09: Pilates Cardio & Core Workout | Strengthen Abs and Sweat with Heart Pumping Cardio!

Hey, everybody, I'm Amy from Bodyfit by Amy. And this is your Pilates, cardio and core workout. This is an all body weight active recovery workout where I'm going to give you options so you can make this workout whatever you want it to be. We'll get some mobility and flexibility. You can take it up if you want a little more intense cardio. And then of course, we'll be strengthening and sculpting the core. As always, I will give you different options to work to your fitness level. So listen to your body. Are you ready? Let's do it. Let's start just by getting in touch with our posture and our body. So let's stack our ears right over those shoulders. Shoulders can be up, back and down, so we're not flaring the ribs out, we're not hunching forward. Somewhere in the middle. Wrapping that core in that rib cage is going to be right over the hips. So again, be aware of your pelvis forward or back, and then hip bones over the knees, over the ankles. So take a minute to just to breathe into that. One hand on the heart, one hand on the belly, and make sure your breathing is that deep core breathing. As we start, as we regulate our body, try to let go of anything that you might be feeling, anything that you might be stressing about or worrying about or things you have to do. Let's just be here and be present today. So we just want to be aware with our breathing that we're engaging that core. You don't have to be thinking about it the entire time, but making sure we're not breathing up and down or that we're pushing everything out, that when we inhale, we expand all the way around, we exhale, we pull everything in. So active core breathing. And now that we've got that, let's go ahead and start with just a gentle march. You can roll those shoulders. So we don't really need much of a warmup because we're going to get a lot of mobility and flexibility in this workout. Here's how it's going to work. We're going to start with our lowest impact version of things. And then I'm going to give you an option to up the cardio a bit. So if you need to keep it just mobility or low impact, go for it. If you want to up your intensity. If you're feeling that energy today, I'll give you that option. And then of course, we'll be working in our mobility and flexibility either way. And then when we get a little More core. I will give you those options. Again, you can take things more in that mobility, flexibility, or we can get a little more intensity with our core. So you'll have options for your cardio and core to. To take it to where you need for where you are today. That is something that you're going to hear me say a lot. Be where you are today, and that's both where you are in your fitness journey and where you are today. Maybe you're feeling sore, you're feeling tired, you just need to get moving. You stay with these lower impact. Maybe you've got the energy. You're really feeling like getting the heart rate up, working the core. Go for it. You're gonna get both no matter what. But I'm going to give you those options. Let's take it. Let's reach it down, take it up, reach it down. So we're opening up those hips right through here. And you can keep it just right here. Low impact. You don't have to get super low into that side lunge, or you can add a little shuffle. It's up to you. So everything is going to be Pilates and bar based, but some of it will feel more like your functional strength or your traditional cardio, and some of it will feel more like your Pilates or bar or yoga. Let's keep it going right through here and breathe. Maybe four more. Also, we're working in a flow format today, so you don't have to worry about the timer or intervals. Right through here. Let's roll those hips so as you let that heart rate come down, maybe you're feeling it. I know I am taking it up there. We're gonna get some little gentle hip rolls right through here. Let's add a little squat. So hip roll, big squat right here. You don't have to get super low. You can just drive the hips to the back. Arms go up, right? Roll it through here and sit low. Keep it going and lift. Roll it through and lift. And up right through here. All right, let's just go with those squats right here. Drive the knee up. Drive the knee up right through here. Yes. Just your knees. So I want you to start slow. Open up the hips. Move the arms out. You can keep it just right here. Or if you want, you can pick up your pace. Maybe you're feeling those arms from your workout yesterday. I know I am. I'm feeling that soreness. But remember when we have that muscle soreness or that muscle tightness, whatever it is for you, that when we get moving, it Helps, right? We get the blood flow, we get oxygen to our muscles, and everything's going to feel a little bit better. So I'm always surprised. I come into a workout feeling super stiff, and I actually feel better once I start moving. Even though my arms are reminding me that we worked hard yesterday, I'm feeling better as we go. Right here. Step, touch. Right through here again. Start nice and slow. And if this is what you need, we're going to take those arms out in front and pull back right here. So open wide. Whatever feels more natural to you. If it's more of that Pilates bar, right? Or if it's just more of that cardio. Just like this and here, right here. And if you want, if you're feeling it, you can add a little speed, a one. Tensity up to you. We've got four, three, two, and one right here. Little taps. Catch your breath. Especially if it's getting a little higher, like mine. Up. Let's take it here. Let's reach over. Reach over. If you want to hang out in that stretch a little longer, you can. Big reach. If you want to take it. We're getting the mobility either way. But if you want to take it with more of that intensity, you can. Right here. Big stretch. Three, two. Can we put the two together? So we're gonna step and step right here. Big step and step. Right here and out. Don't worry about it. What it looks like. We just want arms and legs moving right? And here and here. Yes. Can we make it a little shuffle? Step, shuffle, Reach across. Nice big stretch. Shuffle and reach. Maybe that's just your double step, reach across, Double step, reach across. Maybe it's a little bit here or you pick up your pace. You do you. It's your workout. What do you need in this moment? Do you have the energy and you want to pick it up right here, or do you need more? Just that stretch and that movement? Yes. Breathe, breathe. Right through here. We've got four, three, two, one. Right through here. Let's just bring those heels up. So standing nice and tall, thinking about those core muscles, right? Lifting from here. Don't worry about what it looks like. You don't have to be graceful. We just want the hip opener, right? So we want our hips open. We want that good mobility and flexibility. Right through here. Breathing into it. Standing nice and tall. Can you take it here? Big reach, big reach. It looks kind of silly, but again, we're getting shoulder mobility, we're getting hip mobility. Inner thighs, core all together right now. You can keep it just right here. Maybe you just want to focus on the mobility. Maybe you want to keep it bit a little, a little lower. If you want to add a little cardio right here up to you. What do you need? And you don't actually have to touch, right? The idea is to open the hips and move through the shoulders so you don't have to get it super high unless you want to breathe. Yes. 4, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Good. Now let's take it opposite hamstring curls. So you know this, right? You can flex your feet or point, doesn't matter. Core engaged. Squeezing in the hamstrings, opening up in the hips and the hip flexors. Pull those arms down if you want. And again, take it nice and slow if you want a little less of the cardio, if you want a little more, you can pick up your pace if you want some of that cross body movement, which is actually really good for our bodies and our core. We get a little side to side. You can reach towards that back arm or you just keep it here. Up to you, team. Here we go. Reach, reach. Boom. 4 and 3 and 2 and 1. Catch your breath. Little taps in front right here. Pull it through. Yes, team, how we doing? I know kind of feeling. Maybe it feels more like bar to you. Maybe it feels more like cardio. Either way, moving our bodies, getting that physical release. Let's tap. Cross behind, step, cross behind. And again. You can make it more like an actual curtsy, right? You can make it more like a curtsy lunge or you can make it more like a skater. Maybe that's where you want to be. Adding a little wider step or hop, you pick. Start slow and low. Take it up if you want. Right through here. Yes. Keep track of my timer because my timer up front cut off, but that's okay. We're gonna get it done. And breathe. We're starting up top, by the way, and then we're working our way down to the mat. So once we go down, we're down there for good. We'll still keep the heart rate up. We'll get a bit little more of that core focus. Three, two, one. Step it out. All right, team, so catch your breath. We're going to stay standing, grab a quick sip of water, cuz I know we're working hard either way. Even if you keep, you're keeping it low impact. Now we're going to take it. We're going to do some little knee raises to really isolate the standing core. So let's start kneeling. Knee raises. To the front. We're going to start all on one side, so this leg is going to take some of the work. My left, your right. We're going to pull in. And up. Now again, you can think of it more like bar. You can think of it more like your traditional. But I want you to think about wrapping that core in. Mobility through the arms, the hips, the legs. And let's get it done right here. You can take it nice and slow to start. So little standing crunch, but the core is creating the movement. Right, we're in. Breathe. And again, shoulder mobility. So move those arms either way if you want. Pick up your pace. Yes, you can. Doesn't matter. We're still getting that crunch, but we're getting a little more movement. And breathe. Yes. And if you want, you can even out a little more. More. You can add a little jump to it, or you can add a little more intensity. It's up to you. But again, if that's not what you're feeling today, you just keep the core working for 4, 3, 2, and Breathe. Tap it out right here. Little leg burn, too, right. We love it. We're going to take it to that other side. So again, we'll start slow. If you want to stay slow. Low and low impact the whole time. You can think about the core engagement. Movement through the arms, the shoulders, the legs, the hips for mobility. And of course, lots of core. Here we go. Start slow. Bring it up again. More bar here or more traditional here. Up to you. Breathe. And in. Up. You can keep it just right here or pick up your pace, but keep that core. Little standing crunch. It doesn't have to be exaggerated, but I just want you to think about the connection, right? What's happening in the center of your body. Breathe. Yes. Can we pick it up right here? Up to you. Maybe you're still right here. That's okay. Okay, too for 4, 3, 2, and 1. Tap it out right here. Just up. Right through there. Or just tap here. Roll those shoulders. Taking it down to the mat in just a few minutes. All right, team, let's take it to the side. So I'm right here. I'm coming to the side again. You can think of it as more Pilates bar. You can grab the wall if you need a little extra balance. We're going to start slow, and then we'll pick up our pace. Zip up the core. Slight bend in the knees. Here we go. To the side. And up. You don't have to actually touch, but I want you to think about those obliques right Coming in and out. Up. Breathe. Yes, you can. Good. You can keep it just right here, or you can pick up that pace, right, Pulling it in again. If you need that balance, use it. I'd rather you have good form than feel like you're about to fall over. Breathe. And if you want a little more cardio, both hands, you can even add a little jump, but again, that's optional. Maybe you're here. Feel that core, right? 4, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Breathe. Yes, you can. Let's get the same thing. Other side. Then we're getting water, and we're taking it down to the mat. So get ready, team. Here we go. Bring it up and in balance. If you need to, you can grab the wall, a sturdy chair, the couch. You don't have to touch, but aim to get that oblique contracting while we zip up the core, and we get that good mobility in our shoulders and our hips. Pick up the pace if that's good for you, or keep it slow. Arms are out to keep the chest open. Again, arms moving, breath. You know, I love this move. I use it a lot because we get a lot of things working. If you want two hands, little jump, we obviously get cardio. Either way. We get obliques, we get core, we get arms, we get legs. 4, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. So I want you to roll those shoulders to the front and to the back. We're gonna grab a sip of water, and I want you to meet me down on the mat. We're going to start on our back again. I'm going to give you options starting low and slow, and then if you want to take it up and add some intensity, you can. Sometimes that'll be for core. Sometimes that'll be a little bit more cardio. So you do what's best for you. Grab that water. Here we go, team. All right, Join me down on the mat. Take your time getting there. Whoo. We're gonna start just with a little stretch right through here, through our back, our shoulders. You can take it through that. And then here's what I want, team. We're going to start out in front. We're going to start at the top of that Pilates. Roll up. So flex that feet. Get the that stretch. If you want just the stretch, here's what we got. Inhale, exhale, fold over. Now, for a lot of us, it might be here. That's actually where I want to go, But I'm going to use my breath to try to get a little deeper, few deep breaths into that Stretch, Flex your feet and then I'm going to come up. Straighten in the spine one more time. You can take those arms up if you want. Inhale, exhale, fold. Hanging here, opening up the chest and then sinking a little deeper. Find what's comfortable for you, but use your breath. Every exhale, get a little deeper so you can stay just right there. If you want to add the roll up to it. Watch me here. We're going to take it back down. Many of you know this roll up from Pilates. So we're here. Arms up. Inhale, exhale, lift, Fold it over. Get that stretch at the top. Hold for a couple counts. Back up, open up the chest, straighten in the spine. Slowly down. So you have that option. You can also just take it halfway if you only want to go halfway back. I know it gets a little tricky right there in the center. So I want you to use that deep core. We want flexibility, but we also want core. It's just going here is good for you. That's okay. Use your core and fold it over. And if you need a little assistance taking those hands right here as you go down, big inhale, deep core as you go up, you can give yourself a little assistance and then have your core kick in. Let's get two more at your own pace. Whether you're just getting the stretch going back halfway or going back all the way. Bring it up, fold it over and then slowly let's come all the way back down onto your back. Let's slide forward just a bit. All right, team, I want you to hug one knee in at a time. So you can either grab right on top of the leg or underneath. Just bring towards your chest and then big open and let's go. Same thing, other side. So either underneath or right on top. Just make sure you're not on the joint. Just a little tug in. Whatever is comfortable for you. If only. This is only coming to here is good. You can do that. You can stay right here just with that stretch, cuz we all need it. Or you can lift those legs, lift those shoulders into that double leg stretch, right, so we get a little extra core. But if you want just the stretcher that's bit a little not right for you, where you want to just keep the shoulders down or keep the legs down or anything in between. We're getting that stretch. Single leg stretch from Pilates, Deep core. Wrap everything in, pull in, tug for two. Sometimes you see underneath, sometimes we grab an ankle and the knee or even here and breathe. And if you really want a Little extra core. We can add that. Crisscross. Think of your bicycle. Right, right through here. But if you're just stretching, that's okay, too. Breathe into it. Keep it going. One more each side, side. Wherever you are, hug those knees in together. Yes, right through here. I want you to put your feet down. We're going to come into that bridge. So inhale, exhale, Little tuck of the pelvis. Then slowly roll it up. Yes, we're getting glutes and hamstrings, but we're getting that core, that low back as well. Slowly low it down. Inhale, exhale, Lift slowly down so you can keep just that. Or when you get to the top, if you want to add a little core, bring one knee in and then the other and then slowly down. It's up to you. Just your bridge or one knee and the other trying to keep those hips square. So you can even have your hands here. Sometimes that helps. Let's get one more. Bring it up. Knee core control. And slowly down, bringing both knees into your chest. If you can grab underneath or right on top or whatever feels good for you. Gently roll side to side. And we're gonna do a big arm sweep. So big. Snow angel, bring both knees in one at a time. If you want. Big arm sweep, Snow angel feet down one at a time. So that's more of your stretch and your mobility. If you want to make it that double leg stretch, you're going to lift your shoulders right through here. Extend everything out. Deep core hollow hold. Wrap it around, Take it out. Making sure when you're here that you're not pushing up, that you're pulling in. So if you feel that back arching, keep it a little higher. Wrap it around. Double leg stretch. Wrap it around. Yes, you can breathe. Take it out again. If you're just doing that mobility and stretch, just take your legs down slowly. Big arm sweep in. Last one. And hug it in. Roll gently side to side. One more thing from our back, back team, we're gonna get that little hamstring stretch. And then of course, going into that scissors. So I want you to extend the leg as best you can. Pointing that toe again. Many of us are not going to be able to get in very far. That's me. Most of us have tight hamstrings. Trying again, not to grab on the joint, but either above or below. And start with just that stretch. So maybe it's just here you can flex and point your foot. Feel a little more of a stretch and then switch. Starting with just the stretch, extend that leg up, flex, point. A few deep breaths. Bringing it a little closer. Maybe you want to lift your shoulders a bit to bring it up even more. Flex and point. And then, of course, you know where this is going. You can keep just the stretch. Stretch, or if you want, let's take it scissors. We're gonna go in for two. So you're still getting that stretch pointer flex. Doesn't matter. A lot of the traditional Pilates you'll see pointed, maybe even turned out. And that dancer turnout. But it's okay if you're here too, especially if you feel more of a stretch. You can keep those shoulders lifted. You can even make it that scissors cross scissor bicycle. Sometimes we call it 4, 8. Your pace, your workout. Deep core creating the motion. 4, 3, 2, 1. Hug those knees in. Roll side to side. Yes. Team. Team. Where? You're getting there. Almost done. Roll to your side. Right through here, we're gonna take it to a little hip lift. I want everybody to stay on their knees. And then if you want, you can add that little clamshell at the top. Not opening up through our torso, but just through our hip. Otherwise, we're just going to reach up and over if that's good for you. If you want to keep the hip down and just get the stretch, go for that as well. Here we go. We're gonna lift and lift slowly down. So many options. You can just stretch or you can just do the hip lift without the clamshell. Either way, we've got a lot of core, a lot of oblique, and then that hip. Remember, our hips and glutes are really important to that pelvic floor. We've got four. And breathe. We've got three, two. Last one. And relax it down. I want you to bring it up. Get that stretch through here. Fold it over before we go to that other side. Let's set up in that 90, 90. Little hip mobility. Why not, since we're here? So remember, you can turn in your body here. You can take it here if you want. You can either use your hands and take it one at a time or a little more core if you've got that stability. Take it here. Feels really good for our hips. I know. Back to here. One more each way. And right here, let's swing those legs in. We're coming down to the other side. So again, if you just want to do the stretch over, you can. If you want to do the stretch over, hip lift. If you want to add the clamshell at the top or the bottom, let's do It. Here we go. Lift it up and up slowly down. So lots of core. May even feel your heart. Rate it up a little and down. Right through here. Boom. Really thinking about staying stable right here. Reach. Yes. Big stretch. We're in the home stretch. And up and relax. Bring it up. Stretch it over here. We're going to come into our all fours position to finish this out. I want you to come all fours and then sit back into that child's pose. Feel that stretch side to side. Lean into that. Let your head and neck relax. And then let's come up onto all fours and let's take it to that bird dog. So we're going to take opposite arm, opposite leg. Really lengthen from the fingertips to the toes. And then other side. If you shift your hips forward, I promise you're going to feel that core a little bit more. Right, then back to here and back down here and down right here. So you can keep just that. Or we're gonna lift in that bird dog. And then when we come, come center. We're gonna do that little bear hover. 3, 2, 1. Lift the knees. You're gonna reach. Lengthen, hover. 3, 2, 1. Use that core to lift, so you're gonna reach. Get the stretch. Hover. 3, 2, 1. Reach. Last one, hover. If you want to hold it a little longer, you can. And you can walk back with me and then walk in with me. You can drop down in between if you want. If you're not holding, I just want you to tap back and tap back if you can. Lift up, hover, walk back. Left, right, in. Left, right. Stay hovered. Right, left, right, left. Stretch it down. Let's take one arm under. Yes, team. All right, we got one more thing. I know. I love pilates on the mat, especially core focus. So I could do this forever, but let's finish it out right here so we can close with a few little stretches. All right, team, so we're here. We're gonna take those knees in and across. So if you want, you can take it to just a child's pose to all fours. Get that little stretch. Otherwise we're gonna take it child's pose. Power forward. 3, 2, 1. So you pick child's pose. All fours, or you're gonna take it. 3, 2, 1. Join me. Child's pose. Power into that high plank. 3, 2, 1. Take it back so you still get that stretch. Notice I'm trying to get more of the flexibility and mobility in here for you. Take it back. Let's take those knees across. Cross. Three, Two, one, and then take it back. Cross. Three, two, one. One more each side. Take it back. Three, two, one, and take it back. All right, team, if you want to hang it here. 3, 2, 1. If you want to finish strong with that mountain climber to get a little extra cardio boost, we just got about 10 seconds. It's up to you. 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. Stay lifted. 3, 2, 1. Stretch it back. Child pose. Let your head and neck relax into that. Nice work, team. I hope you felt the cardio. Whether that was just gentle cardio mobility or you got a little more intensity, I hope you felt the core. Whether that was stabilizing or a little more work. Let's come up on all fours. Roll through that cat to cow. I hope you got whatever you needed today. If your wrists are bothering you like mine, you can come in these fists or you can just keep it low. I want you to come to a seated position. Certainly if you need more of a stretch, I want you to hang out here. Maybe even just want to lie on your mat. Take one arm under and come to those knee drops. Little stretch here and let's take it other side. I love hearing from you, so leave me a comment. Let me know how you're feeling. Do you like Pilates? Was this a challenge for you? I try to mix up our workout calendar so you can try new things, but know that I have a whole library of other videos. Maybe you get to this active recovery day and this is not your thing. You can just pick some mobility or some yoga or whatever it is, whatever you're feeling today. You can follow our monthly calendar or pick and choose. You have literally thousands of videos to choose from. One more time. Big stretch. So leave me a comment. Leave me a like, of course. Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and join us in the Body Fit by Amy app. We'd love to have you join us in the Body Fit athletic club. That is where you get all of the extras. With me with Vivian or body fit dietitian. Q and A's, live streams, exclusive private workouts and more. Roll the neck very gently just side down to the front and other side. Thank you so much for being here today. Thank your body for being here today. And again, hang out on the mat if you need more stretching and I'll see you for our next workout. Let's get one big deep breath in and out. You did it. That was your pilates, cardio and core workout. Great job, everybody.