If you happen to watch a Pilates class, you will notice that these exercise sets look quite easy and can involve equipment or can be done on the mat. Many people are under the impression that these exercises are easy and do not require a lot of energy, but this is far from truth. These exercises are enough to leave a regular gym goer out of breath! It helps you build endurance, balance, mobility and flexibility. But most importantly it builds your core strength. Your core strength helps you relieve low back pain, improves balance and decreases your risk of falling.

Here are some Pilates exercises that will strengthen your core!

Leg Raises

Leg lifts are a great exercise for beginners that target your core, specifically your deepest abdominal muscle and your back. You'll need 3-5 sets to feel the burn.

How to do: Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Take a deep breath in, filling your lower back. As you exhale, tighten your core like you're gently pulling a belt in. Lift one leg straight up to a tabletop position without moving your hips or back. Hold for a breath, then exhale and lift the other leg to join the first. Hold this tabletop position for count of 5, then slowly lower your legs back down with control.

Toe taps

Tone your abs and backside with toe taps! This beginner-friendly move is perfect for those starting out.

How to do: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Breathe out and lift one leg straight up to tabletop position. Hold for a breath, then exhale and bring the other leg up to join it. Keep your core engaged and back flat throughout. Inhale to hold, then exhale and slowly lower one foot to tap the ground while keeping the other leg lifted. Breathe that leg back to tabletop and repeat with the other side. Aim for 5 taps on each leg.

Single leg stretch

Strengthen your core, back, and hips with the single leg stretch! This exercise can be adapted for beginners and intermediates.

How to do: Lie on your back with both knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders slightly off the ground as you exhale, looking towards your knees. Inhale and place your hands on your knees. Now comes the stretch: exhale and slowly extend one leg out at a diagonal, keeping your back flat and abs engaged. Don't push yourself too far, lower the leg only as far as you can comfortably without arching your back. Hold one hand on the knee of the bent leg and reach the other hand towards the opposite ankle. Inhale to bring the extended leg back to tabletop position, then repeat with the other leg. Aim for 8 repetitions on each side.

One leg circle

Give your core and legs a workout with single leg circles! This beginner move is great for all-around toning.

How to do: Lie flat on your back with both legs extended. Keep your hips flat and neutral as you exhale and lift one leg straight up (a slight bend in the knee is okay). Inhale and reach that lifted leg across your body, keeping your hips still. Now, exhale and slowly draw circles with your leg, trying to keep your hips stable throughout the movement. Imagine your pelvis is a bowl of water and you don't want to spill a drop! Do 5 circles in one direction, then switch legs and repeat for the other side.

Side bend preparation

This exercise, beginner-friendly with an intermediate option, targets your obliques and core stability.

How to do: Lie on your side with knees bent, stacked one on top of the other, and feet resting comfortably behind you. Prop yourself up on your forearm with your elbow directly under your shoulder. Now, the fun part! Breathe out and push your forearm into the mat, lifting your hips off the ground. Inhale to lower your hips halfway down, then exhale to push them back up. Repeat 8-10 times, feeling the burn in your obliques. Then, carefully lower your hips and switch sides to repeat!

You've just finished a long trip, whether by car, plane, or train, and your body feels stiff and achy. Being cooped up in small spaces can leave you feeling tense and uncomfortable. But what if you could stretch out and feel better right from your seat?

Yoga is a fantastic stress reliever. Through deep breathing exercises and mindful movements, it helps calm your nervous system, lowering stress hormones like cortisol. This shift from a "fight or flight" state to a more relaxed one helps your body restore itself, leading to feelings of tranquility and mental clarity.

Regular yoga practice can also significantly improve sleep quality. By reducing stress and calming the mind, it prepares your body for a deeper, more restful sleep, which is essential for feeling truly rejuvenated.

How Yoga After Travel Helps

Yoga helps your muscles and joints in several key ways. Its gentle stretches increase your flexibility and range of motion, allowing your joints to move more easily and reducing daily stiffness and aches. Poses to Ease Travel Aches and Pains

Here are shares easy yet effective yoga tips for long car rides and other travel, even when space is tight. These simple motions can help you feel much better and make your journey more comfortable.

Seated Cat-Cow Pose

This gentle movement helps your spine become more flexible and lubricated, creating subtle space between your backbones. It also increases blood flow, which can help you feel refreshed. Remember to coordinate your breath with the movement, exhaling as you lean forward and inhaling as you round your spine.

Seated Spinal Twist

Even in a cramped airplane or car seat, you can give your back a good stretch. These twists gently stretch your middle body, ribs, and the muscles you use for breathing. They can even provide a light massage to your internal organs, helping you feel more relaxed and comfortable on your journey.

Neck Rolls

Simple and effective, slow neck rolls are easy to do on any trip. They loosen tight muscles, helping to ease tension that often builds up in your shoulders and neck during travel. Just imagine your nose drawing a slow circle on a clock in front of you, letting the weight of your head guide the stretch.

Shoulder Rolls

Release tension and loosen up your shoulder muscles with these easy, yet impactful, rolls. Slightly scoot forward in your seat so your back isn't touching the seatback. Then, draw circles with your shoulders, first in one direction (thinking "up, back, and down"), and then reverse. Keep your breath steady with each roll.

Seated Forward Fold

This simple stretch is excellent for your lower and upper back. While it might require a little more room to lean forward, it's perfect for getting some movement in at the airport terminal or on trains and buses. Remember to keep your feet flat and breathe deeply as you fold forward gently.

When you're on the go, the main idea is to move your body in different ways and pay attention to what it needs. Try to move as much as you can to help your blood flow, and always remember to breathe deeply.

Everyone has their own goals and understandings of why they wish to exercise in the gym. Some people do so because they wish to lose weight, others do it to gain weight and increase muscle density. However, many people believe that building muscle takes time and a lot of effort.

But do you actually need to spend hours at the gym to build muscle or get stronger? A recent study from Florida Atlantic University suggests otherwise. Researchers indicate that just a few focused sets might be all you need to see significant progress this summer.

Volume vs. Frequency

Published as a preprint on SportRxiv, the study reviewed numerous earlier investigations into training volume (how many sets per workout) and frequency (how often you train each week).

The findings suggest you don't need super long gym sessions to get stronger or build muscle. There's a point where doing more doesn't really help, and it might even work against you, especially when you think about getting tired and how much time it takes. This goes against the common idea that doing more always leads to better results.

Finding the "Just Right" Amount for Gains

The team looked at how the amount you train affects both how much your muscles grow and how strong you get. They found that doing more exercises can help, but only up to a certain point.

For muscle growth, the benefits kept increasing until about 11 sets that involved the muscle indirectly or directly in one session. For strength, the best number was even smaller: just two sets that directly targeted the muscle or movement.

What's the Difference Between Set Types?

It's helpful to know the difference between two kinds of sets:

Fractional sets count all the work for a muscle group, whether it's the main exercise or not. For example, exercises for your triceps (the back of your arm) help with chest strength because they assist in pushing. So, even if you're not directly doing a chest exercise, triceps work can count.

Direct sets, on the other hand, focus specifically on the muscle or movement you're testing. Think of doing bench presses to build chest strength – that's a direct set for your chest.

Discovering the Point of No Extra Benefit

The study brought up a new idea: the Point of Undetectable Outcome Superiority (PUOS). This is the moment when doing more sets doesn't really add much extra benefit. The researchers believe this idea can help people create more efficient workout plans, saving them time while still getting results.

If you're mainly looking to get stronger, the main takeaway is simple: doing just one to two tough, dedicated sets in each workout can really pay off!

Instead of just adding more sets to a single workout, if you want to get stronger, you might get better results by working out more often but with shorter, more focused sessions.

One thing you must keep in mind is that this study has not yet undergone peer review, and its findings should be considered preliminary. Of course, some people want to get every last bit of muscle growth they can, no matter how much effort it takes. For them, trying out higher amounts of sets makes sense, as long as they pay close attention to how well their body recovers.

Today, social media represents how important the gym is for many people. While there have been gym communities before, many people are opting to go to the gym and enjoy a fit and healthier life. But to truly get the most out of your workouts and keep making progress, it's just as important to try new kinds of exercises. Recovery is an important part of going to the gym. Studies have shown that not letting your body recover from the wear and tear of the gym, it can increase your chances of injuries as well as stop you from progressing in your fitness journey. When you've pushed your limits at the gym and your body feels tired, yoga can be an amazing tool to help you recover. It's a great way to soothe tired muscles and restore your energy after a long, hard day of training.

Many people even do just yoga as a form of strength training. While many people mistake it for simple stretching and find it a less dynamic way of exercising, this adaptable form of exercise has many different ways to help you reach your goals.

Quicker Recovery and Less Soreness

After tough, high-intensity workouts, your body needs extra care. Yoga helps by speeding up your recovery and making muscles less sore. When you do yoga after working out, more blood flows to your muscles, giving them lots of oxygen and important nutrients. Use yoga to find relief and bring your body back to life!

Eagle Arms (Garudasana Arms)

Eagle arms offer a deep stretch for your shoulder muscles and upper back. This movement can indirectly ease soreness in your biceps by improving flexibility around the shoulder joint. It helps to unravel tightness in areas that often feel the strain of arm workouts.

Cow Face Pose Arms (Gomukhasana Arms)

This pose provides a deep stretch for the back of your arms (triceps), shoulders, and chest. It helps balance out the tightness in your biceps that often occurs after gym sessions. By opening these areas, it supports overall arm recovery and comfort.

Supine Spinal Twist with Arm Extension (Supta Matsyendrasana variation)

This gentle twist stretches your chest, shoulders, and arms. It helps relax your upper body and encourages better blood flow to sore muscles. This pose offers a soothing way to release tension throughout your arms and upper back.

Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)

Puppy pose helps open your chest and shoulders, stretching your arms overhead. It lengthens your spine and can relieve tension from intense upper body exercise. This pose offers a gentle, restorative stretch that brings comfort to tired arms.

Wall Chest Stretch

This stretch is excellent for releasing tightness in your chest and the front of your shoulders. By opening these areas, it can reduce pulling and discomfort felt in your biceps. It's a simple yet effective way to ease post-workout arm soreness.

Supported Fish Pose (Matsyasana variation with bolster/block)

This pose gently opens your chest and extends your arms backward. It helps your upper body relax and subtly stretches your arms without adding direct strain. It’s a wonderful, calming way to recover and release tension in your shoulders and arms.

Child's Pose with Extended Arms (Balasana variation)

A classic relaxing pose, extending your arms in Child's Pose provides a gentle stretch for your shoulders and upper back. It promotes overall relaxation and eases any remaining tension in your arms. This pose offers comfort and aids in muscle recovery.