You are a Pilates workout lover, but you want to challenge yourself? Let us introduce you to the Pilates band. A perfect addition to your Pilates routine. It helps you to tone and strengthen your muscles even more. It provides stability in challenging postures and makes your Pilates workouts more effective. Pilates is a whole-body workout. If you want to enhance your practice, get more power in your abdominals, upper body, glutes, legs and arms, make sure to implement the Pilates band into your routine.
Pilates Band Exercise Benefits
Refresh your practice
Have you been looking for a way to challenge your Pilates Moves? There are multiple ways to implement a Pilates Band into your Pilates workout and intensify your exercises.
Get Support
How can a resistance band support my Pilates workout? Not only do Pilates bands help you to challenge your Pilates exercises, but they can also assist you in your moves. By giving you stability when you need it, you can feel more secure and stable in specific postures.
Convenience
How can I find a practical and convenient addition for my Pilates workout? The Meglio Pilates Band is a flexible, comfortable and easily portable tool. You hardly feel its weight, but you will feel its impact on your body.
Pilates Band Exercises
Grab youR Pilates Band and get started with these exercises to enhance your Pilates workout.
#1 Straight Side Leg Lift
Lie down on a mat on your right side with straight legs. Support your head by putting your right hand underneath. Place now a Pilates band around the arch of your left foot and grab both ends with your left hand. Extend your left leg out again. Your hips and feet are stacked. Bring your left hand down to the floor in front of you for more stability and lock it there while holding the resistance band. Now, point your toes and engage your core. Bring your left leg up with power and control and lower it back to starting position. Repeat 10 times and take it to the left side.
#2 Inner Thigh
Take the same starting position, as mentioned in #1. Place a Pilates band around the arch of your right foot and grab the ends with your left hand. Bend your left leg and bring your foot flat on the ground in front of your right leg. Bring your left hand back to the ground for balance. Engage your core, press your left heel into the ground, flex your foot and lift your right leg up. Your feel now an activation in your right inner thigh. Hold it there shortly and bring it back to the ground. Repeat and when you are ready, take it to the other side.
#3 Leg Circle
Take the same starting position, as mentioned in #1 and #2. Loop a Pilates band around the arch of your right foot. Grab the ends with your left hand and anchor it to the ground. Make sure you do not overarch in your lower back. Engage your core. Extend your right leg and point your toes. Now, try to draw a big circle with your right toes by bringing your leg forward, up and back down. Keep your hips steady here and just move your leg. Repeat and when you are done switch to the left side.
#4 Kneeling Extended Leg
Come down to all fours with your hips over your knees and your shoulders over your wrists. Tuck your toes and place a Pilates band around the arch of your right foot. Slide the right thigh between both resistance band sides and anchor the ends underneath your right hand on the ground. Your right knee is bent to 90°, and the palm of your foot is facing the sky. Make sure to have a slight tension in the resistance band. Activate your core and keep shoulders and hips square to the ground. Flex your right foot and extend your leg behind you, so it is parallel to the floor. Bend your knee again and repeat the movement. When you are ready, take it to the left side.
#5 Kneeling Straight Leg Lift
Come down to all fours with your hips over your knees and your shoulders over your wrists. Extend your right leg out and point your toes to the ground. Loop a Pilates band around the arch of your right foot, grab the ends with your right hand and secure it to the ground. Having a mild tension in your band start to lift your extended leg up. Don’t compromise your straight back, when you bring your leg up. Bring it back to the ground and repeat. Take it to the other leg, when you are ready.
#6 Kneeling Bent Knee Lift
Come down to all fours with your hips over your knees and your shoulders over your wrists. Tuck your toes and place a Pilates band around the arch of your right foot. Grab the ends with your right hand and secure it to the ground. Engage your core, squeeze your glutes, keep your knee bent and lift your right foot so that the palm is facing the sky. Your right thigh is now parallel to the ground. Do not overarch in your lower back. Bring your knee back to the ground and repeat. Switch sides when you are ready.
#7 Squat and Overhead
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Slightly bend your knees and keep your spine straight. Grab both ends from the Pilates band with each hand and extend your arms in front of you. Bring your buttock back, keep your spine straight and bend your knees into a squat position. Don’t let your knee surpass your toes. Simultaneously bring your extended arms overhead. Not too far, more like an extension of your back. Keep your shoulders low here. By coming back to the starting position, bring your arms back to the front. Repeat.
#8 Lunge and Biceps Curl
You start in a standing position. Place a Pilates band just under your right foot. Grab the ends of the band with each hand. Step back with your left foot, so that your left leg is extended and your right knee bent to a 90° angle. Activate your core and do not overarch in your lower back. Your hips are square. The upper arms are close to your flanks, and your elbows are also bent to a 90° angle. Go now lower into your lunge and simultaneously curl your biceps by bending your elbows even more and bringing your hands to your shoulders. On your exhale ‘relax’ your lunge position and extend your elbows back to 90°. Repeat and when you feel ready, take it to the left leg.
#9 Extended Leg and Biceps
Sit down on the ground with your legs extended. Loop a Pilates band around the arches of your feet. Grab the ends of the band with each hand, make fists and keep your fingers pointing downwards. Try to keep a straight back the entire exercise. Now extend your arms in front of you and parallel to the ground. Bend your elbows and slide your upper arms alongside your flanks slightly behind you. With control, extend your arms back forward. Repeat.
#10 Standing Side Bend
Stand on your Pilates band about hip-width apart. Grab the ends with each hand. Tip your hip forward, engage your core and activate your lower back. Stretch your whole upper body to the right side while holding onto your resistance band. Slightly shift your hips to the left. Like a banana. Repeat and when you are ready, switch to the left side.
Try to repeat each move at least 8 times on one side. You can challenge yourself by adjusting the Meglio Pilates Band accordingly. Make the best out of your Pilates workout and improve your overall health and strength.
