.
While in this position, rise your right leg up and hold it straight in line with the body, Hold this pose for 30 seconds and repeat with the other leg. This makes 1 repetition. Repeat this exercise 6 to 8 times at a stretch.
Breast Stroke
The Breast Stroke is one of the easiest pilates exercises that helps in shaping the upper body, breast, upper back and inner thighs, one of the most pricarious areas of the body to reduce fat from. Start this exercise by lying on stomach on the mat with your legs together. Now rise up your upper body up to your breasts with the support of your arms so that they should rest by your side with palms and elbows touching the mat.
Now lift your torso off the floor inhaling, keeping your core engaged and raise your hands in front of you in the air exhaling. Bring back your arms to your side inhaling and lower your body to the floor. This makes 1 repetition. Repeat this 20 to 30 times at a stretch with 2 to 3 seconds of gap in between.
Spine Twist
The Spine Twist is one of the fitness pilates exercises that targets the back of the legs, hamstrings, deltoids and upper back. This exercise aids in toning and shaping the back, butt and leg muscles to give you an attractive lean appearance. Begin by sitting on the mat with legs stretched in front of you, feet fixed and spine straight. Now raise your arms and keep them in the same line with the shoulders and twist your torso to the right while inhaling, keeping your core engaged and then come back to the starting position while exhaling. Then twist your torso to the left while inhaling, pulling your belly button towards your spine and return to the starting position while exhaling. This comprises one repetition. Repeat it 30 to 40 times at a stretch.
Side Bend
The Side Bend is one of the most useful pilates exercises to tone your body. It targets the oblique, pectorals and arms and helps in toning the waist and reducing fat from arms. Begin this exercise by sitting on your right side with the right leg on the floor and the right foot placed behind the left ankle. The left leg should be free, the left foot placed flat on the mat 2 to 3 feet away from the body and the left knee bent.
The right hand should rest on the floor 1 foot away from right hip so that it can support the body during the lift. Now, inhale and while exhaling lift your body up with the support of your right hand, both legs extended straight to form a side plank. Only your right palm and feet should be in contact with the floor. Now raise the left hand over your head to form a straight line from the tip of you left hand to the feet. Hold the posture for 10 to 15 seconds while breathing normally and come back to the starting position. Repeat it 6 to 8 times on both sides.
So get a pair of supportive shoes and bring out your exercise mats to start working out in order to achieve your dream figure.
