Pilates Towers are one of the remarkable equipment for a full-body workout, combining strength, flexibility, and balance. With the proper accessories and exercise routine, you’re good to go. However, with so many Pilates exercises you can do with a Tower, creating a regular routine can be challenging.
To help you, this article will list the best Pilates Tower exercises and their benefits. You will also learn about Tower accessories, plus successful workout tips to get you started.
Understanding Tower Pilates
Usually, this kind of equipment comprises a frame with different parts attached to it, like bars and springs, that have different amounts of resistance. Since the towers are made to fit different body types, they can be used by people at all exercise levels.
When you use Towers, safety is very important. Before you work out, make sure the equipment is in good shape and know what your body can handle. Pilates Towers are famous for encouraging smooth, controlled moves that work muscles more effectively without putting too much stress on the joints.
10 Best Pilates Tower Exercises
Now that you understand what a Tower machine is, it's time to learn the best Pilates exercise you can do with it. Here are the best 10 Tower exercises that you should try.
1. Leg Circles
This exercise engages your core, strengthens your hip muscles, and enhances overall lower body flexibility. Here's how to do Leg Circles using Tower:
- Lie flat on your back, arms by your sides, and extend both legs straight on the carriage and on the ceiling.
- Circle Motion: Begin drawing controlled circles in the air with your right leg. Imagine a circle traced on the ceiling
- After a set number of circles, reverse the direction while maintaining precise control
- Repeat and perform the same sequence with your left leg
2. Bicycle
Bicycle works your core, improves your balance, and makes your abs and obliques stronger. This is how to do a Bicycle exercise using the leg springs from Tower equipment.
- Lie on your back with hands gently supporting your head, and lift both legs off the carriage
- Rotate your torso, bringing your right elbow towards your left knee
- Simultaneously extend your right leg straight while keeping your left knee bent
- Reverse the movement, bringing your left elbow towards your right knee and extending your left leg
- Perform the exercise in a smooth, bicycle-pedaling motion
3. The Frog
The Frog is excellent for targeting inner thighs, promoting hip flexibility, and building strength in the core and legs. This is how to do the frog exercise using the Tower effectively.
- Lie down on the carriage with hands on the sidebar of the Tower, legs strapped with leg springs
- Inhale as you bend your knees inward, engaging your core and thighs
- Exhale as you bend your knees outward while maintaining the frog-like position, and repeat
4. Swan
Swan improves the strength of the muscles in the back and helps the spine extend. This exercise also makes the back more flexible. Here's how to do the Swann using the Tower and Roll down bar.
- Lie facedown on the carriage with hands on the roll-down bar
- Inhale, lifting your upper body, arching your back, and extending your spine
- Exhale as you lower your upper body back down, focusing on controlled movement while lifting the bar up
5. Jacknife
While doing jackknife, you can strengthen your core by working your abs and hip flexors. This is how you should do a Jacknife with the help of the Tower.
- Lie on your back, legs pointed to the sky while holding the roll-backdown bar behind the thigh
- Inhale, lifting both your legs and torso simultaneously towards the ceiling
- Pull down the bar while lifting your legs and torso up, stretching the spine
- Exhale as you lower your legs and torso back down to the starting position
6. Rollover
Rollover engages the core and spinal muscles, promoting flexibility in the spine and hamstrings. Do this exercise with the Tower and roll-backdown bar as follows.
- Lie on your back on the carriage of the tower with your legs extended vertically towards the ceiling
- Hold the roll-backdown bar behind the thigh
- Inhale, rolling your legs overhead and back, aiming to touch the floor behind you
- Pull the bar back down as low as you can
- Exhale, returning your legs back with controlled movements
7. Mermaid
Mermaid works on the side muscles to make them more flexible and improve the obliques to make the torso more mobile. This exercise is more effective with the help of the Tower; here's how to do it.
- Sit sideways on the carriage, facing the tower with legs folded to one side
- Hold the push-through bar with the hand closest to the tower and extend the other arm sideways
- Inhale and bend to the side of the push-through bar
- Bend the extended arm overhead and stretch
- Exhale, returning to the initial sitting position
8. Leg Springs Side
The Leg Springs Side successfully strengthens the outer thighs and improves hip stability. This gives the lateral leg muscles a complete workout; here's how you use the Tower to improve this workout.
- Lie on your side with straps of leg springs around the sides of your ankles
- Inhale, lifting the top leg laterally away from the bottom leg
- Exhale, lowering the top leg back down with controlled movements
- Repeat the movement with the other leg
9. Rowing
Rowing enhances upper body strength, mainly targeting the back and shoulders. It also promotes spinal flexibility and core engagement. Here's how you use the Tower to make this workout more successful.
- Sit facing the tower with your legs extended and feet flexed against the foot bar
- Hold the roll-down bar and arms extended forward
- Inhale and initiate the movement by rounding your spine into a C-curve
- Exhale, pull the straps towards your chest and slowly lay down in the carriage while keeping your elbows wide
- Continue the circular rowing motion, engaging your core throughout
10. Scissors
This exercise targets the lower abdominal muscles that make your hips more flexible and strengthen your core. The controlled leg movements also improve overall stability. Here's how to get more out of this workout with the Tower.
- Lie on your back with your head and shoulders lifted, hands holding the side tower
- Lift both legs strapped with leg springs towards the ceiling, maintaining a slight knee bend
- Inhale and lower one leg towards the carriage while keeping the other leg lifted
- Exhale, scissoring your legs to switch positions, lifting the lowered leg back up
- Repeat the scissor motion, ensuring controlled movements throughout
Accessories for Tower Exercises
Knowing what accessories you need for Tower movements is important for a safe and effective workout. Here are the common Tower accessories and their benefits.
Springs
The basic parts of Towers are the adjustable springs, which provide the force needed to work muscles properly. Because the stiffness of these springs changes, users can choose how hard they want to work out. Different colors often show different amounts of resistance. Lighter colors mean less tension, and vice versa.
Benefits:
- Spring resistance improves muscle strength and endurance
- Springs promote controlled and deliberate movements
Straps
Straps are important for position and muscle engagement. You can connect these flexible bands to different parts of the Tower to give support and resistance. They provide stability, that can help you maintain form during movements.
Benefits:
- Straps help users position their bodies correctly, which lowers the risk of bad postures
- Certain muscle groups can be targeted and worked on successfully by changing the length and position of the straps
- Stretching with straps improves flexibility and range of motion
Bars
Bars are flexible add-ons for Towers that make them more stable and help with balance. Exercises that involve standing or leaning on the Tower benefit from these horizontal and vertical bars. Cushions are often put on bars to make them more comfortable and easier to hold on to.
Benefits:
- Stability bars help users to do bodyweight workouts with confidence
- Bars increase Tower workout options
- Exercises with bars are great for strengthening and improving the upper body
Tips for a Successful Tower Workout
Tower workouts must include important practices to improve safety, effectiveness, and well-being. Here are some of the tips for a successful Pilates workout.
Proper Warm-up and Cool-down Routines
A good warm-up and cool-down are important parts of any workout. Warming up slowly raises your heart rate and blood flow, getting your muscles ready for what's to come. On the other hand, a cool-down helps slow down your heart rate and increases your flexibility, which lowers your risk of getting sore muscles.
- Warm-up: Start with soft shoulder shrugs, neck rolls, and ankle circles. Later, move on to more energetic exercises like arm circles and leg swings to get more blood flowing.
- Cool-down: At the end of your workout, focus on motionless stretches for your main muscle groups. Do stretches like the sitting forward folds and chest opener to cool down properly.
Listening to Your Body
Understanding how your body reacts to Pilates exercises is important for keeping you safe and getting the most out of your workout. Knowing when you're feeling pain or tired lets you make changes to your routine or increase the volume of your workouts safely and effectively.
Effective Breathing Techniques
The pilates machine workout requires proper breathing for attention, oxygenation, and mind-body connection. Coordination of breath with movement improves exercise effectiveness and mindfulness. During the preparation phase of an exercise, breathe in, and during the effort phase, breathe out.
Build Your Core Strength with the Tower Today!
A Pilates machine workout will make your routine more challenging in exchange for excellent body gains. And with these 10 Pilates Tower exercises in your daily routine, your core will get a complete workout. Each of these moves contributes to the overall core strength of your body.
So, if you want to build your core with the help of an exercise machine, check out the best Pilates equipment here and level up your fitness experience!
