Lately on Fitness Blender we have had a number of people asking for longer workouts as well as Pilates routines so we though we would answer your requests with this long 30+ minute Pilates routine that will have your legs burning by the time you are done. This routine has been designed to be done straight through without any breaks (aside from quick water break in the middle) to build muscle endurance as well as muscle tone in your legs and core, giving you long and lean muscles that are strong and defined.

With this workout we intentionally filmed in just one shot to make it as close as possible to how I taught my Pilates classes. I have given short pauses between exercises and level changes to allow you to rest if needed, though to get the most out of this routine try and use them sparingly or only when you have to relax to move to a new position. There are individual exercises where you will be following along with me as well as exercises where I progressively increase the difficulty by modifying the motion. You can choose whether or not to follow along with me or stay at a lower difficulty level, though the first time through you may want to stick to the easiest version to see how your body handles the full routine before making it harder for yourself. As you get comfortable with the routine, feel free to start on the harder modifications from the beginning of each exercise.

As with any Pilates workout, core contraction and breathing are key, so take your time to learn the breathing patterns as they can greatly enhance the calorie burn as well as the core toning effect. Also remember that all of these motions should be done slowly and fluidly. The muscle activation required to move slowly and under control requires more coordination and burns far more calories than the same motion done quickly, with an uncontrolled swinging.

With that said, if you make sure you are using a slow controlled motion and you go through the same progression I do then you can expect to burn anywhere from 6 to 10 calories per minute, that is a total of 198 to 330 calories burned with this 30 minute routine. I know that this is nowhere near the calorie burn many of our HIIT routines have but Pilates is not a heavy hitter when it comes to burning calories. However this routine is invaluable for when you need a challenging workout but you can’t or shouldn’t do any more high impact workouts.


Pilates for Lean Legs and a Toned Core

Group One
- Pelvic Tilt / Imprint
- Single Leg Toe Taps Level 1
- Single Leg Toe Taps Level 2
- Double Leg Toe Taps
- Scissor Kicks x 2
- Leg Extensions
- Double Pulse Scissor Kicks
- Leg Extension
- Leg Drop
- Full Body Stretch

Group Two
- Side Leg Raises Progression R
- Shell Stretch
- Side Leg Raises Progression L
- Shell Stretch
- Kneeling Leg Raise Progression R
- Shell Stretch
- Kneeling Leg Raise Progression L
- Shell Stretch

Group Three
- Shoulder Bridge
- Single Leg Shoulder Bridge R
- Single Leg Shoulder Bridge L
- Single Leg Hamstring Stretch R
- Small Leg Circles R
- Single Leg Hamstring Stretch L
- Small Leg Circles L
- Inside Thigh Raise/Pulse L
- Inside Thigh Raise/Pulse R

Stretches and Cool Down
- Hamstring Torso Stretch L & R
- Butterfly Stretch
- Hip Socket Stretch
- Straight Leg Hang
- Hip Flexor Stretch L & R
- Shell Stretch