Latest news with #Pilates-inspired
Tom's Guide
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
No jumping — this joint-friendly, low-impact workout uses a pair of light dumbbells to build full-body strength in 6 moves
If you're looking for a low-impact, joint-friendly workout that builds full-body strength, challenges your core and gets your heart rate up to help burn fat, I think I've found the perfect routine for you. All you need is some comfortable, sweat-wicking activewear and a light pair of dumbbells. The Pilates-inspired strength and cardio session is led by instructors Steph Newman and Lily Hunter, who demonstrate each move together. Their control and coordination throughout the routine were what really inspired me to give it a try. If you've got a workout buddy, it's a fun challenge to try to match their flow and stay in step together. You'll work through just six exercises, spending 30 seconds on each. For any single-sided moves like the curtsy lunge with bicep curl, make sure to complete the exercise on both sides. Some exercises will feel tougher than others, and as your muscles begin to fatigue, try to maintain good form rather than rushing through the reps. A post shared by STEPH NEWMAN (@pilatesbysteph_) A photo posted by on Newman and Hunter's Pilates-inspired routine is joint-friendly not only because it's all performed standing, but also because it avoids high-impact moves like jumping or quick directional changes that can strain your joints. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Each exercise asks you to pay close attention. It's not your standard dumbbell press or squat where your body can move on autopilot while your mind wanders. This workout requires a real mind-muscle connection, which helps improve control, coordination and overall muscle engagement. While there is a great degree of control executed for each exercise, you will notice in the demonstrations that both trainers move with consistent momentum. As you work through these flowing, repetitive movements, your heart rate should begin to rise, helping you build cardiovascular endurance while strengthening your muscles. Yes, you can build real strength with Pilates, and not just the kind that helps you stand a little taller. Pilates might not involve heavy weights or barbells, but don't let that fool you. The slow, controlled movements fire up muscles you didn't even know you had, especially around your core, glutes and back. What makes Pilates feel different is how much it focuses on form, control and full-body engagement. You're not just powering through reps; you're staying present, moving with intention and working under tension. Honestly, some of the toughest exercises I've done have come from holding a Pilates move for just a few seconds longer. So while you might not be maxing out your deadlift, you're building a kind of strength that supports everyday movement and leaves you feeling strong from the inside out.
Axios
23-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Jennifer Aniston's favorite workout is coming to Charlotte
Pvolve, a women's fitness brand backed by Jennifer Aniston, is opening a studio in Dilworth this fall. Why it matters: The Charlotte location, which will be locally owned and operated, marks the brand's expansion into North Carolina. How it works: Pvolve is built around functional fitness and women's wellness, explains franchise owner Mariana Lim. Classes are designed to build strength, mobility and longevity for women in all stages of life, from postpartum to menopause. Functional fitness generally refers to exercise that advances physiological function and involves daily movements like squatting, bending, pushing and lunging. The Pvolve method blends elements of yoga, Pilates and strength training into a 50-minute, low-impact workout. A few of the most popular classes include: Strength & Sculpt: Pvolve's signature class to sculpt and tone the full body through low-impact exercises. Progressive Weight Training: A mix of weight training with dynamic functional movements. Ideal for women over 40 or those looking to build strength. Mat Definition: A Pilates-inspired mat class with a focus on the core. There are also more specialized offerings, like a pelvic floor class and a series for people taking GLP-1 medications, aimed at preserving muscle mass while losing weight. What to expect: The Charlotte studio will join the retail lineup at The Seventeen Hundred, a new multi-family development under construction along East Boulevard in Dilworth. Lim is targeting an early November opening, she tells Axios. Limited founding memberships will launch in August. A standard unlimited membership will be $259/month. HSA funds can be put towards classes, according to Lim. The Charlotte studio will have 23 mats, a locker room, beauty bar, secure lockers and a private room for personal training sessions, says Lim. The intrigue: A major component of Pvolve's business model is its hybrid membership, offering classes both in-studio and through an online streaming platform. Pvolve sells equipment bundles for at-home workouts, like its $664 "Total Transformation Bundle," a 13-piece set of "toning tools," like weights, bands and the "P. Ball" (a mix of a Pilates ball and resistance band). Context: The company began in New York City's Chinatown in 2017 by entrepreneur Rachel Katzman, who was seeking a low-impact alternative to traditional functional fitness. Jennifer Aniston discovered the brand in 2021 through its streaming platform. A fan of the results, she joined the board in 2023, and according to a blog post, now helps shape product development, programming, and marketing to build Pvolve's brand awareness. Pvolve is actively franchising with over 50 studios across the country. The closest operating studio is in Columbia, South Carolina. What they're saying: Pvolve's approach to fitness will bring something new to Charlotte, especially for women, says Lim. Originally from Brazil, Lim has lived in Charlotte for 15 years and says she's taken nearly every class in town. What's next: Lim says she's planning to host several pop-up classes later this summer. Stop by: Pvolve Charlotte will open at 1701 East Blvd.
Tom's Guide
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Pamela Reif calls this her 'pretty abs and arms' workout — my muscles would like a word
Back during the time of Covid lockdown, when kitchens doubled as gyms and 'snatched waists' were the internet's fitness obsession, workout videos promising washboard abs and toned arms were everywhere. Fitness influencers like Pamela Reif and Chloe Ting went viral with quick, equipment-free routines that racked up millions of views. At Tom's Guide, we've tested plenty of them (more on that below), so when I spotted Reif's recent 'pretty abs and arms' workout doing the rounds, I was curious. These days, I tend to stick to workouts from certified trainers over fitness influencers. I care far less about what a routine claims it will make me look like and more about how it supports my strength, mobility and energy in daily life. But maybe it was nostalgia, or the intrigue of a workout with a title bold enough to promise 'pretty' abs and arms. Either way, I wanted to know more. So I pulled on my best gym leggings and gave it a go. I usually prefer not to know the workout structure beforehand because if I do, I tend to talk myself out of it. So I dove into Reif's "pretty arms and abs" routine blind, only knowing it was just 12 minutes long. The little time commitment required from this workout was one of the factors that drew me in. Each exercise lasts 30 seconds, with repeats only when switching sides. Personally, I find workouts with no repeats, especially for abs, feel quicker. But the lack of breaks between moves made this one feel intense, especially during the two extra 30-second pulsing sections she added early in the workout. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. That said, pausing during a core workout can sometimes make it feel harder to restart, so I can't blame Reif for the relentless no-rest structure. I made it to the end with my core still intact, though feeling the burn. Lululemon Align leggings are perfect for workouts like this Pilates-inspired routine, thanks to their stretchy, lightweight fabric that moves with you without restricting any of the slow, controlled movements. Plus, you can save $29! If you're not into traditional ab workouts packed with sit-ups, Russian twists and planks, you'll probably enjoy this core routine from Reif. It leans on Pilates-inspired moves for a slower, more controlled challenge. Pilates keeps your core working the whole time, helping to build strength, improve posture and boost stability. I also think that's why Reif calls this her 'pretty arms and abs' workout. It's a very elegant sequence. Or at least, it looks that way when she does it. I'm not sure my cross-legged pike plank into cobra looked quite as smooth, but I enjoyed getting into the flow. It felt much gentler than a crunch-heavy core session and easier to stay consistent with, thanks to the slow and controlled movement. Have you ever heard of an "elegant push-up"? I hadn't either until five minutes into the routine, when Reif demonstrated one. She started in a kneeling push-up position, lifted one leg behind her, kept the other bent with the foot pointing upward, then performed 30 seconds of push-ups in that pose. Elegant might be the word for it, but only if you stay completely focused. A quick glance in the mirror reminded me that this move only looks graceful if your core is switched on and your legs stay steady in the correct position. Later in the workout, she added "lizard push-ups". I knew the stretch version of this move from a challenge my colleague Sam did, where she held the lizard pose every day for a week. It's a brilliant hip opener, but adding a push-up takes it to another level. This version challenged my mobility, core strength and upper body all at once. It was tricky to nail these moves in 30 seconds, but I really enjoyed learning new moves that I could use to switch up my core workouts. I'll admit I was a little sceptical going in. I don't usually trust workouts that suggest you can change how your body looks after just 12 minutes, especially ones with titles like 'pretty abs and arms.' But I ended up enjoying it far more than I expected. The Pilates-inspired moves flowed together in a way that felt controlled and satisfying when I got the exercises right. While I'm not sure I emerged with visibly different arms or abs, I did feel stronger and enjoyed the challenge. If you want to try Ting and Reif's workouts, this lower ab workout with 18 million views is Pamela Reif's creation, and this Chloe Ting ab workout has over 420 million views.
Tom's Guide
15-06-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Goodbye planks! This 6-minute Pilates workout will help you sculpt a strong and stable core
Time (or a lack of it) is often cited as the reason I skip a workout. Whether it's because I've woken up later than I had hoped and have missed my allocated slot to work out, or I've decided to work through my lunch break in order to get my to-do list ticked off. When you're spinning lots of plates, something's got to give. And this year, it's my fitness regime that's often been the first thing to be ditched in favour of something else. However, in 2025, I think we can all agree that workouts don't need to be long, super sweaty, or tedious to 'count' as being effective. If armed with the right workout, you can achieve a lot in not a lot of time at all. But does a six-minute workout still hit the spot? After coming across this short and speedy abs workout from qualified physiotherapist and Pilates trainer Lilly Sabri, I decided to see for myself. After rolling out a yoga mat, I was good to go. Spoiler alert: my abs are still on fire! I'm a fan of most of Sabri's YouTube workouts because they tend to be Pilates-inspired, quick and not-so-easy, so it still feels like you're challenging your body despite the limited time you've got to do it in. And this six-minute deep core session is just that! Containing 12 Pilates moves, the idea is to complete each exercise for 30 seconds, with no rests in between. For example, some of the moves include: Six minutes can be enough time to work out — especially if it's all you've got. As I found after completing the first two exercises, my core was all fired up and feeling like it had been put through its paces. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. That's because Pilates is all about performing slow and controlled movements with the correct form that matches your breath. Doing so helps you move steadily and with precision during each exercise, which can then help you maximize the time under tension for your deep core muscles. And that it does! For example, during the Pilates roll-ups, instead of completing as many reps of this move as possible during the 30-second stint, I focused on inhaling as I was slowly rolling my torso up and my arms reaching forward and then exhaling as I articulated through my spine, vertebrae by vertebrae, back down until I was lying flat on the mat. And this was a technique that was instilled into each move. Doing so meant my core muscles were engaged the whole time, which helped me get more bang for my buck. So after completing all 12 of the best pilates exercises for my core, my trunk certainly knew it had had a workout. Due to the fact that there are no rests in between each of these moves, you are therefore engaging your muscles for a sustained period of time through a series of controlled movements, which helped me boost my muscular endurance. Plus, while the workout was over before I knew it, it provided me with some much-needed headspace before the busy day began. I'd say this workout is ideal if you're short on time, as you'll still feel the burn (sometimes in muscles you didn't know you had) even if you've only got six minutes spare. In a perfect world, we'd be sticking to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which recommend adults complete muscle-strengthening activities on all major muscle groups two or more days a week. So, of course, a short bout of Pilates can help get you closer to this goal, but if time allows, it shouldn't be the only workout you do. Either way, whether you try out this workout on its own, incorporate it into your full-body workout, or as an abs finisher, you're bound to feel a handful of the benefits Pilates brings.
Tom's Guide
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
No time for the gym? Build and sculpt your legs with this equipment-free lower-body workout instead
Thinking about skipping the gym? You're not alone. But a solid workout doesn't need to happen there. This 10-minute Pilates-inspired routine is perfect for leg day and easy to do right from your living room. This workout comes from online fitness instructor Lily Sabri and is designed to give you a class-like experience in just 10 minutes. Whether you're a Pilates pro or new to the practice, don't be fooled by how gentle it looks. The routine targets smaller, often-overlooked muscles to build real strength and tone your lower half. Pop on something comfortable — our guide to the best gym leggings can help if you're looking for ideas — and roll out a mat to stay supported on the floor. With one minute on each move and just five seconds of rest in between, Sabri's routine is quick and effective. The trainer provides clear audio cues throughout, letting you know where to place your bodyweight, which muscles to engage and when to breathe or relax. Trust me, I am going to have your legs absolutely on fire by the end of this workout. Sabri's guidance is both encouraging and there to challenge you. Throughout various moves, she offers small tips to increase the intensity, such as lowering deeper into a squat. She also tells you where to focus your bodyweight, when to breathe and how to stay engaged throughout. 'Trust me, I am going to have your legs absolutely on fire by the end of this workout,' she says in the video. If you've ever assumed Pilates is just slow stretching on a mat, think again. While it might look low impact from the outside, those small, controlled movements can leave your muscles shaking. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. That's because Pilates focuses on building strength from the inside out. It targets deep core muscles, stabilizers and those smaller muscles you didn't even know existed until they started burning. If you're new to it, you might also enjoy reading the guide 3 things I wish I had known as a Pilates beginner by my colleague Sam, who breaks down the basics and what to expect in your first few sessions. Pilates is all about precision and control, unlike weight training, which often works larger muscle groups using heavy resistance. It uses your own bodyweight or sometimes small equipment like bands or rings to create tension and challenge your muscles in subtle (but seriously effective) ways. You won't be doing deadlifts or bench presses, but you will still feel the burn differently. Pilates is also a great way to tone your muscles. It helps to strengthen your body without necessarily adding bulk. That's why people often claim it gives a more sculpted or lean look. But it isn't just about appearances. Pilates also helps with posture, balance and overall mobility. The more you practice it, the longer you'll be able to go, the more challenging moves you'll manage and you might even find yourself reaching for a pair of light dumbbells to up the ante.
