The 6 Best Beginner-Friendly Pilates Moves, According To A Pilates Instructor
The buzz around Pilates has reached new heights with the rise of at-home workouts and celebrity endorsements thrusting it into the spotlight. During last year’s Met Gala, socialite Lori Harvey was spotted on the red carpet with visible abs, to which she credited Pilates as the source of her chiseled physic.
The fitness world has seen a significant pivot in its offerings of alternatives that go beyond hours spent on the treadmill and lifting tons of weights in order to achieve our body goals. And with one part being due to pop culture figures popularizing classic forms of movements like Pilates, many women are seeing this practice as a means to connect with their bodies and look good while doing it.
But Pilates is no new thing. It was first created by founder Joseph Pilates in Germany and was brought to the United States by his understudy, Kathleen Stanford Grant — a Black woman from Boston, Massachusetts. Understanding the history makes the resurgence of Pilates within the Black community feel even more serendipitous and an opportunity to explore the practice from all levels of expertise.
Atlanta-based instructor and founder of GRND Pilates, Jhardè Johnson, says that getting into the practice provides a number of benefits that go beyond a six-pack. “It instantly connects you to your core,” she says, “There’s a mind-body connection, an increase in balance and coordination, your posture becomes better, and it helps prevent injuries.”
“There’s a mind-body connection, an increase in balance and coordination, your posture becomes better, and it helps prevent injuries.”
The Powerhouse, or the group of muscles that include your upper and lower abdominals, lower back, hips, and buttocks, all work together as the core of Pilates. “A lot of people don't have that core connection,” she explains. “And it doesn't mean that they're not strong or that they're weak or any of these things, it's just that with Pilates, you are constantly working those miniature muscles that you don't normally work.”
Jhardè says that by incorporating Pilates into your fitness journey two to four times a week, with consistency, “you will start seeing physical changes in your body and in your mind.” And to get you started on your journey, she’s provided 6 of the best beginner-friendly moves to add to your routine.
Classical Pilates Move Series:
The Hundred
- Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and arms by your sides.
- Engage your core by pulling your navel towards your spine and pressing your lower back into the mat.
- Lift your head, neck, and shoulders slightly while looking toward your abs.
- Rhythmically pump your arms up and down. Inhale for five arm pumps and exhale for five pumps.
- Maintain stability in your torso, breathe deeply, and keep your legs still and extended.
- Repeat for ten breath cycles or 100 arm pumps.
@blackgirlpilates Leveling up with a 100 variation ❤️ Oh it’s still Black History Month ✊🏾 @karenmoorefitness ・・・ It’s so fun to spice up The Hundred. Here I added leg changes to challenge lumbopelvic stability, Psoas strength as well as hip extension and flexion. #blackgirlpilates #thehundred #matpilates #blackpilatesinstructors #blackpilatesteacher #blackpeopleteachpilates #blackpeopledoingpilates #blackpilatesinstagram #blackpilatestiktok #fyp
Single Leg Stretch
- Lie on your back, lift your head and shoulders, and alternate extending one leg while pulling the other knee towards your chest.
- Repeat 8-10 times on each leg, coordinating arm movements.
- Breathe in as you switch your legs and exhale as you bring your knees in.
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The Double Leg Stretch
- Lie on your back, bringing your knees to your chest while holding onto your shins.
- Extend your legs and arms upward, hold briefly, and return to the starting position.
Scissors
- Lie on your back, lifting one leg towards the ceiling while lowering the other leg towards the mat.
- Switch your legs in a scissoring motion while keeping your head, neck, and shoulders lifted off the mat.
@alexapilates Learn Pilates with me. Link in bio for mat #Blackgirlpilates#pilates #pilatesscissor #fitness #blacktiktok #core #strongnotskiinny
Lower Lift
- Start by lying on your back with your legs extended up.
- Slowly lower your legs towards the floor while engaging your abs.
- Lift your legs back up using your abdominal muscles and repeat.
@jenidelpozo Lower lift is always a tough one. Enjoy these tips. #pilates #pilatesinstructor #pulatesbody #abs
Crisscross
- Lie on your back and lift your knees.
- Rotate your torso while extending opposite legs and repeat.
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Aley Arion is a writer and digital storyteller from the South, currently living in sunny Los Angeles. Her site, yagirlaley.com, serves as a digital diary to document personal essays, cultural commentary, and her insights into the Black Millennial experience. Follow her at @yagirlaley on all platforms!
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
Getty Images
Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images