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Pilates has earned a reputation as a beginner-friendly workout thanks to its low-impact, easily modifiable movements. While it may have less of an impact on your joints, it still packs a punch when it comes to strengthening and toning the core.
Pilates is also a popular workout choice because of how accessible it is. All you need is enough space to lie down and you can crank out a Pilates workout without additional equipment. Not to mention, Pilates movements are easily modifiable for any limitations or injuries you may have.
So, it’s no surprise that Pilates studios nationwide have found new ways to take this practice up a notch by adopting the Pilates reformer machine. The latest Pilates trend uses something we all have in our homes — a wall — to mimic the workout you get from a reformer machine and provide extra resistance. Not surprisingly, wall Pilates has had a moment on social media since its inception.
Wall Pilates enthusiasts claim that utilizing the wall gives similar results to a reformer Pilates class without ever leaving the comfort of your home.
What is wall Pilates?
Wall Pilates still focuses on the foundational movements you’d find in a traditional Pilates practice. Moves like bridge pose and Pilates 100s are still part of the workout, but in this practice, the wall acts as the Pilates reformer foot bridge.
How does it work? When you press your feet against the wall in different Pilates positions, more resistance is added to each move, which results in better strength building.
“In Pilates, the only resistance you have really is the force of gravity. Using a wall for static resistance, you can actually exert the force,” Heather A. Milton, exercise physiologist supervisor at the NYU Langone Health’s Sports Performance Center, tells TODAY.com.
“This is a type of resistance training known as isometric training,” Milton explains. “Essentially, you can choose to exert force at varying levels of your maximal effort.”
Wall Pilates benefits
“Wall Pilates is great for improving stability, balance, strength and control,” explains Callie Jardine, a Pilates instructor and founder of Sweaty Studio. “Unlike traditional Pilates, your feet are typically elevated throughout most of the workout so that you may experience increased circulation, improved digestion and sleep and reduced muscle cramps.”
No equipment? No problem. Wall Pilates offers a straightforward workout without the need for extra bells and whistles that’s still effective for better balance, strength and stability. “The wall adds resistance to workouts without the need for extra equipment,” says Jardine.
Given that wall Pilates is still a relatively new workout, Milton says there’s not much research regarding the claims that wall Pilates is effective (and most of what’s out there is pretty anecdotal). That being said, research on isometric training would be a close comparison, she says. Milton says this research shows that training in this way is an effective tactic to build strength without applying too much stress on the joints.
So, are there any benefits to adding wall Pilates into your workout repertoire? Milton says yes.
“There is a benefit in that you can strengthen your abdominal wall,” she says. “It is a low-moderate intensity exercise, so it will not provide the same benefits as moderate or vigorous exercise in terms of body composition improvements and cardiovascular health, however if you are not doing any exercise and decide to start wall Pilates, you will achieve a benefit of improved musculoskeletal health.”
If you’re concerned about whether you’re using proper form for Pilates, Milton says that using a wall actually helps with this. “Doing exercises that use the wall as feedback — for example, doing a side lying leg raise as you slide your heel up the wall — is a great way to ensure you are maintaining proper alignment,” she adds.
Typically, a Pilates instructor would keep an eye on your alignment when you’re taking an in-person Pilates class. “When you are at home, using the wall is a good alternative method,” Milton says.
Wall Pilates results
The traction that wall Pilates gained on social media motivated fitness creators to launch one-month challenges, and the before-and-after photos from those who committed to the entire duration are compelling. One of the most well-known challenges created by Rachel’s Fit Pilates has almost a million views on YouTube.
One of the most impressive success stories comes from fitness influencer Renée Mowatt. She came across wall Pilates on TikTok — where the hashtag has thousands of videos. After seeing measurable results, she created and shared her version of wall Pilates workouts for other people who want to try it out for themselves.
“To start off, I did wall Pilates around 4-5 times per week to really help improve my form and fitness,” she says. A month or so after sticking to 10-30-minute wall Pilates workouts, Mowatt saw that her coordination, flexibility and strength increased.
But can anyone achieve these same results? “When starting from nothing, yes, you can see improved strength or balance,” says Milton. “However, if you are an already active person and decide to change your workout to this, I predict you will not see much improvement in one month.”
Milton says that seeing notable results from a strength workout can take several months. For a low-intensity workout like wall Pilates, it could take a few more months.
“Strength gains take 4-6 weeks for the nervous system to improve the efficiency of activating muscle, and more like 12 weeks to actually see changes in the muscle size itself,” she says. “This is when you are stressing the muscles at least 60% of their max ability. With Pilates, many people may be at a lower percentage of their max effort when doing, for example, leg circles, thus not eliciting sufficient stress for the muscle to adapt to become stronger or more defined, unless doing very many repetitions.”
Wall Pilates: A beginner-friendly workout
Despite the potentially longer lead time for seeing results, wall Pilates is extremely accessible. A quick Google search of wall Pilates workouts yields plenty of free classes to keep you occupied, plus there’s no equipment needed. All you need is a wall and the internet; any beginner can try it.
“It is a great alternative to in-class Pilates if you want a more cost-effective workout that you are able to do at home while also having fun,” says Mowatt.
Understanding foundational Pilates movements will undoubtedly help your wall Pilates practice. But another key reason wall Pilates has become such a popular choice is that it’s a workout that beginners can easily learn.
For example, Mowatt only started practicing Pilates 10 months before discovering wall Pilates. “I started off with shorter 5-10 minute workouts until my form improved,” she says.
Jardine’s Wall Pilates workouts are intentionally geared toward beginners. They feature slower movements and lots of verbal instruction to keep Pilates newcomers aware of their form.
3 at-home wall Pilates exercises
Ready to try wall Pilates in your own home? Here, Jardine and Mowatt show a few key moves to help you kick-start your practice.
When starting wall Pilates (or any new workout, for that matter), pay attention to what your body is telling you. “Take breaks and modify exercises as needed, and don’t beat yourself up if it feels difficult at first,” says Jardine. That’s usually the case for everyone!”Leg raises
Start lying flat on your back facing the wall with both legs extended vertically and arms stretched alongside the body. Rest both heels against the wall, then lift each leg one at a time toward your body at around a 45-degree angle. Alternate for 20 repetitions.
Elevated hip bridge
Start by lying flat on your back facing the wall, with your feet about one foot away. Bring your feet hip-width apart and set them on the wall, so that your calves are parallel to the floor and your thighs are at a slight diagonal. Let your arms rest by your side on the mat. Then, tuck your hips under and press through your heels to slowly peel your back off the mat into a bridge position. Slowly lower back to the starting position. Repeat for 10-15 reps.
Wall sits with calf raises
Stand with your back flat against the wall. Slowly walk your feet away from the wall as you sit down into a squat, bending your knees to a 90-degree angle. Make sure your ankles are directly below your knees. Roll through the balls of your feet to lift the heels off the mat while staying in the wall sit. Lower the heels back down. Repeat for 15 reps.
Danielle Page
