Kate Hudson just made a tough Pilates move look easy — here's how to try it at home

Kate Hudson just made a tough Pilates move look easy — here's how to try it at home

Kate Hudson has a history of sparking some serious sweat envy on social media, whether she's doing a hanging plank pose or pushing a sled like it's NBD. The actress recently showed off her impressive Pilates skills in a video on TikTok that low-key defies the laws of gravity and makes a hard core move look downright easy. (Remember that booty-burning workout she did in Greece? Yes, exactly.)

Hudson shared a video of herself nailing a dynamic move — transitioning from a plank to a pike pose — on a Pilates reformer machine during a recent session at Heartcore in London. In the quick clip, the Knives Out 2 star holds a plank pose and grips the flat stationary base at the top of the machine with one hand on either side. Next, she engages her core and lifts her hips to bring her straight legs into a skewer position, pausing for a brief hold before lowering herself back onto a plank on the reformer's moving cart—moving at a slow, steady pace.

Based on Hudson's audible "ugh!" By the end of the clip, the movement is clearly intense. It's actually a reformer-based Pilates movement that requires a lot of control to avoid injury, says Helen O'Leary, a physical therapist and Pilates instructor and director at London-based Complete Pilates. It "challenges shoulder stability and core control and uses the entire body to move smoothly from one position to another," she notes.

“It's quite an advanced and challenging exercise,” adds Ana Stefan, a Dublin-based strength and mobility coach and Pilates instructor. “[Hudson] looks easy,” Stefan says.

ICYDK, Pilates involves movements designed to strengthen, stretch, and balance the body based on the corrective exercise system invented by Joseph Hubertus Pilates in the 1920s. The exercises focus on stability and control, working tiny muscles that other training methods may not target. These days, you can practice mat Pilates with props like dumbbells and resistance bands, or reformer-based Pilates that uses a machine, like Hudson did in her recent TikTok. (Read more: How to Use a Pilates Reformer for Beginners)

Are you wondering how the huge machine actually works? “The reformer’s movable carriage and variable spring settings create many opportunities to challenge the body,” notes O’Leary. "For example, movements performed on the unstable surface of the sled combined with a light [resistance] spring are great for strengthening the body's deep stabilizing muscles," she explains, adding that reformer Pilates exercises promote better balance and coordination.

“Other key features of the reformer, such as the straps and pulleys, are designed to improve mobility, flexibility and range of motion, and are particularly effective at doing so,” she adds. "Elements such as the adjustable spring tension make Pilates on the reformer usable for everyone. This includes beginners, pregnant women and people with injuries."

In addition to improving flexibility and flexibility, Pilates also promotes coordination and breathing, explains Stefan. Not to mention, it's a serious muscle builder. “You’ll feel muscles you didn’t know you had,” she says.

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Curious about reaping the benefits of Pilates for yourself? If you don't have access to a home Pilates studio or reformer, don't worry. You can replicate the move Hudson demonstrated at home with a few essential pieces of equipment you probably already have on hand.

"Someone could replicate this move at home by placing a yoga ball under their feet in a plank position, pressing down through their hands and feet, lifting their hips, keeping their legs straight and creating a pike," says O'Leary. “You can also do this with a foam roller instead of a yoga ball or something like a small towel under your toes on a smooth surface.”

Stefan recommends wearing socks and using sliding discs on a wood floor or other surface you can slide on to challenge the same muscles as Hudson. “Get into a plank position, stabilize your shoulders, and use your core to push your legs in and out,” she says.

Are you feeling inspired? Try the move at home if you already have experience with these Pilates exercises, or sign up for a class to learn the basics from a professional. (Next: Check out this all-inclusive guide to Pilates.)