Stop what you're doing: 7 best Pilates exercises for legs to boost tone from home, according to top instructors
Looking for fresh inspiration for your next home workout?
If you're looking for fresh inspiration for your next home workout, look no further than the best Pilates exercises for legs, which instructors have assured us are the one of the best ways to upgrade our fitness routines this year.
While I look forward to weekly classes at my local gym, I see Pilates as the gift that keeps on gifting when it comes to accessible, at-home workouts. There are so many different types of Pilates to try that it's nearly impossible to get bored. Another way to ensure your workouts stay varied and fun? By targeting specific muscle groups.
Enter: the best Pilates exercises for legs, ideal for strengthening, stretching, and all-round lower body boosting. Not only are they a wonderful way to experience the benefits of Pilates first-hand, but they'll also build all-important leg strength. That's right - whether you want to target the quads, hamstrings, glutes, hips or even ankles, Pilates leg exercises can tick all the boxes.
At MC UK, our love of Pilates knows no bounds and, having already covered the best Pilates exercises for arms, we were eager to speak to the pros and find out which moves they recommend for the legs. Brilliantly, all of the moves they shared can be done without equipment. Sure, you can progress them with ankle weights or Pilates sliders when you're feeling confident, but you can still experience the benefits of each exercise by practising them in their most basic form.
"Pilates leg exercises are effective because they focus on controlled movements, core engagement, and muscle endurance rather than just pure strength," Kayleigh Jayne of Kayleigh Jayne Pilates advocates. "The emphasis on alignment, breath, and small, precise motions activates deep stabilising muscles, and improves both strength and flexibility."
If that's not given you the encouragement needed to try some of the best Pilates exercises for legs yourself, we're pretty certain you'll be convinced once you see how easy it is to incorporate the moves into everyday life. Keep reading to discover more about why we should practise Pilates leg exercises, what makes them effective, and how to do them at home.
Want even more Pilates inspiration? Check out our pieces on the best Pilates core moves and the best Pilates accessories to boost your practice. Prefer honing in on individual moves before committing to a range of exercises? Then you'll like our deep dives on what it's like when you practise a single move every day for a week, including Pilates leg circles, Pilates toe taps, and Pilates roll-ups.
Looking to refresh your home workouts? 7 best Pilates exercises for legs to try, according to instructors
What are the benefits of Pilates leg exercises?
There's a lot to gain from practising the best Pilates exercises for legs, according to instructors. Here are four key benefits you can experience from trying the moves at home.
1. They're a muscle-strengthening exercise
If you're shifting your fitness focus to include more strength training exercises this year, leg-focused Pilates moves are a great place to start. Anouska Shenn, Pilates instructor at The Office Yoga Company, told MC UK that Pilates leg exercises focus on eccentric work, which is when our muscles lengthen under tension.
"One of the main benefits of many Pilates leg exercises is that you’re stretching your muscles under load," Shenn explains. "By controlling the muscle as it lengthens under tension - what we call eccentric work - we develop strength through our range of motion."
2. They improve lower body flexibility
Studies have found that flexibility is a key pillar in physical fitness. And the good news is that we can enhance our lower body flexibility by incorporating Pilates leg exercises into our weekly rotation, in a different way than we would with regular stretching.
"Unlike static stretching, Pilates incorporates active flexibility, which means you’re strengthening muscles in their lengthened state. This is crucial for improving functional movement and injury prevention," Yvette McGaffin, CEO and co-founder of Reform RX explains.
3. They enhance stability and joint health
Taking care of our joints can often be overlooked, but research has indicated that joint health is key to maintaining mobility, which plays a big part in our overall wellbeing. Well, if we commit to doing Pilates leg exercises at home, we can help our joints stay happy and healthy.
"Unlike traditional weight training, which often isolates muscles, Pilates works the legs in an integrated way with the core and stabilisers," McGaffin says. "This promotes better joint alignment, reducing the risk of injury or strain in the knees, hips, and ankles."
4. They support balanced muscle development
Finally, lower body Pilates moves are great for providing balanced muscle development, meaning there's little risk of overtraining one muscle group compared to another, shares McGaffin.
"Many workouts tend to over-rely on dominant muscle groups, leading to imbalances and compensations that can result in pain or poor posture," they explain. "Pilates leg exercises, on the other hand, ensure that smaller stabilizing muscles are activated alongside the major movers, creating a balanced, well-supported lower body."
This makes Pilates leg exercises particularly good for runners and anyone looking to correct muscular imbalances that often lead to discomfort over time.
What makes Pilates leg exercises effective?
In short, because they're a bit of an all-rounder in terms of boosting fitness and flexibility.
"The design of Pilates leg exercises actually requires the entire body to work," notes Rebecca Convey, founder of Kinetic Pilates. "The range of motion in the exercises actively stretches the hips, hamstrings and lower back. The muscles are working to control the position and movement, and this active stretch can be more effective than passive stretching."
Aside from strengthening and stretching our muscles, the Pilates leg exercises also improve our posture and alignment. Across the board, Pilates encourages us to perform every movement with control, meaning we can focus on integrating our back and core into the exercise. "Improving alignment and posture have huge benefits on the body and overall health," Convey confirms.
That said, do be sure to maintain proper form, body position and controlled movements throughout your practice. With consistent sessions, you're likely to strengthen the deep stabilising muscles in your legs, as well as hips, glutes, and core.
7 best Pilates exercises for legs to try today, according to instructors
1. Side lying leg lift
What? This move comes with many variations, but you can start by lying on your side with your bottom leg bent at a 90-degree angle. Either keep your elbow on the mat and your chest lifted or lie your head all the way down on your arm. Inhale, engage the core, and slowly lift your top leg, then lower. Repeat.
Why? If you suffer from hip stiffness (me too), this exercise can really help. "It's great for targeting the glutes and outer thighs, which many women find a problem area," Korin Nolan, Pilates instructor and founder of The Class Plan says.
How long for? Ten to twelve reps per leg. When you feel ready to progress, try adding ankle weights.
2. Static lunge
What? A lovely beginner-friendly move, start in a wide stance with both feet facing forward, about hip-width apart. Place your hands together in a prayer position, keeping your shoulders down, chest upright and abdominals engaged. Inhale as you bend the back knee to lightly touch the floor and exhale as you come back up. You can progress the move by adding double pulses at the bottom.
Why? The lunge is a classic for a reason. "It helps to strengthen multiple muscle groups in the leg in one go: glutes, quads and hamstrings," Korin explains.
How long for? Start with ten reps per leg, then gradually increase to twenty.
3. Four point kneeling leg lift
What? Start on your hands and knees with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Extend one leg behind and lift it towards the ceiling while keeping the leg straight. Make sure the weight placement stays in the centre, the abdominals are engaged and the pelvis is level.
Why? "This exercise strengthens the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back while engaging the core for stability," Kayleigh Jayne says. "It’s an excellent move for toning the back of the legs and improving hip flexibility."
How long for? Ten to fifteen reps per leg.
4. Standing plie
What? Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart, toes turned out. Bend your knees to lower into a Plie squat position, keeping your back straight and chest lifted. Press your knees over your toes, and keep your heels grounded. Push through your heels to return to standing.
Why? Aside from improving core strength and stability, standing plies are a great leg-strengthening exercise. "They target the inner thighs, quads, glutes, and calves," Jayne tells us. "It’s a great move for overall leg toning and can help improve mobility in the hips."
How long for? Start with ten reps, and increase this up to fifteen. When you're feeling ambitious, try two sets of ten.
5. Bridge with heel raise variation
What? With your knees and heels in line with your hips, roll up from an imprinted spine into your glute bridge position. Keeping your hips level, inhale and lift both heels off the mat. Hold for a moment, then roll the spine down towards the mat as you exhale, one vertebrae at a time. Slowly lower your heels down to the mat and repeat. You can progress the move by adding some pulses when in the bridge position.
Why? "This exercise is a great way to activate your glute muscles, as well as strengthen the arch of the foot and ankle," Pilates instructor Eloise Skinner notes.
How long for? Ten reps per leg.
6. Scooter
What? Stand with your feet hip-distance apart on your mat. Shift your weight into your right leg, lift the heel of the left foot, and send your left leg back behind you into a lunge. Bend into your right leg so that your knee is stacked over your ankle. Hinge your upper body forward so it forms a diagonal line with your back leg. With your hands on your hips and weight mostly in your front heel, slide your back leg in to meet your right, both knees now bent, and then slide the foot back into your lunge.
Why? Traditionally a Reformer Pilates move, the Scooter is a good one to adapt to the mat because it activates and strengthens the glutes. It's also ideal for improving balance.
How long for? Eight to twelve reps per leg. This one is good to progress with sliders when you're feeling able.
7. Single leg stretch
What? Lying down, with one leg outstretched and one knee into your chest. Hold just beneath the bent knee, keeping your lower back in contact with the mat. Point your toes and lift the bottom leg slightly off the mat. Then switch, extending the bent knee and bending the extended leg in towards you.
Why? Pilates is as much about stretching as it is about strengthening, which is why the experts recommend incorporating this move into the end of your practice.
How long for? Five reps per leg.
Shop MC UK's essential Pilates kit now:
Sweaty Betty is a firm favourite of mine when it comes to workout gear. The All Day Leggings are adeptly named - they're so comfortable you could wear them all day long. They're perfect for Pilates because they have a lot of give, so you won't feel restricted.
ON's 'Movement' sports bra was crafted for low-impact workouts, like yoga, barre, and of course, Pilates. I love the chocolatey tones of this colour, but it also comes in soft baby pink too. Worn with the matching cycling shorts? A Pilates lover's dream.
Pilates socks don't have to expensive, as this pack of three from Amazon shows. Tried and tested by MC UK's Junior Shopping Editor, she was a fan of the durable grippy soles and wearable colourways.
How often should I be doing Pilates exercises for legs?
You don't have to do Pilates leg exercises every day to experience the benefits - in fact, if you did that, you'd likely risk injury via overtraining. So, if you're just starting out, it's best to ease yourself in by practising the moves as and when you can.
"If you’re newer to Pilates, one session a week is typically enough to begin seeing and feeling results and is a great place to start," Pilates teacher Shenn says. "Take your time learning the exercises to get the form as close to perfect as you can. Quality over quantity."
Start off once a week with two to four different exercises. Then, increase this to two to three times a week, or more if you wish.
