When it’s cold outside and your body is stiff, one of the best ways to warm up is to move. Rather than layering up and going for a run, try these Pilates stretches to maintain your flexibility. Whether you’re at home in your flannel pajamas or you’ve ventured to the studio to use the Reformer, these moves will keep you warm throughout the winter.

Leg Circles

Engages: core, back, glutes, hips

Lying either on your back or your side, extend your legs straight out in front of you with your arms by your side, palms down. Raise one leg straight up to the ceiling and make circles in the air with your leg. You can make them as small or as large as you like –– smaller tends to be a bit easier, so go larger as you get stronger. Also, if you start with your leg at about a 45-degree angle and make smaller circles, that will add another degree of difficulty. Rotate clockwise, then counterclockwise, and then repeat on the other leg.

Plank to Pike

Engages: core, arms, hamstrings, calves

Starting in the high plank position, walk your hands to your feet so your body is bent at the waist. Hold for 2-3 seconds, then walk your hands back out to the plank again, holding for a couple of seconds before repeating.

A variation of this is called the Inchworm, which you would do across the floor. Instead of walking your hands back and forth and keeping your feet planted, you would start in the plank position and walk your feet to your hands for that folding bend. Then walk your hands to the plank position and repeat. You could do this across the length of a room several times.

Warrior 2 Lunges

Engages: glutes, hip flexors, quads, hamstrings, core, upper back, arms

Starting in Warrior 2 position –– in a low lunge, arms parallel to the ground, hips, and neck facing forward –– bring your back leg to meet your front leg. Then step back into a lunge and repeat. If you’re doing this on the Reformer, simply slide your leg in and out. Repeat on the other side.

Good Mornings

Engages: hamstrings, core, back

Standing tall, place your fingertips behind your ears. Hinge at the hips, keeping your legs straight (but don’t lock your knees), and continue lowering your back until you feel the stretch in your hamstrings (or until your back is parallel with the ground). Then stand back up and repeat. For an added challenge, hold a medicine ball to your chest and increase the weight as needed.

Cat-Cow

Engages: back, neck, core

Starting in tabletop position with your wrists under your shoulders and knees in line with your hips, arch your back up (like a frightened cat) and drop your neck. Hold for 3-5 seconds. Then dip your back down (like a cow’s back) and raise your neck, so you’re looking up. Hold for 3-5 seconds.

The Hundred

Engages: core, breath

One of the original exercises created by Mr. Pilates, this one focuses largely on breath as well as movement. To do this move, lie flat on your back, elevating your ankles and you neck slightly above the ground. Hold your arms at your sides, fingers pointing towards your feet, palms down. Start pumping your arms up and down in small movements. Exhale for a count of five, then inhale for a count of five and repeat till you’ve gotten to 100.

Side Plank-Hip Dips

Engages: core, back, hips, glutes, shoulders

Start on one side of your body, with your legs stacked and your elbow bent, in a side plank position. To add the hip dip, drop your hip to the floor, then raise it back up again. Once you’ve completed the reps on one side, switch to the other side.

Another variation is to start in a high or low plank position, then drop your hip to the right, then come back to the center, then drop to the left.

As people who live in the most relaxed cities in the United States know, maintaining physical and mental well-being are two of the best ways to reduce stress and live a happier life. Practicing Pilates contributes to both of those things. Clear your mind, erase your stress, get your blood flowing, and engage your muscles to stay active and healthy all winter.

Best Pilates Stretches for Cold Weather Flexibility