Pilates is a low-impact way to work out, focusing on building core strength. This is important, because your heart connects your upper and lower body, helps your balance, and helps improve your posture. 

By rolling out a yoga mat and perfecting the art of this mind-body exercise, Pilates can improve your flexibility, increase muscle strength, and create a super-strong core, and also has a fairly impressive power to boost your posture and carve out longer, leaner muscles.

One of the big fans of this holistic exercise 1 is Liz Patient, a certified pilates teacher and founder of Pilates for Runners, who uses this form of fitness to help with running performance. But regardless of whether you are a runner or not, patients one of the best things about pilates is that it is very versatile

"So you really want to target your specific needs, age, and goals, which means there is something for everyone of all abilities." You can adjust each workout towards the muscle group," she adds. 

To prove that respect, patients devised a 7-move Pilates flow to increase your heart strength and help work your lower body muscles. 

There are many different iterations of pilates. From wall pilates to Reformer pilates. For this workout, however, patients need a device you can add to your strength training or as a dedicated 25-minute heart-focused routine

This Pilates workout features single leg exercises that help consolidate your balance, promote strength and correct muscle imbalances. With 7 movements in total, the aim is to complete 12-15 sets of 3 repetitions with each leg. 

Do you already know how to perform lunges properly? Well, according to patients, this movement makes things notched up thanks to the addition of knee lifts. "This will improve the strength of the single leg, hip and core, and improve balance and stability," she explains. 

Patients have stated that this movement promotes much-needed calf strength, which is essential for ankle-straining movements such as running or walking long distances. 

Of course, the best stability ball practice can improve your balance and maneuverability. The same goes for this rotational transfer, which says the patient also increases heart strength and balance. 

Patients are advised to hold the kettlebell in both hands for this exercise and keep the core acting on the balance, but if there is no kettlebell nearby, they can also move without the kettlebell. 

"Single leg work is great for hip, leg and heart strength and rotation challenges your balance and stability even more," the patient says.

In pilates, Buddy helps you practice the art of core control while working your quadriceps, gluteal muscles, and hips. If you don't have it yet, deploy a well-cushioned yoga mat for this lower body exercise to protect your joints. 

The bridge is an important staple of the pilates routine. "It builds strength in the core, hamstring, hip, and gluteal muscles," the patient says. 

Another exercise that challenges the stability of your single leg is single leg around the world. This will tell you to rotate one leg forward, back, and outward on the side of the body, while keeping the standing leg as stationary as possible. "This exercise works on all these skills while building core, hip, leg and ankle strength," explains Patient.