This 16-Minute Pilates-Cardio Fusion Workout Efficiently Combines Modalities To Maximize Benefits

Both cardio exercise and strength training are mission-critical when it comes to physical (and mental!) fitness, but it’s not uncommon to get stuck in a pattern of favoring one modality over another. If you’re a Pilates junkie, for example, you might find yourself deficient in cardio, and if you love to dance or run or rollerblade, you might find yourself slacking in the strengthening department. To help encourage better balance for those in either category, Chloe de Winter of Go Chlo Pilates has designed a Pilates-cardio fusion workout, which she shares on the latest episode of Good Moves.

“Today we’re gonna do some high-intensity Pilates moves to get the heart rate up and get a little bit sweaty, but at the same time, strengthen with all those beautiful Pilates principles,” de Winter says. “We’re going to go 45 seconds on, 15 seconds rest for most of these exercises and have a bit more of a break in the middle, [between the two rounds]. Don’t worry, I’ll talk you through the whole thing—it’s gonna be a lot of fun!”

The fast-moving (and yes, fun!) routine she then demos is low-impact but high-intensity—it’s kind of like a typical mat Pilates workout on fast-forward so that each move adds cardio benefits—e.g. improving lung function, increasing heart strength, and maximizing the efficiency of your skeletal muscles—to the muscle-building benefits inherent to most Pilates moves.

If you’re looking to maximize the limited time you have each day to dedicate to your fitness regimen, or you just need a spoonful of, say, strength training mixed in with your cardio (and vice versa), press play on the video above to enjoy a hybrid creation that leaves no body part behind in terms of benefits.

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