{"id":447,"date":"2026-10-04T12:19:51","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T12:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/04\/bookmark-this-five-minute-workout-recommended-by-a-pilates-instructor-for-your-next-exercise-snack\/"},"modified":"2026-10-04T12:19:51","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T12:19:51","slug":"bookmark-this-five-minute-workout-recommended-by-a-pilates-instructor-for-your-next-exercise-snack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/04\/bookmark-this-five-minute-workout-recommended-by-a-pilates-instructor-for-your-next-exercise-snack\/","title":{"rendered":"Bookmark this five-minute workout recommended by a Pilates instructor for your next exercise snack"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-83b3bf7e-bb45-11f1-9553-639d92d5e72d\">If you can\u2019t fit a full workout into your day, that doesn\u2019t mean you have to forget about movement altogether.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, exercise snacks\u2014short bursts of movement throughout the day\u2014are a great way to improve your overall health, particularly if you spend a lot of time sitting down.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-article-category=\"exercise\" data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"ecom-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-83b3bf7e-bb45-11f1-9553-639d92d5e72d-2\">Try this five-minute routine from Pilates instructor and Barre coach <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/go.redirectingat.com?id=92X1626907&amp;xcust=fitandwell_gb_5443822318596570625&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fvanessamichielon%2F&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fitandwell.com\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vanessamichielon\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" data-hl-processed=\"skimlinks\" data-article-category=\"exercise\" data-google-interstitial=\"false\" data-placeholder-url=\"https:\/\/go.redirectingat.com?id=92X1626907&amp;xcust=hawk-custom-tracking&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fvanessamichielon%2F&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fitandwell.com\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\">Vanessa Michielon<\/a> to help you activate your core, shoulders and glutes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel=\"\" data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;whitenStickyLogo&quot;:false,&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;pDbGjGJS&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;KVfDiUDl&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_KVfDiUDl_pDbGjGJS_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;KVfDiUDl&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_KVfDiUDl_pDbGjGJS_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;9KbPLrT+TRWbnkTnK6AhcPX6ZLpePRyCvjQtXxw+SyspCJ4V&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:false,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header=\"\">\n<p><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-mobile\"\/><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand\">Fit&amp;Well<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a id=\"elk-how-to-do-this-exercise-snack-five-minute-pilates-workout\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-how-to-do-this-exercise-snack-five-minute-pilates-workout\"><span>How to do this \u201cexercise snack\u201d five-minute Pilates workout<\/span><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"elk-DdLiITNCnZT\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-83b3c06e-bb45-11f1-80d9-5948856c62b3\">The short workout is essentially made up of four exercise positions. We break down the moves below.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-1-plank-knee-drives\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-1-plank-knee-drives\"><span>1. Plank knee drives<\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-83b3c14a-bb45-11f1-945a-81b43b688c6e\">\u201cThis is a great way to prepare the whole body for the sequence ahead, activating your core, shoulders and hip flexors while warming up the body through a dynamic, weight-bearing movement,\u201d says Michielon.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\"><span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-[#333]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-[#333]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-normal&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><br \/>\n        <\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe cross-body action also challenges coordination and control through the trunk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to do it:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-XxzJsUiyytkjobHUs7qjoZ\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-XxzJsUiyytkjobHUs7qjoZ slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Reps: <\/strong>5 each side<\/p>\n<ul id=\"elk-83b3c1ae-bb45-11f1-a0f9-8716373ac794\">\n<li>Start in a high plank with your hands and toes on the floor and your body in one long line.<\/li>\n<li>Slowly drive your right knee toward your right shoulder, then toward your left shoulder, creating a gentle rotation through the hip.<\/li>\n<li>Extend your right leg back and bring your foot down into the plank position.<\/li>\n<li>Alternate sides, keeping your shoulders stable and your pelvis as level as possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"elk-83b3c212-bb45-11f1-be9e-03935c494658\"><strong>How to modify this movement:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor a more gentle variation you can start from an all four position and always keep one knee on the ground when the other leg moves,\u201d Michielon suggests.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\"><span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-[#333]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-[#333]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-normal&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><br \/>\n        <\/aside>\n<p><a id=\"elk-2-kneeling-forearm-foldover-with-leg-extension\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-2-kneeling-forearm-foldover-with-leg-extension\"><span>2. Kneeling forearm foldover with leg extension<\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-83b3c2e4-bb45-11f1-8175-e58be863e507\">\u201cThis is a brilliant combination for your deep core, glutes and shoulders, challenging you to stabilize the trunk while the leg moves through different directions, mobilizing the hip,\u201d Michielon explains.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe repeated knee drive adds a dynamic core challenge, while the long leg extension strengthens your glutes and posterior chain,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to do it:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Reps: <\/strong>10 each side<\/p>\n<ul id=\"elk-83b3c352-bb45-11f1-86f0-8b4273d2d2db\">\n<li>Start on your forearms and knees, with your elbows underneath your shoulders and your spine straight.<\/li>\n<li>Turn the fingertips of your left hand toward your right elbow.<\/li>\n<li>Lift your right forearm off the ground and place your right palm flat in a press-up position toward the right side of your mat.<\/li>\n<li>Extend your right leg behind you, then draw your right knee toward your right shoulder.<\/li>\n<li>From here, extend your leg back and up.<\/li>\n<li>Keeping your right leg straight, slowly lower it and tap the floor.<\/li>\n<li>Lift your right leg back up and draw the knee toward the shoulder to begin the next repetition.<\/li>\n<li>Complete 10 repetitions, then repeat on the opposite side.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"elk-83b3c3b6-bb45-11f1-86c7-0d766e776ed1\"><strong>How to modify this movement:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Stick to the first part of the movement only, simply drawing the knee in and out.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-3-kneeling-side-kick\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-3-kneeling-side-kick\"><span>3. Kneeling side kick<\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-83b3c4e2-bb45-11f1-94a0-9d518ba59408\">\u201cThis strengthens your mid glutes and outer hips, and stretches your hamstrings and hip flexors, while your supporting shoulder and core work continuously to stabilize your body,\u201d says Michielon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe combination of controlled kicks, pulses and bicycles challenges muscular endurance and hip stability while also improving coordination.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to do it:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Reps: <\/strong>8 sweeps followed by 10 small pulses and 8 bicycles, each side<\/p>\n<ul id=\"elk-83b3c546-bb45-11f1-8a39-bd4737856229\">\n<li>Start on your forearms and knees, with your elbows underneath your shoulders and your spine straight.<\/li>\n<li>Keep your left forearm on the floor and turn your hips to face the right.<\/li>\n<li>Lift your right arm toward the ceiling or place it on your right hip.<\/li>\n<li>Extend your right leg in line with your hip height.<\/li>\n<li>Keeping your pelvis stable, sweep your leg forward and back with control.<\/li>\n<li>After completing eight repetitions, perform 10 smaller pulses back and forth.<\/li>\n<li>Next, bicycle your leg eight times by bending your knee into your body, then stretching it back out again, repeating this in a circular motion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"elk-83b3c5b4-bb45-11f1-abc5-99178a870a30\"><strong>How to modify this movement:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For a more supported version, lay your left hip on the floor and keep your left knee bent.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-4-side-plank-with-rotation\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-4-side-plank-with-rotation\"><span>4. Side plank with rotation<\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-83b3c6ea-bb45-11f1-94e8-e97ccec36a49\">\u201cThis is a powerful full-body movement that combines core and shoulder stability with rotational strength,\u201d Michielon explains.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt particularly challenges the obliques and lateral core while the shoulder and glutes work to keep you stable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe rotation also encourages mobility through the upper back while maintaining control through the pelvis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to do it:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Reps:<\/strong> 8 followed by an 8-second hold, each side<\/p>\n<ul id=\"elk-83b3c74e-bb45-11f1-8381-cf752e9ba1bc\">\n<li>Move into a side plank with your left hand underneath your left shoulder and your legs extended.<\/li>\n<li>Lift your hips, creating one long line through your body.<\/li>\n<li>Reach your right arm up.<\/li>\n<li>Rotate through your chest, threading your right arm underneath your body while keeping your hips still.<\/li>\n<li>Return to the starting position, opening your chest toward the ceiling.<\/li>\n<li>Finish with a side plank hold or balance, then repeat on the other side.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"elk-83b3c7b2-bb45-11f1-94b7-e378fed76e4c\"><strong>How to modify this movement:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For a more gentle version for the wrists, keep your left forearm down instead of extending the bottom arm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you can\u2019t fit a full workout into your day, that doesn\u2019t mean you have to forget about movement altogether. In fact, exercise snacks\u2014short bursts of movement throughout the day\u2014are a great way to improve your overall health, particularly if you spend a lot of time sitting down. Try this five-minute routine from Pilates instructor [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-workout"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=447"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}