12 mat Pilates exercises for beginners to learn at home
Twelve beginner mat Pilates exercises with set-up, reps, what to feel and easier or harder options, plus how long and how often to practise at home.
Pilates Glossy: Pilates, mobility and everyday fitness
Latest story
Pilates
Pilates vs yoga, and how to choose between the two
Pilates vs yoga compared on origins, aims, breath, equipment and intensity, with Compendium MET figures, a table, barre in brief and who suits which.
Mobility & Recovery
Balance after fifty: why it slips and how to train it at home
Why balance tends to slip after fifty, simple self-tests to try at the kitchen worktop, an eight-week practice plan, home safety and when to see a doctor.
Plant-based Food
Metabolic health in plain words, and how muscle helps
Metabolic health comes down to five ordinary measurements. What each one means, why muscle and daily movement help, and which food habits support them.
Latest stories
Pilates equipment for home: the small kit worth buying first
What you need for Pilates at home: start with a thick mat, then add a ring, a small ball, loop bands and grip socks, in that order, and skip the gimmicks.
Keep reading: Pilates equipment for home: the small kit worth buying first
Pilates socks: how to choose grip socks for mat and reformer
Why reformer studios ask for Pilates grip socks, when bare feet are fine, toe, full-toe or strappy styles, how to size them and wash them so the grip lasts.
Keep reading: Pilates socks: how to choose grip socks for mat and reformer
Wall Pilates exercises: 11 moves for beginners at home
Eleven wall Pilates exercises with set-up, reps and easier or harder options, an honest look at the trend, and a free 20-minute session to do at home.
Keep reading: Wall Pilates exercises: 11 moves for beginners at home
How to choose a resistance band set for home Pilates
Loops, fabric bands, long flat bands or tubes with handles: how to choose a resistance band set for Pilates at home, which strengths to buy and what to skip.
Keep reading: How to choose a resistance band set for home Pilates
Mat or reformer: where a Pilates beginner should start
Mat or reformer for your first Pilates classes: what each teaches, rough UK costs, class formats, a side-by-side table and who is better off starting where.
Keep reading: Mat or reformer: where a Pilates beginner should start
How to price Pilates privates, duets, groups and mat classes
A worked guide to pricing Pilates privates, duets, small apparatus groups and mat classes, from rent and equipment to teacher pay, packs and intro offers.
Keep reading: How to price Pilates privates, duets, groups and mat classes
Kit picks
Orgain organic plant protein, vanillaA sweet, mild blend for oats and smoothies.$29.59 Amazon price as of 21 Oct 2026, 16:32 UTCSee it on Amazon (Orgain organic plant protein, vanilla)
Trideer 9-inch soft ballSqueeze it between the knees in bridges or slip it under the low back for support.$7.99 Amazon price as of 21 Oct 2026, 16:32 UTCSee it on Amazon (Trideer 9-inch soft ball)- Power Systems high-density foam rollerFirm closed-cell foam in three lengths, with half-round versions for balance work.See it at Power Systems (Power Systems high-density foam roller)
Links go to Amazon and other shops, and we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. See the whole kit list
Workouts at Home
A twenty-minute classical mat sequence for your living room
A beginner-friendly classical mat order you can do at home in about twenty minutes, with reps, what to feel, common mistakes and simpler options for each.
Wellbeing
What regular Pilates changes first, and how long it really takes
Sleep, posture awareness, stairs and energy: what regular Pilates tends to change first for everyday stiffness, what the evidence says, and how long it takes.
Fitness Business
The craft of cueing, and how Pilates teachers find words that land
Anatomical cues, imagery and outcome cues, minimal versus wordy teaching, and a practical way for Pilates teachers to build cues that really change movement.
Lifestyle
Why Pilates outlasted aerobics, step and every other fad
How Pilates survived aerobics, step and spinning: dancers, physiotherapists, a 2000 court ruling that made the name generic, and the long reformer boom.
The archive shelf
Teachers, elders, history and the classical repertoire: the long reads we keep coming back to.
- What changes when an experienced teacher learns the classical order
- Why Pilates outlasted aerobics, step and every other fad
- How to find a good Pilates studio, and what to ask before you book
- How to learn Pilates from a book without picking up bad habits
- The craft of cueing, and how Pilates teachers find words that land
- How Pilates lasted a century, from internment camp to reformer club