Entry-friendly and effective: Why wall pilates should be your new fitness ritual

1. What is wall pilates and how does it differ from traditional Pilates?

Wall pilates is an innovative form of traditional Pilates training, in which a wall serves as support, orientation and resistance. This training is particularly advantageous for those who want to improve their posture and strengthen their trunk stability. The wall serves as a support for balance and stability, as a resistance to muscle strengthening and as an alignment aid for correct posture. It gives direct feedback on whether the back is straight, the shoulders are aligned or the pool tilts.

Therefore, wall pilates are ideal for posture correction and body awareness. Other advantages of wall pilates are easier execution of complex exercises for beginners and security for balance exercises. And like the original Pilates training session, wall pilates are also a joint-friendly training. Because the support of the wall relieves the joints and the exercises can be carried out more controlled. This also makes it an ideal fitness workout for at home.

As in the classic Pilates, the focus is also on strengthening the deep abdominal, back and pelvic floor muscles. The wall helps to activate these muscles correctly. Compared to the traditional Pilates, wall pilates differs in several aspects: traditional Pilates uses matte, reformer devices and small devices such as ball or ring as a tool, while the wall is mainly used for wall pilates.

The orientation and attitude require good body awareness in the traditional Pilates, which can be more difficult for beginners – here the wall offers support with wall pilates. The resistance in the traditional Pilates usually comes through its own body weight or devices such as the reformer, while the wall offers firm resistance on wall pilates. Both methods are aimed at a wide range of participants, but wall pilates are particularly suitable for beginners and for home workout.

2. What special exercises are there for wall pilates?

Are you a beginner and want to try out wall pilates? No problem. The following exercises are also suitable for beginners. Pay attention to a quiet and controlled execution and do not overestimate yourself. The Pilates always applies: quality before quantity. Start with that Wall Roll Down. This exercise aims to mobilize the spine and strengthen the abdominal muscles.

And this is how it works:

• You stand on the wall with your back, the heels are about 15cm from the wall.
• You breathe in and with the exhalation you roll off the upper body vertebrae for vertebrae.
• Roll also checked again.
• Use the abdominal muscles to brake yourself up when rolling off and roll up your pool first when rolling up.

Another exercise is that Wall bridge. It aims at strengthening buttocks and backs and mobilizing the spine. With this exercise, you lie on the floor with your back and your feet against the wall.

• Roll up the spine when you exhale from the pool until you lie on your shoulder girdle.
• With the next exhalation you roll back into the back.
• Attention, do not roll too high, otherwise the cervical spine gets too much pressure.

The Wall squat with Pilates ball is another good exercise for beginners. It aims at strengthening thighs and buttocks.

• To do this, stand with your back to the wall, the feet are about 50cm away from the wall.
• When exhaling, go into the squat until the thighs are parallel to the floor.
• With the inhalation, come back into the stand.
• The ball is to support the leg axis between the knees.
• It becomes really exhausting if you hold the squat for up to two minutes.
• Finally, there is the arm gliding on the wall that aims to open your shoulders and improve the attitude.
• You lean your back to the wall and put your arms into a submarine against the wall.
• Now slide up the wall along the wall and then back down.

At the beginning it will be difficult to keep in touch with the wall. With regular practice, the shoulders can become more and more flexible. All of these exercises are easy to carry out and do not require any special equipment except a stable wall. But always make sure to breathe fluently and know your limits.

3. Which special wall pilates exercises are particularly effective for the belly?

With wall pilates there are plenty of exercises especially for the abdomen and the complete fuselage and core. One of them is probably the best known Pilates exercise “Hundreds”.

• Here you lie on your back, your feet protected against the wall and your legs around 90-degree angle.
• The arms lie next to the body, whereby the palms show the floor.
• The head and shoulders are raised slightly.
• Start small, fast arm movements up and down – inhale 5 times, exhale 5 times, repeated until 100.

Another effective exercise is that “Single Leg Stretch”.

• Here you lie on your back, the legs stretched out hip width on the wall.
• When exhaling, you pull a knee to the body, when inhaling the foot goes back to the wall.

It is important that the pelvis is stable and the stomach is kept active – there should be no movement in the lower back. To activate the sloping abdominal muscles, the single Leg Stretch varies by turning your shoulder girdle to the diagonal knee.

Finally, the “Standing Wall Plank/Leg Pull Front” mentioned.

• Here you stand about an arm length from the wall with your hands flat at shoulder height against the wall.
• The body is in a sloping line.
• Hold this position and alternately lift an arm or one leg slightly.

The weird the starting position, the more intensely the exercise

4. Are there certain precautions or tips that should be considered when you start with wall pilates?

Absolutely! If you are new to the world of wall pilates or Pilates in general, there are some precautions and tips that you should consider to ensure that training is safe, effective and pleasant. In general: start slowly with two to three units per week with simple exercises. Your body becomes stronger and more agile over time. Use the wall not only as support, but primarily as feedback for your attitude. Perceive how back or shoulders lie on the wall.

And if the contact surface is not yet optimal, then just adjust it gently. Avoid unnecessary pressing or pressing. An important aspect is breathing. It supports the movement and activates the deep muscles. Always breathe fluent, avoid pressing or air. Also pay attention to the pelvic position. Many beginners tend to tilt their pelvis unconsciously when they lie or stand. The goal is a neutral spine position: a natural lordosis in the lumbar spine without a hollow cross or completely flat -pressed interpretation.

It can be exhausting but of course every kind of pain is a no go and immediately ends the training. Consult a doctor and treat yourself to a experienced trainer for further training sessions who accompanies you at the beginning.

About the expert:

Staffanie Rahn

Stefanie Rahn is the president of the German Pilate Association and leads a large Pilates studio in Erkelenz. Stefanie writes for sports and health magazines as the author and has published several books. In her free time, Stefanie was ambitious runner and dog athlete has had several titles and successes.