25 Pilates goals for the mat, the reformer and a 30 day challenge

Pilates goals for beginners

Beginner goals are about learning to breathe and hold your position before adding anything hard. Yoga goals start from a similar place, with more holding and less repeating.

• Take 2 classes a week for 6 weeks.
• Breathe into the sides of your ribs for a whole class.
• Find a neutral spine lying down, on all fours and standing.
• Do the hundred with your knees bent.
• Follow a 20 minute mat class at home without pausing it.

Pilates mat exercise goals

Mat goals name one exercise and the clean version of it you are aiming for.

• Do the hundred with straight legs: 100 arm pumps without a rest.
• Do 5 roll ups with no jerk and no momentum.
• Hold a teaser for 5 breaths.
• Hold a side plank for 45 seconds on each side.
• Learn a sequence of 10 mat exercises by heart.

Reformer and studio goals

Studio goals are firsts and counts: the first class, then enough classes for the machine to feel familiar.

• Take a first reformer class.
• Take 10 reformer classes.
• Set up the reformer yourself, springs and straps included.
• Finish an intermediate class without stopping.
• Book one private session every 3 months to check your form.

30 day Pilates challenges

A day-count challenge suits Pilates because a session can be 10 minutes on a mat at home.

• Do 10 minutes of Pilates a day for 30 days.
• Follow a 28 day wall Pilates plan, one session a day.
• Take 12 classes in 30 days.
• Do 5 minutes of mat work before breakfast for 21 days.
• Practise one exercise a day for 30 days, a different one each week.

Posture and long term goals

Long goals take the control you build on the mat out into the day. If range of motion is what you are after, flexibility goals measure it directly.

• Sit tall without a backrest for 30 minutes.
• Stand on one leg for 60 seconds on each side.
• Take 100 classes in a year.
• Move up one level of class and stay there for a term.
• Teach one exercise to a friend.

What is a good Pilates goal?

A good Pilates goal is specific about what clean looks like. A review of 35 years of goal research found that specific, hard goals lead to higher performance than being told to do your best. "Get a stronger core" cannot be checked. "5 roll ups with no momentum" can, and so can "12 classes in 30 days".

Pair one exercise goal with one attendance goal. The exercise tells you what to work on. The count makes sure you are in the room to work on it.

Then decide when it happens. Research on if-then plans found a medium to large effect on follow-through from choosing the time and place in advance. "After I make coffee, I do 10 minutes on the mat" is a plan. "I will do more Pilates" is not.

How to track Pilates goals

Tick off every session the day you do it. A review of 138 studies found that people who monitored their progress reached their goals more often, and that recording it beat keeping it in your head.

Sessions are a day count. A short block like a 21 day challenge is a good first test before you commit to a year. Classes and minutes are amounts, if you prefer a total.

Pilates changes are small and slow to notice. A picture that fills up one session at a time lets you see the practice even when you cannot see the result yet.

Frequently asked questions

What are examples of Pilates goals?

Take 2 classes a week for 6 weeks. Do the hundred with straight legs. Do 5 roll ups with no momentum. Take 12 classes in 30 days. Each one is clear enough that you know when it is done.

What is a good Pilates goal for a beginner?

Two classes a week for 6 weeks, with one thing to practise in each: breathing into the ribs. Exercises like the teaser can wait until the basics feel steady.

Does wall Pilates count toward a Pilates goal?

Yes. A goal is about the sessions you do, and a 28 day wall Pilates plan is 28 sessions. Count each one the same way you would count a studio class.