I did 10 minutes of Pilates every day for 2 weeks - my core and posture have never felt better

Like many other women my age, Pilates has become one of my favourite workouts over the last few years. Grabbing my thick yoga mat and heading to the studio twice a week has kept me strong, flexible, and happy.

While I do my strength training and cycling workouts at home, I rarely do a Pilates workout at home. However, with an even busier schedule than usual this month, I haven't had much choice but to do just 10 minutes of Pilates at home every day.

I write a lot about how much, or little, exercise we need to do to notice improvements and changes in our bodies, and I had a feeling that just doing 10 minutes of Pilates a day would make a difference. Consistency is often more important than intensity, after all.

The benefits of doing 10 minutes of Pilates every day

1. Improved core strength

No other exercise I do gives me the same core workout as Pilates. My stomach muscles have never been the same since having three children, so the abdomen is a priority for me. I also experience lower back pain, which is why I’m making sure my core muscles stay strong as I age. I don’t want this pain to get worse.

During each of my workouts, I made sure to spend a couple of minutes waking up my core. This isn’t hard in Pilates - there are so many options. Some of my favourites are the Hundred, bird-dog exercise, dead bug, plank variations, and the teaser.

Georgia Weibel, Pilates instructor and founder of Sync With Georgia, says a key benefit of doing just 10 minutes of Pilates is that improvement in your core strength will filter into everyday life, whether that’s “walking, lifting, shopping or sitting at a desk”.

2. Better posture

Many of us are guilty of sitting down for hours at a time, hunched over desks, not moving our bodies enough. One of the benefits of a short Pilates workout is that “within a week or two, you'll feel taller and less tense across your shoulders and neck,” says Georgia. Focusing on your core also means your back and abdominal muscles become stronger, aiding your posture and helping to alleviate any aches and pains.

Georgia also adds that “on a deeper level, daily low impact movement improves circulation and lymphatic flow, which can reduce that heavy, sluggish feeling many women experience when they are stressed or sitting for long periods”.

3. Mental health benefits

The better something makes you feel, inside and out, the more you want to do it. This is what happened to me with this Pilates challenge. On the third day, my husband said to me, “You look very happy lying there” and he was right. I was happy. I was making time for myself, moving my body and feeling stronger. Georgia says even a “small but meaningful commitment to yourself” will build a “deeper sense of confidence and self-trust”.

The thing I’ve always loved about Pilates is that as I get stronger and better at it, I have to concentrate more on what I’m doing. The moves have become harder, and this means my brain can’t think about life’s other stresses, making it a great opportunity to switch off from the mental load.

Georgia explains: “The breathing patterns used in Pilates help activate the nervous system, which is the body’s calming response. It can reduce feelings of stress and help shift you out of 'fight or flight' mode that so many of us are in.”

Emma Mahama, a Pilates instructor who owns the Everybody Reformer studios in London, adds: “It also builds quiet confidence. As you get stronger and more connected to your body, you carry yourself differently, and that physical strength often translates into mental resilience.”

4. It doesn't get boring

I’ve never felt bored doing Pilates, but sometimes an hour-long class feels harder to do than on other days, and I definitely couldn’t do one every day. The great thing about only doing 10 minutes of Pilates is that it’s easy to make every day different. You’re usually left wanting more and never clock-watching.

There were a couple of days when I felt more tired, so I adapted the moves to fit how my body was feeling. I’d focus on slower moves like clams and glute bridges on slow days. On others, I used my weights to focus on strength-based moves like squats. Georgia says: “When women understand that their energy is not static across the month, movement becomes much more intuitive and sustainable.”

I also used the Peloton app to mix it up even more. There are loads of 10-minute classes on there, making it one of the best Pilates apps. Other apps and YouTube channels are available, offering similar classes and variety.

Pilates apps with 10-minute workouts

5. Improved motivation

Incorporating movement into your daily routine, even just 10 minutes, will have a positive impact on your energy levels. In turn, this will have a knock-on effect on other parts of your life. I always feel smug after I’ve done a workout or gone for a walk, and those endorphins give me a spring in my step for the next few hours. This often makes me work harder, eat better or just enjoy my day more!

The changes I was seeing in my body from these regular workouts also kept me motivated to keep going.

Emma says: “Ten minutes allows you to concentrate on the fundamentals, breath work, alignment, and proper muscle engagement, without feeling overwhelmed, and that consistency is what really creates change.”

6. It's still an intense workout

I may have given the impression that 10 minutes of Pilates every day is an easy option. Yes, it's not a 50-minute Reformer burner or one of my non-stop mat classes, but I could feel every second of the 10 minutes on the mat.

I wanted each minute to count, so on my more energetic days, I used my hand weights to increase the intensity in my squats and bird-dog exercise. I also used a set of resistance bands when focusing on my leg and glute exercises.

Emma says equipment like this can help you see more benefits from your practice. ​​”It adds variety and progressive challenge while still allowing you to keep movements controlled and precise. So while you don’t need large equipment to see results, a mat and a few small props can be a brilliant, affordable way to enhance your practice.”

What I learnt doing 10 minutes of Pilates every day

The first thing I’ll say is that I loved doing 10 minutes of Pilates a day. Just as you never regret a workout, I never came away from my session on the mat feeling worse. In fact, on a few occasions, I did more than 10 minutes because the time went so fast, and I was in the zone. I would go back to my desk feeling invigorated, taller and happier. My hips felt less tight, and my core felt stronger.

As I said above, variety is key. Adding in equipment when I was feeling more energised helped keep me motivated, but this isn’t essential. All you really need is a mat and a 10-minute window of time to move. If you’ve been doing Pilates for a long time, like me, then you probably don’t need to use a workout app to fill the time, but these can be really useful if you want to target a specific body part or need some inspiration from a professional.

If you’re new to Pilates, doing 10 minutes a day is a great place to start.

Is doing 10 minutes of Pilates enough?

Yes, definitely, I found that doing 10 minutes of Pilates every day was enough to see changes. The mental and posture benefits came within days, and I expect I'd see more within weeks. The experts agree. “For many women, especially in their 30s and beyond, shorter daily movement can actually be more sustainable than longer, high stress workouts," says Georgia.

"It keeps cortisol levels steadier, supports the nervous system and builds strength in a way that feels supportive rather than draining. Over time, that consistency really adds up," she says.

While it’s easy to vary your workouts if you’re doing 10 minutes a day, Emma recommends trying out longer classes too - either online or in-person. “Ideally, I’d recommend 20 to 45 minutes when you can, so you can work more fully through the body and challenge yourself in different ways,” she says.

“Different teachers bring different energy, cues, and programming styles, which can completely change how an exercise feels. It keeps you learning, challenged and stops you slipping into autopilot. My advice is to stay curious with it, try new variations, add small props, adjust the tempo. The beauty of Pilates is that it can evolve with you.”