Tips for Fun Outdoor Pilates
So the weather is getting nice and you want to take your Pilates practice with you outside. Here are some tips and strategies you need to consider to do that and make it fun and easy for you to do Pilates whereever you go.
Hi, I’m Lesley Logan, co-founder of OnlinePilatesClasses.com™. I’ve been teaching Pilates since 2008 and I absolutely love being outside, especially when the weather is just so nice and amazing. And I’ve been doing a lot of different retreats out in the outdoors as well. And so I have some tips for you that are going to help you make outdoor Pilates fun and easy, because there are also times when flies like to land on ya. So let’s talk about how to make it easy, simple and fun to do Pilates outside.
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Before we get started, if you’re not familiar with Pilates yet, what I’d love to do is explain to you a little brief moment of what Pilates is. It is a strength-based workout that’s designed to balance your imbalances. It’s going to have equal opportunities for flexibility and strength in every exercise, and there are hundreds of exercises, which means it’s incredibly useful and accessible to take with you wherever you go.
If you have questions about Pilates, if you’re wondering if it’s right for you, check out our Pilates FAQs video. I answer dozens of questions, top questions that we get all the time about Pilates, and so I hope you check that out. I also have a video about Why You Should Be Doing Pilates. It’s incredibly important to me that you know why you’re doing Pilates and how it’s going to benefit you. So check it out.
Choosing the Perfect Outdoor Pilates Spot
Alright, so let’s talk about choosing your outdoor Pilates space. So first of all, you do want to make sure that if you’re going to do this pilates workout in the afternoon that you have some shade. So if you’re doing a Pilates workout in the morning or in the late afternoon, when the sun is not directly overhead, you probably have a lot more options, but if you are doing your Pilates practice somewhere in the middle of the day, you do want to make sure you’ve got some shade. The next thing you’re going to look for is a flat level ground, and grass looks like it could be super enticing, it’s not always very flat. People mow it to be very even, but there’s often a lot of little rolls in there, hills and there or unforeseen downhill motions going on. So do check out your space, because if you are at an angle, it is going to make your practice that much harder. Or if it’s lumpy, it’s not gonna be fun. And I know Pilates on the beach sounds so cool, let me tell you, sand and Pilates do not mix as well as you might think. So try to find a spot that’s got densely packed ground that’s even, that allows you to enjoy the fresh air that’s out there, but also provide some shade for from the sun and from the other elements.
Preparing for Outdoor Pilates
Alright, so now let’s talk about what to bring. You’ve got your location, what do you need? You definitely want a Mat that’s ideally thicker than a yoga Mat. If you don’t have that, if you have a yoga Mat, then you’ll want a beach towel on top of it, so you can just roll that towel up with your Mat before you take it outside with you. But I love an 8 to 10 millimeter Mat, that’s going to be really amazing. Please bring water. It’s important to drink water and sip water, especially when the sun is shining. We don’t often realize that we’re losing some sweat, and so you want to keep your hydration there. Also sunscreen, very important that you are protecting your skin from the sun, so that you can enjoy your sunshine and your Pilates wherever you’re going.
Also, you might want some props. Well, depends on what your level you’re at or what workout you’re doing, if you have two water bottles, you can use those as lightweight, a squishy ball or a rolled up towel can be in place of of a ball or a block. That’s going to be really nice and helpful, but something that you might need if you have anything going on with your lower back, that could support your hips or your upper back, that might be nice to take with you to your outdoor space. Also sunglasses. Here’s the deal. I used to teach a lot in Hawaii, and you’re like, “Oh my god, we’re gonna do Pilates before the sun comes up”. When the sun comes up, it’s in your eyes, so you end up doing Pilates with your eyes closed, and you’re not even able to enjoy the beautiful scenery. So bring some sunglasses to help you, and I would also suggest some bug spray or having some sort of bug repellent setup happening, because what you don’t realize is how many bugs are actually outside. And even if you love the outdoors, it is not fun to be swatting flies or other bugs away. So do come prepared for that so you can really enjoy the outdoor practice you’re about to do.
If you want to make sure you’re buying the right pieces of equipment, props, etc, make sure that you check out opc.me/perks, I’ve got a list of my favorite things when it comes to doing Pilates and everything that comes with it. So check it out at opc.me/perks.
Mat Pilates Exercises Outdoors
Some of my favorite exercises to do outside are going to be the Hundred. I really do love it for just coming into your body and coming into the workout that you’re about to do. Also, when you’re outside, you really do feel like you’re getting grounded. The Roll-ups, again, provided you’re not on an angle, the Roll-up is an incredibly wonderful exercise to do outside. I also love Single Leg Circles. Again, you might want those sunglasses on if the sun is shining, but it’s a really nice way to open the hips up, strengthen your hamstrings and glutes, and also, if you hike to the space, it can be a really nice way to stretch out your hips after a long hike.
Then I want you to do Single Leg Kick and Double Leg Kick. These two exercises stretch those hip flexors out, open up the front of the thighs, and really strengthen your glutes. Again, if you have to hike to your space, this is going to be incredible for hiking back down. And then Side Leg Kicks. Everyone should be doing these. These are really lovely to do, because when you’re on your side, then you can really take in the scenery of the outdoor space that you have, and Kneeling Side Kicks. Now, those two combined are a little tricky, they can be taxing on the hips if you’re new to Pilates, so do the Side Leg Kicks first, and if you have more stamina, you can add those Kneeling Side Kicks in. And then let’s not forget the Push Ups, right? Pilates, Push Ups are excellent full body exercise, and you can do them anywhere. So I highly recommend getting those into your outdoor practice.
If you are unable to lie down, we actually have an incredible free workout here on this channel. It’s a Standing Workout where you can use your water bottles as the light weight, and it’s only about 15 minutes. So you can do it anywhere you are. You can do it outside at a park when your kiddos are playing, it’s super fun, and it’s a full body workout. Or if you want an easy, 10 minute workout to take with you wherever you go, go to our free four week Mat challenge at opc.me/challenge. It’s free, the first workout is only 10 minutes, and it has all those exercises I said you should be doing. It’s easy to take with you wherever you are.
Safety Tips for Outdoor Pilates
Alright, let’s talk about some safety tips when you’re doing Pilates outdoors because, of course, we want to make sure we’re getting our practice in, but we always want to make sure we’re staying safe. So of course, sunscreen, sunglasses, if you are going to be out in the wilderness, you might want to consider wild animals. You might want get to some bear spray or some other things like that to help protect you from the elements. But also, you know what? It can be really crazy doing Pilates in a park and not realizing that you’re right in the middle of where kids are playing soccer. So you do want to take in your surroundings and just make sure that you’re not in the same line as where kids are kicking a ball around or playing volleyball. You’d hate to be in the middle of your Side Kicks, facing the beautiful scenery and then something hits you from behind. So definitely take it in and check out where you’re at before you get started. And then, most importantly, also, do make sure that you are checking in with the weather and what’s going on, because it can be a beautiful day in some places at one moment, and if you live where I live, all of a sudden a monsoon can come through. So do make sure you’ve checked in with the weather before you put yourself in a space where you’re enjoying your Pilates practice, then you have to run as fast as you can out of the rain.
Take Pilates with OPC
Something I do love about today’s day and age is that we actually can still take our technology with us when we’re outside. And so you can actually take the onlinepilatesclasses.com app with you on your device and take class with you wherever you want to go. And at OPC, we believe that finishing is optional, so if you only have a few minutes to take class with us, then you only have to take a few minutes of class with us. What we do want is for you to snap a picture of you taking class with us wherever you are, and post it in our members only community that’s also on the app. If you’re not an OPC member yet, go to onlinepilatesclasses.com/youtube to try us out.
I hope this helps you do Pilates wherever you are, I really would love to hear where you do your Pilates practice outside in the comments below. If you have any questions about this, you can also drop them down in the comments. I answer questions at 9am Pacific Time on Sundays. Thank you and have an amazing day.
