One of the most common reasons for exercising is losing weight. So how do you lose weight? You burn calories, that’s how! The great news is that it’s absolutely not necessary to limit yourself to cardio to work up a sweat.
Pilates is a great way to burn calories with low-impact exercises. You don’t need to put yourself through strenuous exercises in order to lose weight. This is particularly great for people who suffer from injuries as well as pregnant women.
Here are nine Pilates moves you can try that will burn a lot of calories:
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Swimming
Not literally!
Lie with your stomach and upper thighs flat against the floor. Your forehead should be down and your inner thighs pressed together.
Stretch your arms out straight in front of you with your palms facing down and your feet pointed. Slightly lift your arms, legs, chest and head up together so that they are not touching the mat. Hold in that position.
Lift your right arm in addition to your left leg up higher. Lower them back to the slightly elevated position. Alternate between arms and legs.
Try to lift higher and reach longer as you go.
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Crisscross
Lie supine with your hands behind your lifted head and knees bent into your chest. Gently twist your upper body to the left until your right elbow touches your left knee. At the same time, stretch out your right leg without touching the mat.
Alternate sides.
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Jogging Knees
Standing up, pin your elbows to your sides and begin jogging on the spot. Lift your knees hip-height as you jog. Repeat eight times.
Maintaining your jog, kick your heels up behind you so they touch your butt. Repeat eight times.
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Leg Pull
Sit on the mat and have your legs stretched out in front of you with your hands behind you. Your fingers should be pointed to your legs. Push your hips up until your body is at an angle to the floor.
Keeping your legs straight, lift one leg into the air as high as you can without moving the rest of your body. Lower it back down and alternate sides.
Try to lift your legs and hips higher every time.
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Plank Jacks
Stand up with your arms stretched over your head and your legs together. Bring your arms forward and lower them down to the mat. Walk your hands forward in three big steps until you reach a plank position.
Jump your legs open and then close them six times.
Walk your hands back to the bent forward position and return to the starting position.
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Corkscrew
Lie down with your back flat (in Pilates terminology, this is called imprinting your spine on the mat) on the floor, your arms by your sides and your legs pressed together. Lift your legs over your head while rolling back until you are balancing on your shoulders and backs of your arms.
Roll back down your spine while leaning your body slightly to one side. When your glutes touch the mat, circle your legs back over your head and to the other side.
Keep reversing the circle back and forth.
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Kneeling Side Kicks
Kneel on the floor. Bring your torso down to your right side with your right hand on the floor under your shoulder for support. Your left hand should be placed behind your head. At the same time, stretch your left leg out to the side, in line with your hip.
Without shifting your hips, kick your left leg out behind you. Then kick the same leg out in front of you. Repeat this movement and switch sides.
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Cannonball
Sit on the floor with your knees and head tucked into your chest. Wrap your arms around your legs so your hands are in front of your ankles. Roll backwards onto your upper back. Then roll back onto your tail. While rolling forward, press your knees and feet together and jump into the air. Release your hands out in front of you. Reverse the movements back to starting position and repeat.
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Seal
Sit on the mat and have your knees bent and apart, and your toes together. Reach your hands in between your knees and around your ankles so they come to rest on your feet.
Lift your feet off the mat so that you are resting on your tail. Clap your feet three times. Rock back onto your shoulders. Clap your feet three times.
These nine Pilates moves will help you burn major calories. The more calories that you burn, the quicker you will lose weight. As you get comfortable with these moves, you can increase the number of sets you do for the best results.
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Want to discover more Pilates moves that will incinerate calories? Is it your dream to become a Pilates Instructor? If you do, then check out our Pilates Instructor Course.