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mbg moves: A 5-Minute Pilates HIIT Workout You Can Do Anytime

Author:

Jules Bakshi & Gabi Cortez

May 31, 2021

Fitness Instructors

By Jules Bakshi & Gabi Cortez

Fitness Instructors

Jules Bakshi is the founder and CEO of GOOD MOVE fitness studio, a choreographer, educator, Pilates instructor, and integrative nutrition health coach. Gabi Cortez is the Chief of Operations at GOOD MOVE, as well as a Yoga, Pilates, and dance instructor.

Image by Andreas von Scheele

May 31, 2021

Welcome to mbg moves! We've been working out at home more than ever lately—and we know our readers are, too. To help keep your fitness routine feeling fresh, we're releasing a new at-home workout every Monday to start your week off strong. Each month will feature routines from a different incredible trainer we adore. Now, let's get moving with our spotlight trainers: Jules Bakshi and Gabi Cortez.

The terms HIIT and Pilates may not seem like they go together, but we're here to tell you it's totally possible to get in a lovely heart-pumping, mindful movement routine in just a few minutes. Here, we take you through a HIIT series that will build heat and strength all at once. Not to mention, you'll break a major sweat.

Like with all of our routines, it's important that you feel empowered to modify the movements and do exactly what feels right for your body. If you need to slow down the pace or take a different variation, that's absolutely fine.

While you'll certainly feel a burn after just one round of this five-minute series, we encourage you to repeat the routine as many times as your body is asking for.

Your 4-week challenge: Every week this month (keep an eye out for a new workout every Monday), we'll be sharing a routine that focuses on promoting mindfulness and mental health. By the end of the month, we encourage you to make this type of freeing movement part of your regular routine—whether that's one day a week, three, or even daily.

Summary

Time: 5 minutes • Equipment: Yoga mat • Instructions: Move from one exercise to the next, following the movement prompts. Complete each movement for 1 minute, or about 8 to 10 reps. Take a 15- to 30-second rest in between each sequence. Repeat the routine as many times as you'd like for a full workout.

Squat to heel lift

Image by mbg creative

Start standing, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Heels are slightly turned in.
Slowly sit your tailbone back and down, sinking weight into the heels, lowering into a squat.
Press through your heels, and squeeze the glutes as you stand up.
Then, lift your heels up, coming onto your toes.
That's one full round. Continue for 1 minute.

Squat touch to pushup

Image by mbg creative

Start standing, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Heels are slightly turned in.
Hop your feet outward while dropping your arm down to touch the ground with your fingertips. Quickly jump back to start, and repeat 2 more times.
Then, drop your hands down to the mat, and crawl out to a high-plank position.
Engage your core, bend your elbows, and move through a pushup.
Crawl back to your starting position. That's one full round. Continue for 1 minute.

Plank with hip dip to side plank

Image by mbg creative

Come into a forearm plank position, engaging your core while pressing your forearms and hands into the mat.
With control, dip your hips to one side, then use your obliques to bring you back to the starting position. Complete this movement on the other side. Then repeat once more on each side (four dips total).
On the fourth hip dip, press into one forearm, then peel the opposite arm toward the sky, coming into a side plank. Hold for a breath, then repeat on the other side.
That's one full round. Continue for 1 minute.

Curtsy squat to kick

Image by mbg creative

Start standing, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Heels are slightly turned in.
Step your left foot behind your body. Hinge at your hips and bend both knees, dropping down into a curtsy lunge.
From here, press through your right heel and kick your left leg to the side—or come back to a standing position.
Then, repeat this sequence on the opposite side.
That's one full round. Continue for 1 minute.