My POP Paradise Workout
Summer may be coming to an end, but not to worry—in this workout, Cassey Ho, founder and creator of Blogilates and POP Pilates, delivers moves that will inspire you, whether your dream paradise is time spent playing on the beach, climbing in the mountains, roaming around the city or strolling the countryside. Try them on your own and then make your way to the GX24 POP Paradise Party for an end-of-summer celebration that Ho says is going to have super-fun, tropical vibes. Most important, she says, is that the event is not about getting a bikini body: “It’s about working on that strong Pilates body. I want everyone to come into POP Paradise to have fun and get strong.”
Perform 12 reps of each movement and complete the entire circuit two or three times.
CITY
- Stand tall and clasp your hands in front of your chest.
- Come down into a partial squat, lifting your right heel. Come back up to stand and place your right heel on the floor as you lift your left heel and squat back down.
- Continue squatting and standing, alternating heel raises. Count one rep after you’ve lifted both heels.
- Stand tall and clasp your hands in front of your chest.
- Hinge forward from your hips and raise your left leg directly behind you until your torso and left leg are parallel to the floor. Keep your right knee soft to help you balance.
- Bend your right knee to come down into a single-legged squat, then press through your right foot to return to stand.
- Complete 12 reps, then switch sides.
- Begin lying on your right side, with your right hand supporting your head and legs straight and stacked.
- Lift your left leg to the ceiling with your toes pointed, then lower it to tap the floor twice in front of your right foot.
- Lift your left leg again, then lower it to tap the floor twice behind your right foot.
- Count one rep each time you’ve tapped front and back. Continue for 12 reps, then switch sides.
COUNTRY
- Begin lying on your right side, with your left foot stacked on top of your right foot. Position your right elbow directly under your right shoulder, propping your torso up off the floor.
- Raise your left hand up and over your head, then reach toward your feet as your pull your feet up to meet your hand, creating a V with your body.
- Lower your legs, bringing your hand back over your head. Keep your legs zipped together throughout the movement.
- Complete 12 reps, then switch sides.
Ballerina Twist
- Begin in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet hip-width apart.
- Rotate to your right into a side plank, opening up through your chest by lifting your right hand toward the ceiling and letting your feet stagger with your right foot forward. Your right hand should stack directly above your right shoulder.
- Rotate back to center and bring your right hand under your torso as you drive your hips up toward the ceiling, coming into single-arm Down Dog.
- Press your hips forward and open up your right arm toward the ceiling to come back to side plank.
- Return to start and repeat, alternating sides. Count each twist as one rep.
- Begin seated with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the floor next to your hips, elbows bent and resting on the floor to support your trunk as you lean back.
- Straighten your legs, keeping them zipped together from thighs to ankles, and draw a big circle with your feet, rotating to the right from your hips.
- Stop at the bottom and draw a circle rotating to the left.
- Continue alternating left and right. Count each circle as one rep.
MOUNTAINS
- Begin in a tabletop position, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Extend and lift your right leg behind you. Perform a push-up by bending your elbows and bringing your chest down toward the floor, lifting your right heel higher into the air.
- Push up and alternate legs. Count one rep after you’ve lifted both legs.
- Sit with your left leg bent and your left foot in front of your right hip, and your right leg bent with your right foot behind your right hip.
- Bring your palms together in a prayer position and lift them to the ceiling until your elbows are at shoulder height.
- Keep your palms together and lift them a few inches, then lower them to return to the starting position.
- Continue pulsing up and down.
- Begin in a low-plank position with your elbows on the floor under your shoulders, your hands flat on the floor parallel to one another, and your feet hip-width apart.
- Reach your right hand straight out to your right side and touch the floor.
- Bring your right arm back to plank, and then reach your left hand out to your left side to touch the floor.
- Return your left hand to plank, and repeat, alternating sides. Count one rep after you’ve touched the floor to both sides.
- TIP: Squeeze your abs and glutes to keep your hips level to the floor. Don’t let them rotate as you bring your hands out to your sides.
BEACH
- Begin in a high-plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet hip-width apart.
- Lift your hips to the ceiling, keeping your arms and legs straight and letting your heels fall toward the floor. Your biceps should frame your ears, and your back should be long and straight.
- Lift your heels, drop your hips toward the floor and drive your chest forward and up. Lift your gaze high, keep your chest proud and your legs off the floor.
- Continue alternating smoothly between Down Dog and Up Dog. Count each cycle as one rep.
- Begin seated, with your left leg bent and your left foot in front of your right hip, and your right leg bent with your right foot behind your right hip.
- Place your left hand on the floor to your left side, bending your left elbow and bringing your right arm up and over your head to reach as far to your left as you can.
- Press through your left hand to come back up as you trace an arc overhead to bring your right hand in front of your torso. Lean to the right and lift your left hand up and over your head, reaching as far to the right as you can.
- Continue reaching side to side, alternating hands as you stretch, for 12 reps. Switch legs and repeat.
- Begin in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet hip-width apart.
- Bend your right knee and step your right foot forward, planting it outside your right hand.
- Press down through your left hand while lifting your right hand to the ceiling, rotating through your trunk to open your chest toward your right knee. Your arms should form a straight line from your left hand through your right hand.
- Return your right hand to the floor, step your right foot back to the starting position, and repeat on your left side. Count one rep after you’ve rotated to both sides.
Photo credit: Tom Casey, box24studio.com
Hair and make-up: Jessica Licata