Home fitness sessions don’t require much equipment but do demand creativity. If you’re in search of a new prop for practicing Pilates, here’s one right under your nose: the wall. Surprisingly, even the living room wall can be a significant tool in your workout routine. Pilates instructor Jennifer Kreichman, quoted by the Well+Good website, explains that the right movements with the support of a wall can help your body “mobilize and move through the spine, but also strengthen and stretch.” Where should you start your wall Pilates session? We’ll explain.
3 Super Effective Wall Pilates Moves
Kreichman shared five of the most effective exercises you can do at home using just a wall.
“Each one originates from a classic Pilates base, focusing on strengthening the abdominals and creating a sense of whole-body coordination,” says Kreichman.
Hundred
It’s challenging to find a type of Pilates workout that doesn’t include the Hundred. But it can be a bit intense. For those beginning their muscle strengthening journey, using the support of a wall may be an excellent first step. To practice it:
- Lay on your back, with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. They should be hip-width apart and the tips of your toes should touch the wall. This will align your feet.
- Raise your arms at a 45-degree angle, aligned with your thighs.
- Lift your neck and shoulders off the mat by contracting the top of your abdominals.
- Pump your arms while inhaling to a five count and exhale. Repeat until you reach a total of 100 pumps.
Shoulder Bridge
“This is probably the first thing you’ll see when you Google ‘Wall Pilates workout,'” says Kreichman. “It’s the same action as a standard shoulder bridge, but with your feet flat against the wall of the table as you lift and lower your hips. Approach this version with a level of awareness that engages your abs, glutes, and hamstrings to support the spine. This should be quite challenging.”
To do this:
- Lay on your back, with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Your feet should be hip-width apart, and the tip of your toes should touch the wall. Imagine pulling your abs inward and upward with your back on the mat.
- Engage your glutes and curl your hips to hold them in the air for four seconds before releasing.
- “Depending on your strength level, the exercise should be repeated between four and ten times,” explains Kreichman.
Overhead
“This exercise is excellent for strengthening and mobilizing the chest, shoulders, and upper back,” says Kreichman. “It’s particularly beneficial for people who lean over their work all day.”
For this exercise:
- Stand facing the wall, spread your feet, and lean your back, hips, and shoulders against it.
- Lift your arms above your head with bent elbows, pressing against the wall while your fingers touch and form a diamond shape. “For some people, even this simple movement is genuinely challenging,” says Kreichman.
- Push your arms upward, straightening them as much as possible while keeping contact between your elbows and wall and your fingertips joined. Repeat six to ten times.
