Published Apr 10, 2020

This at-home Pilates lower body workout will set your legs and glutes on fire

In this week's Trainer of the Month Club workout, Solidcore trainer Triana Brown takes us through a killer Pilates lower body workout you can do at home.

This at-home Pilates lower body workout will set your legs and glutes on fire

In this week's Trainer of the Month Club workout, Solidcore trainer Triana Brown takes us through a killer Pilates lower body workout you can do at home.

Published Apr 10, 2020

Written by

Rachel Lapidos

Published Apr 10, 2020

Written by

Rachel Lapidos

People tend to associate Pilates workouts with a stronger core. While that’s 100-percent the core of the fitness modality, certain Pilates exercises can also strengthen your lower body, too (Pilates is full of surprising benefits, y’all).

To stand as proof, SolidCore trainer Triana Brown, our Trainer of the Month, is walking us through a Pilates lower body workout that fires up your quads, glutes, inner and outer thighs, and hamstrings, right along with your core muscles. To up the ante and add resistance to the already challenging leg and butt workout, Brown recommends that you grab some sliders (a towel works, too) as a quick way to get your muscles quaking. Sliders take your workout to the next level by introducing instability. You’re forced to control your muscles as you work so you don’t flop to the ground.

Hot tip: It’s going to feel intense, but take a deep breath and keep going. “Push through that burning sensation,” says Brown. “It’s a mental game, and you’ve got to talk yourself through it.” Fifteen minutes later, you’ll be stronger for it. Keep scrolling for the full workout.

Try this Pilates lower body workout for yourself

Do each exercise for two minutes each.

1. Plank to pike

First things first, you have to warm up before getting to the lower body, and planks help fire up your core, glutes, back muscles, and quads while lengthening your hamstrings.

How to do it: Grab your sliders and place them directly underneath your feet in a plank position, hands right underneath your shoulders. Contract your abdominals and lift your hips up towards the ceiling, then slowly lower down so that your hips are in line with your shoulders. Squeeze your abs the entire time and make sure there’s no tension in the lower back. For more of a challenge, pause in the plank position and come down to your elbows for a plank up-down. Or you can add a push-up. Modify by coming down to your knees on the sliders, and lift your hips two to three inches up and down.

2. Sumo squat

While these squats work all of your lower body muscles, you’ll feel your inner thighs doing a lot of the work.

How to do it: Start with your feet hip-width distance apart, heels in, toes pointed out. From here, shoot your butt straight down to the ground so that your knees are in line with your toes, keeping your weight on the outer rims of your feet. If your knees are shooting out way over your toes, you’ll need to go a bit wider. Come down low into the squat as your abs stay raised and your shoulders in line with your hips. Slowly drive into your heels, squeezing your outer glutes and inner thighs, then slowly resist back down. Try going down for four counts, then four counts back up. To add more of a challenge, you can hold onto weights, or at the top, you can pause and lift your heels up for a triple extension before lowering down. Stay tall.

3. One-legged squat—right

Like regular squats, this move targets your glutes. But, because your weight is in your right leg your right butt cheek will be doing most of the work.

How to do it: Grab onto your slider and plant your right foot firmly, and then lift the toes. Your opposite foot goes down. Shoot your butt down and back behind you, sit down into a squat, and keep your chest lifted and light weight on your supportive toe. Drive through your heel and squeeze your glutes as you extend your leg out just 90 percent of the way. You should hinge in the waist and try to keep your knees behind your toes. If you want more, you can hold it halfway down, or if you need a modification, hold onto a table for light support.

4. Crossover lunge—right

Since this move takes the lunge and crosses it behind you, your outer glute on your right leg will really feel the burn.

How to do it: From here, keeping your hips square, snake your back leg down and back toward your right hip. As you do this, shoot your butt down and back behind you to get your glute to a 90-degree angle, and drive through your heels, squeeze your glute, and come to a microbend at the top. You should feel a lot of tension in your right outer glute. For more, you can turn that toe out a little more, or hold halfway down and pulse.

5. One-legged squat—left

Switching sides, your left butt cheek is taking over with this move.

How to do it: Put your supportive leg onto the slider, active leg (your right) planted firmly. Shoot your butt down and back behind you, putting your glute in line with your knee. Then squeeze through your glute and drive through the heel to the microbend at the top. Hold onto something if you need a little support. Go slowly and keep your abs really tight.

6. Crossover lunge—left

Dig deep into your left outer glute with this move.

How to do it: Keep your active foot planted and your supportive leg stays on the slider. Shoot your butt down and back behind you, getting as low as you can to get a 90-degree angle. Drive through your heel, coming to the microbend at the top. Keep your hips hinged and come all the way down, nice and low. Focus on your posterior muscles: the outer glute, center glute, and hamstring, and keep your weight shifted back.

7. Sumo squat

Taking it back to where we started, this sumo squat be even more challenging on your legs and inner thighs this time around.

How to do it: Find your feet hip-width distance apart, heels in, toes pointed out. Drive your knees away from your hips, keeping them nice and in a line. You should have no added tension in your joints. Your chest stays lifted tall, and be sure to squeeze your outer glutes when you come to a microbend at the top. Move nice and slowly.

For more at-home Trainer of the Month Club workouts, bookmark this Pilates in-home workout also from Brown. And here’s a kettlebell arms workout to target your upper body.

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Fitness Workouts

Published Feb 21, 2025

6 Lateral Exercises You Need to be Doing ASAP for Longevity

Time to train smarter.

6 Lateral Exercises You Need to be Doing ASAP for Longevity

Time to train smarter.

Published Feb 21, 2025

Written by

Jaime Osnato

Stocksy / Photo Credit By Studio Firma

Published Feb 21, 2025

Written by

Jaime Osnato

Want to stay strong, steady, and mobile for life? It’s time to stop thinking only about forward and backward movements and start training side to side.

Lateral exercises boost your ability to move and stabilize in the frontal plane—a genuine game-changer for longevity. Developing this kind of strength helps prevent falls, improves balance, and keeps your joints healthy as you age (more on this later).

Whether you’re climbing stairs, getting in and out of a car, or just want to feel more confident in your body, adding lateral exercises to your routine can keep you moving with ease for years to come. Here’s your bulletproof guide.

How lateral exercises boost strength

Lateral strength is your ability to move side to side—think stepping sideways, lifting your arms, side-bending at the waist, or balancing on one leg, says certified strength coach Maggie Fazeli Fard.

These movements, known as frontal-plane motions, rely on small but crucial muscles like the gluteus medius (outer hip), adductors (inner thighs), and quadratus lumborum (a lower-back muscle that helps lift your hips).

Neglecting these muscles can lead to poor balance, lower-back pain, and even knee issues, says Fard.

Why does lateral strength matter for longevity?

Incorporating more lateral exercises into your routine isn’t just about moving better—it’s about aging better. Stronger lateral muscles improve balance, coordination, and lower-body stability, helping you stay active and independent as you age, says Fard.

Want to carry groceries, chase grandkids, or swing a golf club with ease? Here’s why lateral strength matters:

Balance: Falls are the leading cause of injury and death in seniors, with 1 in 4 older adults taking a spill every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Strong lateral muscles help keep you steady.

Coordination: As we age, our brain slows down, affecting movement and reaction time. Lateral exercises help keep coordination sharp and movement smooth.

Lower-body mobility: Weak lateral muscles lead to stiff joints and poor mobility. Since most workouts focus on forward-backward movement (like running and lunging), skipping lateral work can leave you prone to injuries, says Fard.

6 Best Lateral Exercises

Lateral strength is essential for balance, mobility, and injury prevention. But Fard says it’s best to think of these lateral exercises as accessory moves—not the core of your routine.

Sprinkle these moves into your workouts a few times a week (they’re great for warm-ups, pairing with bigger lifts, or conditioning workouts), and you’ll move stronger, smoother, and pain-free in no time.

1. Figure Eights

This low-impact move improves balance, coordination, and control—a perfect warm-up or daily brain-body booster, Fard says.

How to do it:

1.
Stand on your right foot, lifting your left knee to hip height.
2.
Extend your right arm forward.
3.
Gently move your left foot and right hand in small figure eight patterns (think: a sideways “8”) concurrently.
4.
Do 20 reps, then switch sides.

2. Side-Traveling Ape

This primal “animal flow” exercise engages “your lateral system from head to toe,” says Fard. Do it in warm-ups or pair it with heavy lower-body lifts.

How to do it:

1.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees bent.
2.
Keeping your back flat, lean forward to place your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart, with your left hand directly in front of your right foot.
3.
Press your hands into the floor and hop your feet to the right, landing softly with feet hip-width apart.
4.
Bring your hands to the starting position and repeat for six steps, then switch directions.
5.
Perform three sets.

3. Side Plank March

This move strengthens your hips, inner thighs, lower back, and shoulders while improving overall balance and full-body lateral stability, says Fard.

How to do it:

1.
Lie on your left side with your feet right foot directly in front of your left and your left elbow under your left shoulder, forearm along the floor.
2.
Press through your left forearm and lift your body so that you're balancing on your left forearm.
3.
Keeping your hips lifted, bend your right knee toward your chest, then return to start. Bend your left knee toward your chest; return to start.
4.
Continue “marching” for 8 total reps, then switch sides and repeat.

4. Banded Lateral Walks

This exercise strengthens the small stabilizing muscles around the hips (which are key for lateral strength), says Fard. Control is key here—no bouncing.

How to do it:

1.
Place a resistance band around your ankles.
2.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and clasp your hands in front of your chest.
3.
Bend your knees slightly, and step to the left.
4.
Bring your right foot back to hip-width slowly, resisting the band's pull.
5.
Repeat on the right side (returning to start); continue alternating for 10 reps per side.

5. Lateral Lunge

Stronger hips, knees, back? This move can help you achieve all three, targeting the outer hips and inner thighs for improved hip stability and lower-body control, says Fard. (Make it harder by holding a pair of dumbbells.)

How to do it:

1.
Stand with your feet at hip-width distance, toes facing forward. Clasp your hands in front of your chest.
2.
Shift your weight to the right and step to your right with your right foot.
3.
With a flat back, bend your right knee and shift your hips back, keeping your left leg straight.
4.
Keep your toes pointed forward on both feet.
5.
Press into your right heel to return to standing.
6.
Complete 8–10 reps, then switch sides and repeat. Do 2–3 total sets.

6. Lateral Step-up

This lateral step-up variation strengthens the outer hips, inner thighs, and lower back, making it a great prehab move for injury prevention, says Fard.

How to do it:

1.
You’ll need a bench or box to complete this exercise.
2.
Stand next to your bench and place your left foot on the bench, so that your left knee is bent round 90 degrees.
3.
Keeping your torso upright, press your weight into your left foot and push through your quads and glutes to straighten your left leg and stand on top of the bench.
4.
Reverse the move, lowering your right foot to the floor with control. Step your left foot down to the floor next to your right.
5.
Complete 8–10 reps, then switch sides and repeat. Do 2–3 total sets.

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Fitness Workouts

Published Jan 29, 2025

Doing This Type of Breathing as Part of Your Pilates Practice Can Help Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor

Here's how hypopressive breathing, a deep breathing exercise, can help you with your Pilates practice and other forms of movement.

Doing This Type of Breathing as Part of Your Pilates Practice Can Help Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor

Here's how hypopressive breathing, a deep breathing exercise, can help you with your Pilates practice and other forms of movement.

Published Jan 29, 2025

Written by

Kelsey Kloss

Photo: Stocksy/Atolas

Published Jan 29, 2025

Written by

Kelsey Kloss

If you’re obsessed with all things Pilates, you already know about the best athleisure, accessories, and self-care moments to incorporate into your practice. However, you may be less familiar with a type of breathwork that can improve your practice — and help you feel more grounded.

Experts in This Article

Anouska Shenn

certified Pilates instructor and founder of The Office Yoga Company

Blair Mauri

a pelvic floor therapist and owner of Blair Mauri Pelvic Health

Enter hypopressive breathing, a deep breathing exercise that involves emptying your lungs completely. It’s similar to the uddiyana bandha in yoga (or an “abdominal lock”).

“It involves breathing in a way that creates a vacuum-like effect in your thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic cavities by decreasing the pressure, causing a lift and toning of the pelvic floor,” says Anouska Shenn, a certified Pilates instructor and founder of The Office Yoga Company.

But before we get into how to do it, let us clear up one thing: Don’t try any breath-holding exercises during your practice, since Pilates focuses on breathing through movements.

That said, practicing hypopressive breathing before, after, or separate from your Pilates workouts can help support your practice in a number of ways.

What is hypopressive breathing?

Hypopressive breathing is a technique that involves completely emptying your lungs and holding that breath to create a vacuum. It serves as a core exercise that can benefit your pelvic floor health.

Think of it this way: Your abdomen is a closed pressure system. That means that when the pressure changes—like with a cough, deep breath, or force like a lift—your abdominal structures need to be able to manage that pressure properly. That’s where pelvic floor exercises, like hypopressive breathing, come in.

“When we’re not managing that pressure properly, gravity takes it and sends it down into the pelvic floor,” says Blair Mauri, MS, OTR/L, a pelvic floor therapist and owner of Blair Mauri Pelvic Health. “Repeated downward pressure not only weakens the pelvic floor, but can also cause it to become extremely tense.”

That tension may lead to symptoms such as incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, painful sex, low back pain, or chronic constipation. “Hypopressive breathing is an excellent way to optimize pelvic floor function, as it provides a natural lift to these tissues without increasing the tension,” says Mauri.

Improving your pelvic floor function can relieve pelvic pain or low back pain, improve your oxygen and energy levels, promote digestion, and support your movement throughout your Pilates practice.

In fact, an eight-week program of hypopressive exercises improved pelvic floor muscle strength and urinary incontinence symptoms in women ages 18 to 60 with pelvic floor dysfunction and urinary incontinence symptoms, per a 2022 study¹ in Neurourology and Urodynamics.

Plus, hypopressive breathing can work your lungs in a way that benefits your Pilates practice. “Optimizing your rib mobility is also important for diaphragm function and getting the most out of your breaths,” adds Mauri.

How do you do it?

First, take a few deep breaths and see where you notice that pressure (in this case, your breath):

Is it focused in your chest or belly?
Are your ribs moving apart as you breathe in?

You should feel some mobility in all of these areas, not just one. “Rib mobility is especially important for proper hypopressive technique, so you may need to start here,” says Mauri. “Take some time to retrain your breathing so that everything expands on the inhale and comes back together on the exhale.”

Once you’ve honed in on that, you can move on to your hypopressive breathing exercises, following Mauri’s instructions:

1.
Gently exhale as if you are fogging a window. Don’t send any pressure or force down into your lower belly or pelvic floor.
2.
After you exhale, hold your nose and close your mouth and “pretend” to inhale without actually taking in any air. Think about widening those ribs, which will make your stomach begin to look concave.
3.
Hold this for 3-5 seconds and then inhale.

How does it benefit your Pilates practice?

This breathing technique shines as an add-on to your Pilates practice. You don’t want to hold your breath during Pilates moves (after all, Pilates is all about coordinating movement with breath), but hypopressive breathing exercises can serve as bumpers for an effective workout.

“Hypopressive breathing is designed to stand alone, but you can use it as part of your warm-up or to close your Pilates practice,” Shenn says.

Pelvic floor strengthening is already often a key element of Pilates. In fact, a 12-week Pilates program focused on pelvic floor strengthening significantly improved stress urinary incontinence symptoms in women ages 45 to 70, with the results lasting even six months after the program, per a small 2020 study² in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

“Hypopressive breathing complements a Pilates routine, as it also retrains and strengthens the deep core along with your pelvic floor,” says Mauri.

A strong and coordinated deep core and pelvic floor gives you more stability as you move your body throughout your Pilates practice—and throughout the rest of your day.

“Our pelvic floor muscles work together with our deep core muscles to stabilize the spine—supporting our posture and providing a solid foundation for all of our movements,” says Shenn.

Tips to get started

As you integrate hypopressive breathing into your Pilates routine, Shenn recommends keeping these tips in mind:

Start with 1-3 sets of 3 repetitions, resting between sets.
If you’re a beginner, practice your breathing lying down or seated, before progressing to more challenging positions like side-lying or quadruped (a four-point kneeling position).
Do your hypopressive breathwork on an empty stomach (it’s recommended to not eat at least two hours beforehand, since this type of breathing involves suctioning the abdomen inward and upward).
Avoid wearing clothes that are too tight—including collars, waistbands, and belts—as they can impede your breath.

Very little research has been done on the effect of breathwork on babies in the womb, so avoid hypopressive breathing if you’re pregnant.

One more thing to note: Certain preexisting health conditions like high blood pressure can also be contraindications for breathwork, so always check with your doctor first and consider working with a trained provider to make sure your form is correct.

Molina-Torres G, Moreno-Muñoz M, Rebullido TR, Castellote-Caballero Y, Bergamin M, Gobbo S, Hita-Contreras F, Cruz-Diaz D. The effects of an 8-week hypopressive exercise training program on urinary incontinence and pelvic floor muscle activation: A randomized controlled trial. Neurourol Urodyn. 2023 Feb;42(2):500-509. doi: 10.1002/nau.25110. Epub 2022 Dec 8. PMID: 36482844; PMCID: PMC10107869.
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Hein JT, Rieck TM, Dunfee HA, Johnson DP, Ferguson JA, Rhodes DJ. Effect of a 12-Week Pilates Pelvic Floor-Strengthening Program on Short-Term Measures of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women: A Pilot Study. J Altern Complement Med. 2020 Feb;26(2):158-161. doi: 10.1089/acm.2019.0330. Epub 2020 Jan 9. PMID: 31916840; PMCID: PMC7044776.
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