Sweat Summary: Ramp up your traditional mat Pilates practice with the addition of a resistance band. Integrated into each exercise, the toning tool provides extra resistance and activates additional muscles to help you slim and sculpt quickly. Sweat Factor: No sweat Mood: Balanced What We Liked: The bonus 10-minute core sculpting session was a supercharged ab-blasting routine. What We Didn’t Like: We enjoyed the twist on mat Pilates but wish more upper-body exercises were included in the 30-minute workout. [sidebar]Rating: Sweat it, 4 remotes
Rating System Full Review: Once you’ve taken a Pilates class on the Reformer or the Cadillac machines, mat routines can seem a little boring. By adding a resistance band to traditional mat exercises, Pilates expert Lisa Hubbard replicates movements done on the apparatuses that you can do right in your living room. Each move in the 30-minute, total-body routine uses the band, which adds an extra toning element to traditional Pilates exercises by adding resistance, improving alignment, and challenging balance. The result: you’ll sculpt lean, strong muscles quickly. Throughout the workout, Hubbard explains how the addition of the toning tool (which is included with the DVD) mimics exercises on the machines—which is motivating since you know you’re working as hard as you would on the apparatus, without having to pay for expensive equipment classes at Pilates studios. We felt the effects of the added resistance immediately, noticing our muscles fatigued more quickly during exercises like bicycle crunches. More from Prevention: Learn Different Ways to Use a Resistance BandStarting with a few standing exercises, the first section targets the Pilates principles of balance and coordination. Then you move to the mat for band-intensified versions of Pilates favorites like leg circles. You’ll also notice a few strength-training surprises, like triceps kickbacks added to Pilates roll-ups, turning the core exercise into an arm workout as well.The 10-minute bonus ab routine zeros in on your core. Featuring more oblique exercises than you’d ever want to perform, the extra waist-cinching workout is great to tack on if time allows, or as a standalone quickie workout that’s a perfect way to start the day. Simply put, using a resistance band to tone and sculpt is both interesting and lots of fun. Hubbard uses it to intensify and correct exercises, offering a fun take on a Pilates workout that allows you to mimic workouts performed on machines at boutique studios anytime, anywhere! Available at amazon.com ($17). [pagebreak] Favorite Move: Pilates Hundred with Band Media Platforms Design Team 1. Lie on back with legs lifted and knees bent in tabletop position, forming a 90-degree angle. Place middle of resistance band over shins, holding 1 end in each hand between thumb and index finger. Arms rest gently on floor on both sides of body, palms facing down. 2. Engaging abs, roll up, lifting head, shoulders, and upper back off floor. Keeping gaze at belly button, lift arms to shoulder height (as shown). Band should be taught; if necessary, move hands and grip band a few inches higher. 3. Take 5 short breaths in through your nose and 5 short breaths out through your mouth (like sniffing in and puffing out) while simultaneously pulsing arms up and down. Repeat 10 times, for a total of 100 pulses.
Media Platforms Design TeamWhat To Wear:Like yoga, Pilates exercises rely heavily on proper breathing and core control. To ensure your abs are constantly working, opt for a tighter fitting, supportive top so you’ll notice when you aren’t properly engaging core muscles. Editor’s pick: The front seams on the slim fit The North Face Tadasana VPR Sport Tank ($50; thenorthface.com) help establish posture awareness while strategic ventilation panels keep your body cool and dry, preventing uncomfortable chafing.
