Don’t ever let anyone tell you that Pilates isn’t a great workout. Even beginner-level exercises fire up every muscle in your body, and the burn-factor gets upped even more in the latest episode of Good Moves that features an advanced Pilates workout that truly brings the heat. “We’re going to get the body nice and hot and sweaty, but you can take breaks whenever you need,” says Chloe De Winter of Go Chlo Pilates. And trust me—you’re going to need ’em.
Instead of sticking with traditional mat work, this Pilates workout incorporates some high-intensity exercises into the mix. Since Pilates already gets your heart rate up and provides cardiovascular benefits at a moderate pace, this advanced version challenges your strength even more. And you don’t waste any time working up a sweat. After a quick warm-up, you’ll go right into exercises like squat jumps, followed by some knee to planks that work your balance as you reach your leg toward the ceiling then bring your knee in toward your chest. A few exercises later (including some squat to lunges that’ll leave you breathless), you do everything all over again.
Just when you think you’ve reached the end of the advanced Pilates workout, there’s a final round of side plank twists and side plank holds. By the time that 20-minute mark rolls around, there’s a good chance you’re going to want to hang out in shavasana for the foreseeable future. (Or at least until you finally catch your breath.) “It’s a really tough one,” De Winter says. If you’re ready to try a Pilates class that will work your body on another level, press play on the video above.
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