Body & Mind: Pilates for a great figure

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It doesn't always have to be the weight bench or the leg press in the gym. Also at home you can very well effectively get a great body and that with small equipment. Which woman wants to be as muscular as Arnold Schwarzenegger?:) Small, fine and defined muscles, which tighten the body and help to achieve a great posture are actually the goal of most of us.

Pilates is a great idea for this among other things. Pilates is not a "power workout", but a gentle sport that can be just as strenuous. Pilates uses special exercises to strengthen muscles, especially the back, abdomen and pelvic floor muscles, and improve posture.

The pilates ring and therabands from the DEPOT "Let's get fit" collection can support the exercises and increase their effectiveness. For example, the Pilates ring can be used to train the inside of the legs – a frequently mentioned problem area. I'll show you what a little inner thigh workout might look like:

Exercise 1:

  1. Put your fitness mat on the floor and put the Pilates ring between your lower legs
  2. Lying on the floor, lift the stretched legs a bit. You can rest your arms next to your body for stability
  3. Then slightly squeeze the legs together
  4. Slowly lift the stretched, tense legs a bit higher, hold them for a few seconds and lower them again a bit

Exercise 2:

  1. Lie on your side and clamp the Pilates ring between your lower legs
  2. Gently squeeze your legs together while lifting them slightly off the floor. (The hands support.)
  3. Now lift the legs a little higher, hold for a few seconds and lower again.

Exercise 3:

  1. Lie on your back and place your feet
  2. Clamp the Pilates ring between your knees and squeeze them slightly together.
  3. Now pull the knees towards the chest, creating a 90 degree angle. Hold briefly and set down again.

Repeat each exercise 12-20 times.

The smallest gym in the world – the Theraband!

Therabands are a great way to work out your arms, shoulders, chest and back. They provide a slight resistance and can make you sweat quite a bit with many repetitions. 🙂

Similar to the Pilates ring, they also train the deeper muscles and thus help to achieve a more intensive workout. Plus, they're small enough to take with you practically anywhere, so you'll have no excuses!

For example, you can train your back wonderfully by taking the Theraband in the desired length in one hand at a time (the length or. Shortness of the band determines the resistance) and put it behind the head. Now hold hands at ear level and pull slightly away from head. Hold and loosen again. This exercise helps super against tension and supports a great posture.

After the workout is before the workout.

Therefore you should make sure that the trained muscles are stretched and massaged. This prevents injuries and muscle soreness and keeps the body limber. Fitness roller and massage roller are great for increasing flexibility and preventive treatment of hardened connective tissue throughout the body.

Fascia can be thought of as a connective tissue sheath around the muscles. They span the muscles, forming a network throughout the body. They transmit the power of the muscles, communicate with the nervous system, provide oxygen exchange and protection of the internal organs, serve as a sensory organ and form the basis for a beautiful body shape. Therefore, it is also particularly important to train them. With the fascia roller you can treat the stressed legs great. Simply place the roller under your thigh and gently roll it back and forth with a little pressure. The same can be done lying on the side.

There are no limits to your imagination here – anything that does you good. Each exercise should be approx. To be performed for 90 seconds.