I discovered Pilates in my early 20s at a time when I was running a lot, doing a lot of BodyPump and aerobics, and generally assuming that exhaustion was a sign of success. Pilates offered something deeply alluring, the promise of shaky muscles while also giving stretch, grace and flexibility. To breathe and move in a systematic way takes enormous focus, too, and for someone with a very overactive mind, this is medicine.
With over a decade of teaching, I’ve only become more enthusiastic about how Pilates can nourish bodies and spirits and no matter how many times you return to the same movement or sequence, it still challenges. I love a class environment, with the sense of a shared assignment and the random hilarious one liners from clever participants, or the opportunity for students to meet each other and feel welcome. However, I also love a home session that gives me inspiration, clever cues, and the convenience of fitting a 30-minute class in between work duties or appointments. And the beauty of Pilates at home is that I can typically do a whole class with little to no equipment within a very small space. I’ve done whole classes in my apartment kitchen.
Here’s what you need, and my recommendation is that if you get a great mat, good quality handweights, and a ball, you’ll more than get your return on investment through regular training with reliable resources.
I have a Bahe mat - the Soft Touch Pro 5mm in Mauve - (or try this Power Hold mat in Forest Green), which provides brilliant grip so that you can stand, sit, lie, and kneel on it comfortably, and you know that when you move around on it, you’re not going to sink into it nor slide about. Because I want to take my mat on the go with me, I like a 3mm or 5mm thickness rather than anything that feels burdensome to roll up and carry to class. Or work. If you’re in an office, nothing encourages you to leave at lunchtime and do Pilates than your mat lingering at your desk.
I’ve got 1kg and 2kg handweights. You could use wrist weights (like a bangle), or dumbbells, or ergonomic weights designed for your hand grip. They add a bit of resistance, which can make the world of difference in small, pulsing movements or lengthy holds. Check out this guide to the Hundreds with hand weights.
I’ve got a small Pilates ball which is inflatable, so can be deflated and tossed in a drawer if it’s in the way, or inflated more as it gets floppy with use. The ball is great for abs training, and there are endless YouTube tutorials on ways to incorporate it into your training.
Here are the YouTube channels that I return to repeatedly, and the beauty of all of these teachers and channels is the range of choice in type of workout, focus area, and length of training.
Bahe guide to training with and without accessories (great instructions, beautiful to look at too)
Fit By Mik (so many options divided by body area, length of workout, level of intensity)
Lottie Murphy (a fantastic instructor with really on-point cues)
Re:Align Pilates (again, great cues, challenging sessions and plenty of options)