Single Leg Stretch on the mat

Is 20 Minutes A Day Of Pilates Enough?

“PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE are vital qualities in the ultimate successful accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavor.” – Joseph Pilates

Are you pressed for time, but need your Pilates fix? Even if you can’t make it to class or schedule a lesson, you can still do Pilates on your own. Twenty minutes of Pilates a day can indeed be effective, especially when practiced consistently and with proper form. Here’s a summary of why 20 minutes can be enough:

  1. Consistency Matters: Practicing Pilates regularly, even for just 20 minutes, can lead to noticeable improvements in strength, flexibility, and stamina. The key is consistency. So unroll your mat and practice!
  2. Focus on Quality: Pilates emphasizes control, concentration, and precision. A focused 20-minute session where you perform each exercise with proper form can be more effective than a longer, less concentrated workout. Joseph Pilates always insisted that a “few well-designed movements, properly performed in a balanced sequence, are worth hours of doing sloppy calisthenics or forced contortion.” Be sure to use good alignment, full-body connection and look for your two-way stretch in your workout.
  3. Repetition and Learning: Repeating exercises helps in learning and reinforcing movement patterns, which not only improves your skills but also creates a sense of security and calms the nervous system. Doing your Pilates regularly helps you learn the order. Since many exercises are performed with a low number of reps, the classical order keeps you moving more actively in a short space of time!
  4. Full-Body Engagement: Pilates works your entire body, particularly your core or “powerhouse.” Even in a short session, you’ll engage multiple muscle groups, leading to a deep and intense workout. Think abs on fire vs. your whole body warmed from the inside out. Your muscles will feel massaged and worked out at the same time.
  5. Low-Impact, High Benefit: Pilates is low-impact, making it accessible to most people, regardless of fitness level. It’s gentle on the joints while still providing a solid workout. Whenever needed, modifications are made so you can adapt a Pilates workout to your specific physical condition. You’re still working on your stretch, strength and control; it just looks different from one day to the next.
  6. Progress Over Time: As you get stronger and more comfortable with the exercises, you can gradually increase the duration or intensity of your workouts. Through consistent practice of the classical mat order and use of the classical apparatus, you will get noticeably stronger. 

If your goal is to build a consistent routine, improve your posture, strengthen your core, and enhance your overall body awareness, 20 minutes of Pilates each day can be a great start. Always listen to your body when working out. Even the well-versed Pilates expert can find themselves needing to dial back intensity and duration of workouts at times, due to fatigue, illness or injury. If you have any specific fitness concerns and goals, a comprehensively trained Pilates teacher can tailor the exercises and personalize your workout. 

While the full classical mat order takes a solid half hour (I know, seems short, until you get five minutes into it), you can still get in a great beginner level mat workout in twenty minutes. In that time, you can start with The Hundred, go to the Half Roll-back, Single Leg Circle, Rolling like a Ball, Single Leg Stretch, Double Leg Stretch, Spine Stretch, Saw, Sidekicks, Seal and finish with Push-up. 

If you only do these exercises, you will have accomplished the following: Full-body warmup, connect arms to back, mobilize spine, stabilize pelvis, mobilize hip joint, massage spine, stretch the hip flexor and work the abs, lift the spine, twist, reach, and work everything through dynamic movement. All of this work improves your flexibility, strength, balance and coordination. Not bad for 20 minutes! Imagine if you did this almost every day. Try this classical mat workout and see how you feel (I know, I said 20 and this video is over 25 minutes. Oh well)! 

It is important to practice Pilates with proper form and alignment to avoid injury and maximize the benefits of the workout. With Explore Pilates, be assured that you will get top-notch guidance and corrections to help you achieve optimal results. By committing to 20 minutes of Pilates each day, you can gradually build strength, improve flexibility and enhance overall fitness. With consistency and dedication, you may begin to see improvements in your physical strength, posture, and body awareness. So, grab your mat, a few small props, and start your Pilates journey today!

Ready to kickstart your Pilates journey but not sure where to begin? Explore Pilates can help you find the best fit for you!

Join us at Explore Pilates in Bloomington, Indiana. Our classes and lessons will get you breathing and moving in under an hour. Use Pilates to get stronger, improve your posture and feel good, no matter your level of experience. In addition to regularly scheduled mat and equipment classes at our studio, you can take online series and also schedule a lesson with an expert Pilates teacher who will guide you every step of the way, ensuring you get a great (and intense) workout.

Ready for a change? Schedule your free consultation call today and experience Pilates joy firsthand!

Read More About