Ditch the burpees — this standing Pilates workout is easier on your joints and just as effective

If you’re looking to build strength and stability throughout the body, and improve your balance and cardio fitness while you’re at it, this 30-minute standing Pilates workout should be top of your list.

It’s also a low-impact session that’s easy on your joints, because you don’t have to jump around or hit the floor for moves like burpees or press-ups.

The workout has been put together by fitness trainer Mizi, and you don’t need any equipment to do it, though it’s wise to make sure you’re standing on a surface with good grip, like a yoga mat, to ensure you don’t slip during any of the exercises.

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During the workout, you do each move for 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds. Mizi does the session with you but doesn’t give instructions or tips, so make sure you can see your screen to copy her form for each exercise.

This is a fairly long workout, so it’s smart to pace yourself and keep your movements slow and controlled throughout, rather than rushing to do more reps. Focus on engaging the target muscles and moving throughout the 45-second work periods, rather than counting reps.

As is often the case with standing workouts, there are several single-leg exercises, so keeping your movements controlled will also help with balance.

The session works muscles all over the body and will also raise your heart rate even if you maintain a slow pace throughout, building cardio fitness alongside strength. Mizi doesn’t use any weights in the workout, but it would be easy to add some light dumbbells if you have them, which would increase the challenge of the upper-body exercises, especially those that target your arms.

Adding some weights would be a good progression for the workout if you find you’re able to complete it comfortably, but for most, simply doing the session using your bodyweight only will be enough to build strength.

Despite being a standing session, the workout still trains your core through moves like raising your knees and bending and twisting your torso. Traditional mat or reformer Pilates will be more effective if you’re primarily focused on building core strength, but this session does target those areas.

In general, it’s a great all-around workout to add to your routine if you want to hit multiple fitness goals, and without the pressure of high-impact floor exercises, it’s one I think is a little less daunting to add to a busy schedule.

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