If you’ve found yourself scrolling through the workout side of Instagram and TikTok, you may have come across the ‘Pilates princess’ aesthetic. The type of girl who subscribes to this aesthetic always seems to have her life together.
She is serious about drinking her water and eating whole foods, doing her skincare, has the most beautiful and flattering athletic wear, and above all, has an incredible body, all due to her constant practice of Pilates.
While many of us would like to copy this aesthetic and be the ‘Pilates princess’, the cost of doing Pilates at a studio or investing in at-home Pilates equipment, particularly a reformer, is far above most people’s current budgets. But does Pilates require equipment, or can you do Pilates without equipment and still have the body and aesthetic of your favorite creator online?
Let’s find out!
No, Pilates exercises don’t require equipment.
Many people who are new to this exercise may have only seen reformer Pilates, but this workout can also be done without this equipment. Mat Pilates is a variation of this exercise where participants only need a workout mat that they sit or lie on and use gravity as well as their body weight to create resistance (1).
Another variation that doesn’t necessarily require equipment is wall Pilates. Beginners only need a mat and a wall to do this variant, but they may also decide to add small wall Pilates equipment such as resistance bands or ankle weights.
It should be noted that some people purchase a wall unit to do wall Pilates, but as with the traditional reformer, you don’t need it to engage in this workout.
Yes, Pilates without equipment is arguably just as effective as performing the exercises with a reformer or a wall unit. Pilates workouts have been proven to help with mental health, pain, flexibility, overall fitness, balance, and physical function among adults and the elderly (2).
These benefits can also be achieved by doing these exercises without equipment. Here are some studies that have been done over the years that prove this:
In this study, researchers took 50 elderly women aged 60 and above and divided them into two equal groups. The intervention group was assigned to do mat Pilates workouts three times a week for 8 weeks. At the end of the study period, researchers noted that the women who did mat Pilates showed significant improvements in their upper and lower bodies, as well as their muscular endurance (3).
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In this study, researchers compared the effects of equipment-based Pilates versus non-equipment-based Pilates (i.e. mat Pilates) on patients who were suffering from chronic non-specific lower-back pain. All 86 patients (divided into two groups) performed their workouts 12 times over 6 weeks.
At the end of the study period, researchers found that while equipment-based Pilates had slightly better results in improving how much the disability affected participants’ daily lives and ability to do specific tasks, as well as reducing their fear of movement, there was no difference in their pain levels or how much better they felt, regardless of whether they did mat or equipment-based Pilates (4).
This shows that anyone who is suffering from chronic back pain can use mat Pilates to help manage and improve this condition. They don’t need to keep suffering as they wait for a day when they can afford an at-home Pilates machine or have enough money to pay for monthly classes at a studio.
In this study, researchers looked at the effects of mat Pilates on the posture and overall health of middle-aged women. 16 women were in a control group while 20 women were assigned a mat Pilates routine three times a week for 12 weeks.
After the study period, the researchers found that this exercise helped improve the women’s postures and strengthened their upper bodies, specifically the core, which contributed to better postural alignment (5).
Most people would perhaps not link Pilates with improved athletic performance, but research has shown otherwise.
In this study published in the Physical Activity and Nutrition journal, researchers found that when physically active women engaged in an hour-long low-intensity mat Pilates workout twice a week for 4 weeks, they demonstrated improved recovery and increased aerobic efficiency.
This showed that Pilates helped their bodies become more efficient in handling exercise, and therefore, the workout could be a good option for anyone who is looking for a gentle workout to improve their fitness (6).
May
For this review, researchers looked at Pilates studies – both equipment-based and those without – to see how the exercise affected health and well-being.
After examining 7 randomized controlled trials and 3 comparative studies, they found that Pilates, regardless of being equipment-based or not, helped increase women’s flexibility, strength, mobility, respiratory rate, vital capacity, body mass index, and balance.
Pilates was also found to be good for lowering pain and disability, lowering fasting blood glucose and HbA1c level in type-2 diabetic women, and lowering the severity of temporomandibular dysfunction. Generally, the workout was proven to be great for improving their quality of life (7).
October
The purpose of this study was to observe how the body would react to starting and then stopping a mat Pilates routine. The study involved 20 women aged between 45 and 53 years.
The women did a mat Pilates routine for 8 weeks and then took 3 weeks off. During the study period, researchers measured the women’s body fat, waist/thigh size, blood pressure, strength, flexibility, and aerobic fitness, in addition to their resting heart rate before starting the 8-week routine, after 8 weeks of Pilates, and again after taking 3 weeks off the workout routine.
The women’s measurements after the 8-week mat Pilates routine showed reduced body fat, reduced waist circumference and thigh and trunk size, lower resting heart rate, and increased core strength, flexibility, and aerobic fitness.
However, after the 3-week break, the women’s measurements revealed increased body fat and increased resting heart rate – the numbers were the same as before they started the 8-week plan. Fortunately, their waist circumference, thigh size, core strength, flexibility, and aerobic fitness remained improved.
The researchers concluded that engaging in this exercise, even without a Pilates machine for home use, can improve your fitness and body shape. However, to see the best results, you should keep up with the workouts as stopping for extended periods can lead to gains in body fat and losses in heart health (8).
This study aimed to look at how mat Pilates affected blood pressure and inflammatory and antioxidative markers in elderly people suffering from high blood pressure. 34 seniors aged between 60 and 75 were divided into 2 equal groups.
The people in the mat Pilates group were required to do their workouts 60 minutes a day, three times a week, for 12 weeks. The control group only did their regular daily activities and participants weren’t allowed to engage in organized exercises or sports training.
After 12 weeks, researchers found that mat Pilates was effective for reducing blood pressure and increasing blood flow, which led to improvements in anti-inflammatory and antioxidative markers in seniors with high blood pressure.
Researchers concluded that this workout can be used as an alternative therapeutic exercise for the elderly who suffer from hypertension (9).
Read more: What Makes Pilates Different From Other Exercises?
From the above studies, it can be seen that you truly don’t need equipment to start your Pilates journey, and a simple mat Pilates routine can provide you with the same benefits as a routine that is done with equipment. But where should you start?
Some easy-to-do Pilates workouts you can do on a mat at home include lunge and plank variations, leg circles, knee pull-ups, lying toe-taps, single leg bridges, arm circles, and Pilates push-ups.
If you’re looking for a routine to help you get started, we suggest checking out the BetterMe app. On the app, you’ll find guided no-equipment mat Pilates exercises that are suitable for different fitness levels from beginners to advanced practitioners.
BetterMe: Health Coaching app helps you achieve your body goals with ease and efficiency by helping to choose proper meal plans and effective workouts. Start using our app and you will see good results in a short time.
As previously mentioned, practicing these exercises with equipment such as the reformer or a wall unit can help improve your mental health, pain management, flexibility, overall fitness, balance, physical function, and quality of life (2).
Read more: 10 Basic Pilates Exercises For Beginners To Master At Home
Some of the best Pilates accessories you can invest in as you start your journey without breaking the bank include:
If you’re convinced that you have to invest in some Pilates equipment for home use before you start your Pilates journey, some things you should consider include:
Pilates equipment comes in all price ranges, but one person’s wallet may allow them to invest in an at-home reformer, while someone else may be better off starting with small accessories. Work with what you have.
You may have the budget for an at-home machine but not the space for it. If you’re working with limited space, purchasing smaller, lightweight, and easy-to-store equipment, such as the accessories mentioned above, makes more sense than getting something bigger.
Cheap equipment almost always loses you money in the long term. Often, cheap equipment means compromised durability, and it breaks more often, which can lead to you spending more money.
Instead of going for the cheaper options, you can start with mat Pilates wth no equipment and wait till you’ve saved up to buy durable accessories or an at-home machine that will last longer.
No, you don’t. As proven by the scientific studies above, doing Pilates with your body weight, gravity, and a mat has the same benefits as doing it with a reformer. Yes, you can do Pilates barefoot, particularly if you’re working out at home and in a clean space. However, if you’re working out in a public facility, it may be best to at least wear some grip socks for hygiene purposes. No workout program is ever enough on its own, particularly if you’re looking to change your body composition. Research has shown that a combination of diet and exercise works best for weight management and overall health than diet or exercise alone (12, 13). If Pilates is the only workout program in your routine, you can do it up to 5 days a week. Don’t go over 5 days as this may lead to overtraining, which is bad for both your physical and mental health (14). Beginners can do Pilates 2 to 3 times a week as they work on improving their endurance. If you’re combining Pilates with other workouts, i.e. strength training and/or aerobics, you can do Pilates once or twice a week, depending on how the workout fits with the rest of the workouts. Remember that whatever you do, you should always allow your body up to 48 consecutive hours of uninterrupted rest to allow your muscles to repair and recover.Frequently Asked Questions
Do you really need a reformer for Pilates?
Can you do Pilates barefoot?
Is Pilates enough on its own?
How often should you do Pilates?
Does Pilates require equipment? No, it doesn’t. This workout program can be done without equipment and the benefits will be the same as if you had used a reformer or wall unit. However, if you want equipment, check your space and budget, and purchase quality equipment that will serve you for a long time. Beginners can also invest in small accessories that can help add more resistance to their workout routines.
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