Design Your Own Pilates Exercise Programs Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Pilates Beginners Create Your Own Pilates Workout Routine By Marguerite Ogle MS, RYT Marguerite Ogle MS, RYT Marguerite Ogle is a freelance writer and experienced natural wellness and life coach, who has been teaching Pilates for more than 35 years. Learn about our editorial process Updated on November 05, 2020 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Kristin McGee, CPT Reviewed by Kristin McGee, CPT Kristin McGee is a certified personal trainer and currently teaches yoga and meditation for Peloton. She is also certified in Pilates and by the National Association of Sports Medicine. Learn about our Review Board Print It's wonderful to go to Pilates classes, work with a trainer or follow a video, but knowing how to design a workout routine for yourself is one of the best ways to support your fitness goals. A few basic cues will help you create an effective workout wherever you are. Use the elements of a good routine below to help you organize your exercise choices and design a personal workout program that is safe, balanced and effective. Make a Plan Angela Coppola/Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images Once you begin a solo workout, it is tempting to improvise through it, doing whatever exercise pops in your head at the moment. However, before you start moving, if you outline a plan (ideally on paper) you will create a far superior workout to one that would happen on-the-fly. Keeping an exercise log can be a big help in planning your workouts. You may also have certain exercises that you know you want to do. If so, they can give you direction and you can think about which exercises will create a good lead-up for your target exercises. Consider these factors for your personalized Pilates workout routine: What are your goals for the day? What is your energy level? Are there specific body areas that you want to work on? Warmup and Centering Getty images/gilaxia A good workout has a definitive beginning, middle, and end. Take a moment at the beginning of your workout to set your intention, connect with your breath and synchronize mind and body for the work ahead. To begin warming up the body, choose exercises and stretches that are fairly easy for you. They might be modified versions of exercises that you will do in their full form later on. The idea is to tune into your body and to loosen up the muscles, but not overdo.​ You might also want to review the Pilates principles: centering, concentration, control, precision, breath, and flow. These principles inform every aspect of a Pilates workout. Work the Whole Body Getty Images/Caroline Woodham Once you get into your workout, you will be choosing more vigorous exercises. If you have very little time, you might choose to do a targeted sequence—an ab- or back-focused workout, for example. Ideally, you will choose a combination of exercises that address the whole body. It can be helpful to think about the emphasis of an exercise—top or bottom and front or back—making sure that you do a balanced routine. Also, keeping the principle of counter stretch in mind is helpful. Pilates routines are stronger on forward flexion exercises than on extension exercises, but it is important to balance a series of flexion exercises with an extension exercise or two. Range and Rotation Getty images/Allison Michael Orenstein Once you are fully warmed up, your routine should include exercises that encourage you to expand your range of motion. These will be stretches and exercises that open up motion in the joints. This is the time to include exercises that turn and twist the body. Exercises that rotate the spine should be performed with care and should not be done until the muscles are warmed. Sample exercises with rotation include: Saw Spine twist Criss cross Make Modifications Getty Images/Sergei Kozak Modifications are about keeping your workouts interesting, challenging and safe. To modify an exercise is to keep the original intention of an exercise but to adjust it to make it easier or more difficult, or to protect a certain area of the body. It is worthwhile to familiarize yourself with the basics of making modifications to exercises. This is one of the best ways that you can tailor a routine to your specific needs. Adding Interest and Variety Getty Images/Elisabeth Lhomelet A variation is a modification, but you can also think about variety in terms of your overall routine. When you are bored, you are not attentive. If you are not attentive, you are not getting the most out of your exercises. Make up a routine and throw something new into it like a new way of doing an exercise or adding a new piece of equipment like a magic circle, exercise band or ball. One of the best ways to add interest and value to your workouts is to fully embrace the Pilates principles. They take a workout from just exercising into the realm of integrative body/mind experience. This is the real key to the profound effects of the Pilates method. Finish With Presence Getty Images/PeopleImages Finishing up is one of the most important transitions of a workout. Do it consciously. Choose a couple of exercises to bring the pace down. You might even return to a few of the centering exercises that you did in the beginning. Bring your attention inward and regulate your breath. Pilates is a functional fitness method. It is very much about preparing one's body to move gracefully and efficiently in everyday life. A nice way to make the transition from workout mode to daily life is to finish up with a quick ​posture check. Take a moment to acknowledge the good work you've done and how your body feels. Hopefully, your workout has left you feeling tall, balanced, focused and strong. By Marguerite Ogle MS, RYT Marguerite Ogle is a freelance writer and experienced natural wellness and life coach, who has been teaching Pilates for more than 35 years. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? 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