10 best Pilates apps to download for toning and strengthening full-body workouts

It's easy to start working out by following an app—all you need for most exercises is to follow a video, most of which offer explanations and how-tos so you can get going. But there are a lot of options in the app store, so picking the right one that serves your purpose is important—whether you want one that offers a variety of workouts, or one that lets you be a part of a community. Doing Pilates via an app is helpful, as a virtual trainer can help you keep count of the small movements and keep you moving through it. Though Pilates exercises are low impact, they are able to improve your mobility, stability and your posture, strengthening your muscles along the way. Here are 10 of our favourite Pilates apps that'll help you get your workout in.

1) Pilates Anytime

This app offers over 3,000 Pilates videos that have been designed to fit every kind of a practice. The workouts can be filtered by what you have on hand—a mat, resistance bands or weights, so you can take your pick. 

2) Lumowell

As you follow the tutorials regularly, the app even helps test your improvement through challenges and has features that help you track your progress and goals. You can also choose your workout flows based on the amount of time you have on hand—even if you just have five minutes to spare before your AM work call. 

3) Stretching & Pilates Sworkit 

Including active stretching to your fitness routine on a daily basis is crucial not just to improve recovery times—stretching is proven to reduce pain, improve your flexibility and amp up your practice. You can add faster paced Pilates workouts to your routine for a sweat session, or cool things down with a slower-paced stretching approach. 

4) 5 Minute Pilates Workouts

If you are short on time and looking for a quick introduction to get started with Pilates, this app offers super-short workout sessions with a timer to help you stay on track. The workouts come with 3D animations and are great for neophytes to follow. 

5) Butterfly Yoga and Pilates by Pattie Stafford

This app offers workouts that are a unique combination of Pilates, yoga, ballet and modern dance. You can track every set, rep, weight and rest time and has custom workouts to focus on different body parts and needs too. 

6) 30 Days of Pilates

Need to kickstart a fitness challenge? This app gives you a workout a day, for 30 days, and boasts efficient 20-40 minute sequences that will challenge as you move through them. 

7) Pilatesology

While mat Pilates is the easiest kind to follow through while at home, if you have access to a reformer or Wunda Chair, you can follow these workouts for a more traditional take. For those wanting to get the benefits of these hi-tech workouts sans the tools, there are modifications you can follow with simple furniture at home (like a desk and chair). 

8) Fitcam 

Not sure you're holding your plank low enough or squatting at the right angle? This AI-powered app allows you to film your body as you do Pilates or yoga workouts, so you can track all your movements and get real-time suggestions for modifications and changes. 

9) Melissa Wood Health

The MWH method is a series of slow controlled, low impact movements that promise to sculpt long lean lines throughout your body through daily video workouts by a celebrity trainer, Melissa Wood Tepperberg. 

10) Postnatal Pilates

Pilates is a great post-pregnancy workout as it helps you tone and strengthen without causing injury. All sequences on this app contain specific exercises that help to build abdominal and lower back strength that assist with recovery from pregnancy and childbirth. 

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