Pilates in Bed Is What You Need for a Slow-Paced Day

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Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Dietitian/Nutritionist in NYC, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist

If you struggle to drag yourself out of bed and get your morning started, you must not have tried Pilates in bed yet. Since you spend one-third of your life between the sheets, it makes sense to use some of that time setting yourself up for a relaxed and healthy day.

Get Yoga-Go, a convenient yoga app, for simpler Pilates, yoga, and stretching routines.

Bed Pilates Workout: 10 Exercises You Can Do Without Leaving Your Bed

Bed Pilates is enticing because it can be done from the comfort of your mattress or even on a mat alongside your bed. Additionally, wall Pilates offers an option for those who want to diversify their routine and incorporate different elements into their workout.

Throughout the exercises, breathe in through your nose and breathe out through pursed lips.

One-Legged Supine Spinal Twists

Targets: Stretches the back, shoulders, neck, chest, hips, and glutes

• Lie on your back.
• Inhale, bringing your right knee to your chest.
• Exhale and take the knee across your body into a twist.
• The right palm should rest gently on the knee.
• Extend your left arm straight out to the side.
• Gaze towards the left.
• Continue to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.

If the twist is uncomfortable:

• Gently roll more onto the outer hip.
• Keep a neutral upward gaze instead of turning in the opposite direction.
• Bring the extended arm closer to the body.

Hold the stretch for 1 minute.

Repeat on the other side.

Supine Butterfly Back Extension

Targets: Hips, groin, shoulders, rib cage, back, and abdominals

• Lie on your back with a neutral spine.
• Position your arms in a "T" shape.
• Bring the soles of your feet together while bending your knees, allowing them to open wide.
• Inhale to arch the lower back while tucking your chin.
• Exhale to press the lower back down to the bed or mat while tilting the pelvis and untucking the chin.
• Keep your core engaged as you repeat the motion.

Repeat 10 times.

Also, try these 10 lazy bed exercises for a toned body!

Alternate Knee Drops

Targets: Inner thighs, abdominals, lower back, and hips

• Lie on your back with a neutral spine and gaze up.
• Arms should be at your sides.
• Inhale to bend the knees and plant the feet slightly wider than hip distance apart.
• Turn the toes outward.
• Exhale as you drop the right knee inward towards the midline, rotating onto the inner right foot.
• Keep the left leg stationary.
• Inhale to return to the original position with both feet planted.
• Exhale to drop the left knee inward towards the midline, rotating onto the inner left foot.
• Repeat this motion, alternating between each side.

Repeat 5 times on each side.

Hip Pry

Targets: Opens the hip flexors

• Begin lying on your stomach with your forehead resting gently on your palms.
• Inhale to lift the right leg off the bed or mat and bend the knee.
• Exhale to reach the right foot across the midline.
• Tap the foot on the outside of the left side of the body.
• Return to the starting position and repeat the motion, using your breath to guide you.

Repeat 5 times on each side.

Child's Pose Cobra Rolls

Targets: Arms, shoulders, back, core, glutes, chest, hips, and legs

• Begin in Child's Pose. Reach your palms out in front of you and settle your hips back towards your heels, with your big toes touching and forehead resting gently on the bed or mat.
• Inhale to roll forward as you straighten your legs.
• Exhale to straighten your arms as you lower the front of your hips towards the bed or mat into Cobra Pose.
• Return to Child's Pose and continue rolling back to Cobra, using your breath to guide you.

Continue this motion for 1 minute.

Four-Point Kneel With Scapula Push-Ups

Targets: Arms, shoulders, and back

• Begin in an all-fours position with a neutral spine.
• Plant your palms and the tops of your feet on the bed or mat.
• Stack your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
• Engage your core.
• Inhale to draw the shoulder blades together while lowering the chest slightly towards the bed or mat.
• Exhale to round and separate the shoulder blades while pushing the chest away from the bed or mat.
• Keep your arms straight and slowly repeat the motion.

Repeat 10 times.

Cat-Camel Stretches

Targets: Loosens the spine while stretching through the torso and neck

• Begin in an all-fours position with a neutral spine.
• Plant your palms and the tops of your feet on the bed or mat.
• Stack your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
• Engage your core.
• Inhale to drop the belly and arch the spine while raising your gaze.
• Exhale to round the spine and tuck the chin towards your chest while pressing the bed or mat away.
• Slowly repeat this motion using your breath to guide you.

Repeat 10 times.

Seated Spinal Twists

Targets: Chest, shoulders, back, abdominals, and hips

• Begin sitting up straight with your legs extended in front of you.
• Inhale, bringing your right knee to your chest, and plant the foot on the outside of your left leg.
• Exhale as you twist towards the right, placing your left elbow outside your right knee.
• Gaze over your right shoulder.
• Continue to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

If the twist is uncomfortable:

• Gently rest your left palm on your right knee instead of using the elbow.

Hold the stretch for 1 minute.

Repeat on the other side.

Supine Straddle Stretch

Targets: Inner thighs, groin, lower back, hamstrings, and hips

• Begin lying on your back.
• Extend your legs upward.
• Place your palms on the inner thighs.
• With an exhale, gently press your legs apart into a straddle.
• Keep your chin slightly tucked and your spine pressed into the bed or mat.
• Continue to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

Hold the stretch for 1 minute.

Supine Twist Rolls

Targets: Stretches the back, shoulders, neck, chest, hips, and glutes

• Lie on your back.
• Extend your arms into a "T" shape.
• Gaze towards the ceiling.
• Inhale to bend your knees towards the ceiling, allowing your toes to lightly touch the bed or mat.
• The legs will create an upside-down "V" shape.
• Exhale to let the knees fall towards the right into a twist.
• Keep your feet together.
• Inhale, returning the knees back to the center.
• Exhale to let the knees fall towards the left into a twist.
• Slowly repeat this motion using your breath to guide you.

Continue this motion for 1 minute.

Final Words

The bed plays a significant role in our lives—it’s where we rest, recover, and now can also be a place for Pilates!

If you thought some of these moves might resemble yoga, you would be correct. Pilates and yoga share many similar exercises, several of which can be performed in bed. If you're eager to try more, the Yoga-Go app offers additional mattress-friendly moves.

Key Takeaways

• You don’t have to leave your bed to focus on fitness.
• Pilates in bed movements can also be done on a yoga mat.
• Breathe in through the nose and out through pursed lips.
• These 10 exercises provide full-body movement.