Pilates for Beginners: 7 Simple Pilates Exercises to Get You Started 

If you’re looking for an approachable and comfortable way to stay fit and mobile, make a beginner pilates workout your first port of call. 

After all, pilates does so much for your body – such as improving your flexibility, strength, and posture, as well as supporting various aspects of your mental wellbeing – and it’s super easy to get started. That’s because pilates exercises for beginners only require you to perform simple movements while standing, sitting or lying down – you’ll need a mat, but not any expensive or hard-to-find equipment!    

Plus, beginner pilates is easy to learn. Many of the exercises contain movements you naturally perform in your everyday life, such as squats. And even if you haven’t performed a certain movement before, it will likely feel familiar. (For example, toe taps and bicycle crunches work similar sets of muscles to sit ups.) 

Below, the team at FS8 will outline our seven favourite pilates exercises for beginners. These exercises are suitable for everyone – whether you’ve never tried pilates before or are a seasoned pro. We’ll also explain why pilates is good for beginners, and what kind of benefits you can expect when you get started. 

Why is pilates good for beginners? 

Pilates exercises tone your body and increase your mobility, as well as help rehabilitate your muscles after an injury. 

Better still, because pilates encompasses such a wide variety of exercises, you can adapt your starter pilates workout to your specific fitness level and age, as well as any health conditions or injuries you might have. So, even if you’re grappling with body aches or joint pain, there are plenty of easy pilates exercises you can comfortably perform and enjoy.   

And rest assured, even if you find a beginner pilates workout too difficult, there are different variations of each exercise you can practise to make things easier. For example, if standard push ups are too hard, there’s knee push ups; if knee push ups are too hard, there’s wall push-ups. The list goes on! 

Beginner pilates rarely includes extra weights. Sticking to working with your own bodyweight helps you focus on technique and means that if you’ve pushed yourself to your limit, you can let your body relax onto the mat – without having to worry about negotiating any external equipment. 

If you need any pilates equipment as a beginner, it will be to provide extra support. This could be in the form of a pilates chair, a reformer machine…or the wall of your local FS8 studio! 

7 pilates exercises for beginners 

Below, we’ll explain seven pilates exercises for beginners: taking you through their benefits and how to perform them – whether that’s at home, or at one of the several FS8 workouts we offer at a studio near you. 

1. Supine spinal twist 

This starter pilates exercise stretches your glutes, chest and abs. It’s also useful for reducing lower back pain and improving chest mobility. 

To do a supine spinal twist: 

1. Lie on your back with your arms extended to your sides. 
2. Bring one leg over the other and bend your knee. 
3. Place your foot next to your knee. 
4. Put your hand on your bent knee and push downwards, all while making sure your opposite shoulder stays on the floor. 
5. Hold for 30 seconds. 

2. Bird dog 

Focused on building core, hip, and back muscle strength, the bird dog is a simple pilates exercise that serves as an excellent introduction to controlled movement. 

To do the bird dog: 

1. Start on your hands and knees. 
2. Extend your right leg behind you. 
3. Reach your left arm out in front of you. 
4. Hold for six seconds. 
5. Repeat using your other leg and arm. 

3. Double leg lift 

This easy pilates exercise focuses on your abs, and is one of the reasons why pilates is so good for strengthening the pelvic floor. 

To do a double leg lift:  

1. Lie on your back and place both hands underneath your pelvis. 
2. Lift both your legs up together, so they’re straight above your hips. 
3. Lower your legs towards the floor without touching it. 
4. Repeat 10 times, or until you need to stop. 

4. Criss cross 

Now, let’s engage your abs and obliques with one of our favourite simple pilates exercises – the criss cross. 

This exercise is common in many beginner pilates workouts and is a prime example of how strength exercises can build your core muscles. 

To do the criss cross: 

1. Lie on your back and place your arms behind your head. 
2. Raise your legs, bringing them towards your torso as you bend your knees. 
3. At the same time, extend one leg outwards, rotating your chest and head to the side of your extended leg (if you extend your left leg, rotate your chest and head to the left). 
4. Repeat the movement on the other side of your body. 

5. Wall squat 

To ensure your simple pilates exercises are effective, don’t rush them. Instead, try hold poses for as long as possible to really isolate and work the muscles involved.  

Here, wall squats are brilliant – requiring you to remain in the pose to improve your lower body strength. (Not to mention your mental fortitude, too!)  

To do a wall squat: 

1. Stand with your back and shoulders against a wall. 
2. Lower yourself down into a squat position; your feet will be shoulder width apart and a few steps out in front of you.  
3. Hold this position for 30 to 40 seconds. 
4. Stand up and shake it out. 

6. The 100 

All pilates beginners learn this exercise in their first few mat workouts. This exercise shows you how to master pilates breathing techniques, and achieve empowering results through a large number of small movements.  

To do the 100: 

1. Lie on your back, with your arms at your sides. 
2. Raise your legs up to a place that’s comfortable to hold. 
3. Raise your head off the floor. 
4. Keeping your arms at your sides, pump them up and down ten times. 
5. Focus on your breathing and match it to the movements: inhaling for the first five reps and exhaling for the second five. 
6. Repeat this ten times to make 100. 

7. Side-lying clam 

Many pilates exercises for beginners involve lying on your side. 

Side-lying exercises help reduce lower back tension and balance the muscles in your legs and hips – and the side-lying clam is one of the best, and easiest, to learn. 

To practise the side-lying clam: 

1. Lie on your side with your head resting on your arm. 
2. Bend your knees. Your feet should be in line with your back. 
3. Raise your top knee, making sure your feet remain in contact. Keep your pelvis and lower back still. 
4. Lower your knee back down. 
5. Repeat this ten times on both sides. 

Whether you’re a pilates beginner or want something more advanced, the trainers at FS8 are here to support you. If you’d like to start your fitness journey with us, we can’t wait to meet you soon – here’s what to know before your first pilates class.