Reformer, step aside - I did Pilates ring exercises to boost core strength, and I haven't looked back

If you've never done Pilates ring exercises before, however, you wouldn't be judged for looking at them with confusion. This simple plastic ring doesn't look like much, but trust me, after a few movements, you'll know why it's a must-have accessory for Pilates devotees.

As a mum of two heading into middle age, doing a Pilates home workout has helped me stay strong, and I'm enjoying its mental and physical benefits more now than ever before, as I'm able to do more advanced moves. With this, I've started to introduce new equipment into my routine, aside from my trusty thick yoga mat.

But until recently, a Pilates ring - otherwise known as a Pilates Circle or Magic Circle - wasn't part of my collection. ‘Magic’ was surely in the name because it would help tone me up and transform my core strength in extra fast time, right? Maybe not, but I soon found that putting in hard work with this equipment was well worth it.

What is a Pilates ring?

Designed by Joseph Pilates, a Pilates ring is a circular and flexible product with cushioned handles or pads on either side. It comes in a variety of diameters, but the most common are 12 inch or 14 inch. The rings are also available in different resistance levels, depending on your experience level.

These rings are small, cheap and easy to store and carry. I bought my Phoenix ring from Amazon for £11.99 for my Pilates abs workouts, which I thought was a great price. It comes in a few colours - I chose pink as I wanted my ring to match my other Pilates essentials. It’s very light, easy to carry to classes, and small enough to keep in the cupboard under my stairs.

No one wants more stuff cluttering up their home - but a Pilates ring is worth the storage space. "Using a ring can improve flexibility, strength and muscle tone as it targets the arms, legs, and core, helping to enhance overall muscle engagement and stability,” says Michelle D’Onofrio, a Pilates instructor at Yatta Studio.

It's designed to connect parts of the body and make the muscles work harder. For example, squeezing the ring between your inner thighs activates your adductor and abductor muscles more so than other glute exercises.

I tried Pilates ring exercises

I'm a Pilates regular, but I'm aware that I could get complacent in my routine and do the same core exercises at home over and over, so I picked up a Pilates ring to push myself a bit more.

To make sure I was on the right track, I spoke to Pilates experts, who suggested I start with these five Pilates ring exercises.

1. The Hundred

• Lie down on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing down.
• Curl your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat toward your knees.
• Stretch your legs out at a 45-degree angle.
• Scoop in your stomach muscles.
• Lift your arms to hip height and vigorously pump them up and down, aiming for five pumps on the inhale and five pumps on the exhale.

D’Onofrio recommended that I squeeze the ring between my ankles while pumping my arms up and down in this exercise. It proved to be something of a feat of coordination for me, and it definitely took me a few days to get the hang of it. Inhaling in and out for a count of five helped me focus on doing it properly.

Once I got to grips with doing everything all at once, I really felt the difference. I was feeling it in my legs more than my core for the first time. It truly felt like a full-body workout. My arms were tired from pumping, my core burning from holding my legs out, and my legs and glutes aching from pressing the ring.

In the first week, I could barely press the ring at all. It felt like an achievement to hold it in place with my feet while breathing and pumping. During the second week, I could balance the ring and pulse on it gently. My upper and lower legs hurt, and doing it for the duration of the Hundred was tough.

Towards the end of the week, it started to feel easier if I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breath. I think this move will require some more practice on my part.

If having your legs straight is too challenging, you can do this in a tabletop position and press the ring between your thighs instead.

2. Roll Up

• Lie on your back on a mat holding the ring between your hands with your arms extended over your head. Press tension into the ring to connect your arms into your back.
• Lift your arms up until your wrists are in line with your shoulders, then slowly begin to curl your upper body forwards and up, tucking your chin towards your chest. Round your extended arms forward over your legs as you draw your ribs away from your shirt.
• Roll back with control, continuing to press into the ring as you lower back down to the mat.
• Repeat 8-10 times.

I can always feel my core working hard when I do a Roll Up, but it was great to feel my arms and shoulders working too. Doing these felt like a calm yet intense full body workout.

I struggled to press very hard on the ring during my first week because I wasn’t used to coordinating my core and arm muscles. It hurt quite a lot, and I could feel my arms starting to bend as I reached the end of my reps. However, I loved the fact that it made me sit up so much straighter and also stretch further over my feet at the end.

In the second week, my shoulders felt stronger, and I could also feel my triceps working harder as I pressed the ring. I was able to reach higher at the top and maintain my form. It’s easy to rush a Roll Up, but having the ring made me slow down and focus on keeping my arms and legs straight and strong.

3. Press up

• Start in the half press up-position with your hips raised.
• Place the ring cushion under your chest and the other cushion on the mat.
• Lower yourself down slowly, pause at the bottom and lift back up again.
• Repeat 10 times.

I usually find that my arms tire quickly when doing press-ups, and I can only ever manage to do about five. However, I immediately found them easier to do when using the Pilates ring. I didn’t have to think about my hips sagging because they were supported. I could also feel my core working hard, rather than just my arms and shoulders.

In the first week of trying this every other day, I found that I still didn’t have the strength to squeeze the ring much, but I felt so much more comfortable doing the exercise. In the second week, my confidence grew. I could bend my elbows and lower myself closer to the mat more easily.

My core and back felt a lot stronger, and my shoulders were also feeling less shaky. I could do 10 press-ups relatively easily, and I was consciously pressing the ring, rather than leaning on it. My next goal is to maintain this form when doing press-ups without a ring.

The ring could also be used when doing the plank and full press-ups, but if you have any back or shoulder issues, you should consult a doctor or physio first.

4. Glute bridge

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat and arms straight by your sides.
• Place the ring between your thighs, above your knees with your legs hip width apart.
• Squeeze on the ring and maintain this tension as you lift your hips upwards.
• Pause at the top and then slowly lower your hips to the mat.

Adding the ring to my practice really intensified this exercise and, like with the press-ups, helped me improve my form. It ensured my hips and thighs were in the right position, and pressing on the ring made me slow down and focus on my breathing as I lifted and then lowered my hips.

I get really tight hamstrings from sitting down to work a lot, but I could feel the ring making them work harder, as well as my glutes and adductors.

I did three sets of 10 reps of these, with a rest between each set, and the next day I could really feel that I had worked my glutes.

I increased it to 4 sets of 10 reps, which I found quite difficult as my muscles were fatigued from the first week. However, it felt good to feel my adductors working hard, and I noticed I could lift my hips much higher. After two weeks of doing this exercise, my buttocks felt stronger and more toned. I also had less lower back pain from sitting, and found it to be one of the better knee exercises to do in Pilates as well.

If you find that your knees tend to move inwards when you do a glute bridge, try putting the ring around your legs to press outwards to prevent this from happening.

5. Clamshell exercise

• Lie on your side on the mat with your hips stacked and the ring between your thighs.
• Exhale to draw your thighs together and squeeze the ring. Hold for a breath.
• Release with control. Repeat 10-12 times on each side.

Adding the ring to the clamshell exercise proved to be another glute burner for me during my two-week experiment. I found that my glutes and inner thighs tired much faster, and in the first week, I struggled to press down very hard on the ring. I just wasn’t used to having that resistance there.

Again, it slowed me down as I did the reps and also made me focus on my breath more. I found that it worked my inner thighs more intensely than without the ring, but it was less noticeable with my glutes. It also stopped me from ‘fluttering’ my top leg, which I'm inclined to do without the ring, as I have loose hip joints which over-extend.

This exercise, coupled with the glute bridge, meant that by the end of the second week, my thighs and bum felt tired but strong.

The w&h verdict

I really loved incorporating the ring into my Pilates practice. It felt like every part of my body was working harder, and I was in tune with my body. It made me slow down and make the most of every rep, and also focus on my breathwork a lot more. My arms, inner thighs, and glutes especially felt stronger and more toned.

I’d now like to try some more moves to work on my obliques and perhaps some back exercises, too.

How do you use a Pilates ring?

• Start slow: O’Donofrio recommends beginning with simple exercises to make sure you’re using it correctly.
• Engage your core: O’Donofrio also says you should keep your core engaged throughout the exercises.
• Place it between your inner thighs: Dadoun says using the ring in this position will strengthen your adductors and activate your core.
• Put the ring between your hands: This helps increase resistance when doing upper body and chest exercises, says Dadoun.
• Press lightly: You don’t need to bend the circle into an oval shape when doing an exercise. In fact, I’d only be able to do one or two reps if I were pressing it that hard. Instead, just add small presses onto the ring at regular intervals as you move the rest of your body. As you get stronger, you’ll be able to gradually press harder and increase the reps.

Benefits of using a Pilates ring

• Enhances muscle activation: O’Donofrio says the ring “provides resistance to strengthen muscles, especially in the arms, legs and core”. It will also work more muscles than doing the exercise without a ring, such as the Hundred above.
• Increases flexibility and range of motion: Rebecca Dadoun, a certified Pilates teacher and the founder of Pilates Prescription, says the ring “effectively ‘closes the chain’ meaning you’re pressing into something which enhances stability, focus, and muscle engagement throughout the body.”
• Core awareness: Dadoun says the ring helps deepen your connection to your core and creates resistance without using heavy weights. Focusing on your breathing will also help you engage your core. A study in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies found that using a Pilates ring resulted in more core activation during the Pilates Hundred than using a Pilates ball or no prop at all.
• You can add it to most exercises: Whether it’s the dreaded side plank or a glute bridge, many exercises benefit from the addition of the ring. It can also help with moves you struggle with, such as a press-up or a plank, as it can give you extra support until you’re ready to remove it.
• Improves cardiovascular health: Using a ring is a challenge, so it will make your heart and muscles work harder, which will help improve your stamina and overall health.