10-Minute Pilates Workout With Lorraine Ladish

This video is part of the 30-Day Couch-to-Fit Challenge designed to help you improve strength, cardio, balance and flexibility. Start the challenge here: aarp.org/CouchToFit

Try this easy Pilates-based workout with fitness expert Lorraine Ladish to increase flexibility and muscle tone from the comfort of your own home.  

Key takeaways

• Follow Lorraine Ladish’s beginner-friendly Pilates routine to boost strength, flexibility and balance at home.
• Modify movements and focus on proper breathwork as Lorraine guides you through each gentle exercise.
• No special equipment required — just a mat or towel to join Lorraine’s energizing, low-impact session.

Summary

Pilates for beginners is an excellent way to build strength, flexibility and balance at your own pace, right at home. Fitness expert Lorraine Ladish leads a 10-minute Pilates workout designed for all levels, focusing on simple, effective movements that fire up your core, legs and arms while helping you relax and boost energy. No fancy equipment needed — just a yoga mat, towel or even a carpet can work. And Lorraine encourages you to listen to your body, modify moves and focus on your breath.

This gentle Pilates routine is part of AARP’s 30-Day Couch-to-Fit Challenge, and it’s especially ideal for those new to Pilates or looking for a low-impact routine to increase muscle tone and joint mobility. Following along with Lorraine, you’ll learn how to move safely, engage key muscle groups and feel stronger session by session. To continue improving your strength and flexibility, explore the full Couch-to-Fit Challenge at aarp.org/CouchToFit.

The key takeaways and summary were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Full Transcript:

[0:00:00] AARP’s GET MOVING! Wherever You Are

[0:00:02] 10-MINUTE PILATES WITH Fitness Expert Lorraine Ladish

[0:00:06] Lorraine Ladish: Hi! I’m Lorraine Ladish.

[0:00:08] And today, we’re going to do a

[0:00:09] 10-minute easy Pilates-based workout.

[0:00:13] This is something great to

[0:00:14] start today or do at any other time

[0:00:16] in the comfort of your own home.

[0:00:19] I’m using a yoga mat.

[0:00:20] But if you don’t have one, then you can

[0:00:22] use a carpet, a rug, a towel,

[0:00:25] anything that won’t slip around.

[0:00:27] And please remember to take this routine

[0:00:30] at your own pace, because it’s for you.

[0:00:32] And you can stop, rewind or

[0:00:34] restart the video at any moment.

[0:00:37] So now, let’s begin.

[0:00:39] We’re going to start on our backs

[0:00:42] with our feet firmly planted

[0:00:45] on the floor.

[0:00:46] Our small of our back is going

[0:00:48] to be pressing into the mat.

[0:00:51] And as we breathe in and out

[0:00:52] of our nose, or however we can —

[0:00:56] breathing is more important

[0:00:57] than just holding your breath —

[0:00:59] we’re going to be pushing down

[0:01:01] as if there were some resistance

[0:01:03] to our arms.

[0:01:05] So once again, everything is engaged:

[0:01:07] Our glutes are engaged. Our core,

[0:01:11] which is like a girdle, is going to be

[0:01:14] engaged. And we’re breathing in and out

[0:01:16] and just pushing and pushing,

[0:01:19] and creating energy and resistance as we

[0:01:23] work out together with all these other

[0:01:26] people who are at home doing the

[0:01:27] same thing with us.

[0:01:29] So here we’re going to do three more,

[0:01:31] that is three and two, and the last one,

[0:01:36] we push, push, push, push, give

[0:01:37] it all we got. Great.

[0:01:41] Now, we’re going to lift one leg with

[0:01:44] the foot towards the ceiling,

[0:01:46] making sure that the leg is engaged

[0:01:48] entirely, including the kneecap.

[0:01:51] And we’re pushing our hands into

[0:01:53] the floor, the carpet or whatever

[0:01:55] we are lying on.

[0:01:57] And I’m also feeling this in my

[0:01:59] core, and I’m trying my best to have my

[0:02:03] neck relaxed as I’m breathing.

[0:02:05] Now if you would like to make

[0:02:06] this a little more challenging, then,

[0:02:09] by all means, lift the opposite leg

[0:02:11] and have the calf parallel to the mat.

[0:02:15] And if you want to make it a lot

[0:02:16] more challenging, then you can float

[0:02:18] the opposite leg off the floor, but

[0:02:21] always keeping in mind that the

[0:02:22] small of your back needs to be pressing

[0:02:25] firmly against the ground. OK. So we’re

[0:02:27] going to do three more. Remember also

[0:02:30] that a good gauge of how intensely you’re

[0:02:34] working out or exercising is the

[0:02:35] ability to have a conversation

[0:02:37] while you’re moving.

[0:02:39] OK now to the other leg. Same thing.

[0:02:42] The leg is engaged and we’re engaging

[0:02:44] the core. Most importantly, we’re

[0:02:46] pressing the hands into the carpet

[0:02:51] or the floor and breathing in and out,

[0:02:55] breathing in and out,

[0:02:56] not holding the breath.

[0:02:57] The breath is very important when

[0:02:59] we’re exercising and when we’re living.

[0:03:02] OK. So if you want to make it a

[0:03:04] little more intense, here we go.

[0:03:06] And the other option is to float the

[0:03:08] leg off the floor, but once again,

[0:03:11] please do not lift the small of

[0:03:12] the back off of the floor. So we’re

[0:03:15] just going to do two more and

[0:03:18] keep that leg engaged. Smile. Keep

[0:03:21] the neck relaxed, and here we go.

[0:03:24] Now we’re going to be very gentle

[0:03:26] and bring the knees into the chest.

[0:03:29] And maybe, kindly to our body,

[0:03:33] being compassionate and

[0:03:35] nice to ourselves, we’re just going

[0:03:36] to rock from side to side and

[0:03:40] switch exercises. So now I’m going to

[0:03:43] lie the length of the mat or the rug,

[0:03:47] or whatever I am on, and

[0:03:49] we can do these exercises up here on

[0:03:51] our forearms or down here as if we were

[0:03:54] lying at the beach. The bottom

[0:03:55] leg can be extended or it can be bent.

[0:03:58] I’m going to do it bent, which is a

[0:04:00] little less challenging.

[0:04:02] So my heel is going to be pointing

[0:04:05] up towards the ceiling, and the

[0:04:07] toes are pointing towards the mat. I’m

[0:04:10] engaging the entire length of my leg,

[0:04:14] and I’m trying hard to stabilize

[0:04:16] my torso so I’m not swinging around.

[0:04:19] I’m not moving the top. I’m simply

[0:04:22] pulsing up and down with that leg.

[0:04:25] So it’s not important how high you

[0:04:28] lift it. What’s really important is

[0:04:30] how engaged that is, and that your

[0:04:33] movements are precise and small and

[0:04:36] that you feel them. That is

[0:04:37] an effective exercise.

[0:04:41] So now we’re going to bring that top leg

[0:04:43] over ,and it’s going to relax a

[0:04:46] little bit. And we’re going to

[0:04:48] extend the bottom one. We’re going to

[0:04:50] fire the entire leg. And I like

[0:04:53] to pretend that there is an invisible

[0:04:57] string and that I’m like a puppet

[0:04:59] and somebody is bringing that leg up.

[0:05:01] So it doesn’t matter whether you are

[0:05:04] lifting that leg off of the floor

[0:05:06] or not. What really matters

[0:05:08] is that you’re feeling it in

[0:05:11] your inner thigh. Even if the leg

[0:05:13] never comes off of the floor,

[0:05:15] if you’re feeling it in your inner

[0:05:17] thigh, that is exactly what

[0:05:19] we’re aiming for.

[0:05:20] So let’s keep it here for three,

[0:05:22] two, one and hooh!

[0:05:24] Now we’re going to switch it to

[0:05:26] the other side.

[0:05:28] Same thing. We’re going to lie the

[0:05:31] length of the mat or the towel,

[0:05:33] or whatever we have, and we could

[0:05:35] do these exercises with the bottom leg

[0:05:39] extended, which makes it a little

[0:05:41] harder, or we can, for greater stability,

[0:05:45] bend the bottom knee.

[0:05:46] Now, the top heel is going to be

[0:05:49] pointing towards the ceiling and

[0:05:51] those toes are pointing down. And again,

[0:05:53] I’m pulsing. I’m pulsing and making sure

[0:05:57] that the movement is precise.

[0:05:59] If at any moment I’m really tired,

[0:06:01] then I’m going to rest. And otherwise,

[0:06:04] I will just keep on going and pulse

[0:06:06] and make sure that the top half of

[0:06:08] my body is not moving, even if I

[0:06:12] have to rest whenever I feel

[0:06:15] that I’m engaging other muscles that

[0:06:17] I should not be. That is a good way to

[0:06:19] prevent injuries. Perfect!

[0:06:21] Now from here we’re going to take

[0:06:22] that top leg over, and that’s going

[0:06:25] to relax the glutes for a minute,

[0:06:27] and then I’m going to extend

[0:06:29] the bottom leg. And once again,

[0:06:31] feel how I am pulling up, pulling up,

[0:06:36] even if that leg does not actually

[0:06:38] lift off of the mat, and I have my

[0:06:40] foot flexed, and I’m firing up

[0:06:43] that entire leg. You don’t really have

[0:06:46] to move this arm, but I like that

[0:06:48] feeling to remind myself that, whoop,

[0:06:51] this is exactly where I need

[0:06:53] to be feeling.

[0:06:55] So here, I’m going to hold it for three,

[0:06:57] two, one, and we’re done with that part.

[0:07:02] Now we’re going to bring ourselves

[0:07:04] up to a sitting position,

[0:07:06] and I like to sit in easy pose.

[0:07:09] Now, easy pose should be easy.

[0:07:11] So if your knees are not here,

[0:07:13] that’s fine. Not everybody’s knees

[0:07:15] are going to be there. Maybe you want

[0:07:17] to make yourself way more comfortable

[0:07:19] by putting blankets or pillows

[0:07:20] under your knees. The most

[0:07:22] important thing is that your

[0:07:24] sit bones are firmly planted on the floor,

[0:07:27] that your back is extended,

[0:07:29] that your spine is erect, and that your

[0:07:31] shoulders are comfortably down.

[0:07:35] So from here, we’re going to push out

[0:07:38] with our arms feeling like a line

[0:07:40] of energy between our hands.

[0:07:43] And from here, I’m going to make

[0:07:44] fists and pretend I’m really strong.

[0:07:47] But you know what? No, I am really

[0:07:49] strong, right? I’m going to think

[0:07:50] that I’m really strong, and I’m going to

[0:07:53] make little circles towards the back of

[0:07:55] the room, engaging everything from my

[0:07:58] shoulders, to my biceps, to the deltoids, to the

[0:08:02] absolutely everything.

[0:08:03] And now those circles are moving

[0:08:05] forward, just little circles,

[0:08:07] little circles, breathing,

[0:08:09] breathing, breathing. Imagine all those

[0:08:11] other people at home doing this with us!

[0:08:14] I like to imagine all of you at home

[0:08:17] doing this with me. It gives

[0:08:19] me more energy as well.

[0:08:21] So here, let’s imagine that there

[0:08:22] is a beach ball or something

[0:08:24] between our hands. And from here,

[0:08:26] we’re going to pull down like we’re at

[0:08:29] the gym at the lat machine.

[0:08:31] But we’re going to pull down with

[0:08:33] enthusiasm and with gusto, and

[0:08:35] knowing that we’re engaging everything

[0:08:38] from the lats right here to the

[0:08:40] pecs, to the triceps, to the biceps,

[0:08:44] and all the while staving off]

[0:08:46] stiffness and any kind of stagnant

[0:08:50] energy that we might have in our body

[0:08:52] from just sitting for long hours

[0:08:54] or being at home.

[0:08:55] And we’ll do three more.

[0:08:56] Let’s give it everything we’ve got.

[0:08:59] And again, for one more. And that one

[0:09:03] will be the last one, but we’re

[0:09:05] not done yet.

[0:09:06] So from here, we’re going to push

[0:09:08] our arms towards the back of the room,

[0:09:11] and then pull all that energy in

[0:09:14] with our pectoral muscles, and then back.

[0:09:17] And pushing back, and just holding

[0:09:20] and engaging my entire back

[0:09:22] and pulling in with my pectorals and

[0:09:25] imagining that energy. I can even close

[0:09:27] my eyes and picture it.

[0:09:29] It’s like I am resisting against

[0:09:32] something and creating my own

[0:09:35] resistance, mentally and also physically,

[0:09:39] to challenge myself and to fire up the

[0:09:43] energy in my body, my mind and my soul.

[0:09:48] Great!

[0:09:49] Now, we’re going to just relax

[0:09:51] our shoulders and bring one hand

[0:09:54] out to the side, the hand resting on

[0:09:58] the floor, the other arm extending

[0:10:01] towards the ceiling. If this is a

[0:10:03] little too much, then bring the

[0:10:06] hand to the shoulder.

[0:10:08] And what I’m really focusing on

[0:10:10] is on bringing my chest, my heart

[0:10:14] to the ceiling and opening from there.

[0:10:16] I could also be here — either is fine  —

[0:10:19] we’re just opening the chest and

[0:10:22] extending the side. Same thing for the

[0:10:24] other side. I could be looking

[0:10:25] down if it’s bothering me.

[0:10:28] I can have my hand here.

[0:10:29] I’m still breathing in and out.

[0:10:31] That’s great.

[0:10:33] And from here, we’re going to

[0:10:35] inhale and bring all this energy

[0:10:37] to the heart center. Hooh!

[0:10:41] Once more. And from here,

[0:10:43] I’m going to take my hands to my

[0:10:47] forehead to remind ourselves to have

[0:10:50] positive thoughts. Hands to our lips

[0:10:53] to remind ourselves to have positive

[0:10:55] communication. And hands to our

[0:10:57] heart to remind ourselves to have

[0:10:59] positive intentions.

[0:11:02] I hope you enjoyed this routine

[0:11:05] as much as I did. And I

[0:11:07] hope to see you in the next video.

[0:11:09] END