Pilates at Home

Beginners can start out with any book or video and perform Pilates at home. Most versions of Pilates being marketed today in books and videos are designed not to be physically challenging. But, Joseph Pilates' classical matwork of 34 exercises can provide a very physically demanding workout, for those up to the challenge.

Highlights of Pilates at Home:

• Introduction to the practice of Pilates.
• The 34 Pilates Classic Matwork Exercises for Performing Pilates at home.

The practice of Pilates in your home gym is called matwork.

"My system [i.e., Pilates] develops the body and mind simultaneously and normally in the home." --Jospeh Pilates, Your Health, 1934.

Joseph Pilates never used the term matwork or Pilates in his two booklets. Pilates wrote in his Return to Life booklet that his exercises can be performed either on the floor or on a mat. He demonstrated his exercises barefooted, wearing only exercise trunks. He recommended wearing as little clothing as possible while doing your matwork. And, he suggests that you start out doing a few of these exercises in sequential order for just ten minutes a day, 4 days a week, for at least 3 months. You should be motivated by the results to workout longer by gradually increasing the number of exercises that you perform in each workout session.

Pilates "is not a fatiguing system of dull, boring, abhorred exercises repeated daily 'ad-nauseam.' Neither does it demand your joining a gymnasium nor the purchasing of expensive apparatus. You may derive all the benefits of ...[Pilates] in your own home." --Jospeh Pilates, Return to Life Through Contrology, 1945

"Return to Life fully explains how you can successfully achieve your worthy ambition to attain physical fitness right in your own home and at only nominal cost." --Jospeh Pilates, Return to Life Through Contrology, 1945

 

The 34 Pilates Classic Matwork Exercises for Performing Pilates at home from Joseph Pilates' Return to Life Through Contrology, 1945. Yellow denotes common to all. Aqua denotes just Pilates for Dummies. Silver denotes just in the Pilates Body book. Lime denotes that these exercises are NOT in the Pilates Body book.
01 The Hundred	11 The Saw	22 The Teaser
02 The Roll Up	12 The Swan-Dive	23 The Hip Twist With Stretched Arms [Hip Circles]
03 The Roll-Over with Legs Spread	13 The One Leg Kick [Single Leg Kicks]	24 Swimming
04 The One Leg Circle [Leg Circles]	14 The Double Kick [Double Leg Kicks]	25 The Leg-Pull -- Front [The Leg Pull-Down] [Front Support]
05 Rolling Back [Rolling Like]	15 The Neck Pull	26 The Leg-Pull [-- Back] [Leg Pull-Up] [Back Support]
06 The One Leg Stretch [Single Leg]	16 The Scissors	27 The Side Kick Kneeling [Kneeling}
07 The Double Leg Stretch [Double Leg]	17 The Bicycle	28 The Side Bend [Mermaid/Side]
* Single Straight Leg Stretch	18 The Shoulder Bridge	29 The Boomerang
* Double Straight Leg Stretch
* Crisscross
08 The Spine Stretch	19 The Spine Twist	30 The Seal
09 Rocker With Open Legs [Open-Leg Rocker]	20 The Jack Knife	The Crab The Rocking The Control Balance
10 The Cork-Screw	21 The Side Kick	34 The Push up

Physical exercise will improve your natural health and fitness. Physical exercise is part of healthy living. Anybody interested in natural health should regularly participate in moderate forms of physical exercise like fitness walking. An active lifestyle, is even better than physical exercise, in improving your natural health and fitness.

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Please read our Exercise Disclaimer.

References:

• Your Health, Published by Jospeh Pilates, 1934.
• Return to Life Through Contrology, Published by Jospeh Pilates and William John Miller, 1945.