6 of Kate Hudson's Best Pilates Moves on Instagram—and Why You Should Try Each One

Long before boutique fitness classes and wellness influencers came into existence, there was Kate Hudson and her Pilates reformer. The actress-slash-Fabletics founder is an unofficial spokesman for her favorite workout. As she told SELF last year, "Nothing, literally nothing, makes me feel like I'm back to my body more than Pilates. I'll travel, and I'll go for a run or I'll Spin. But when I go home and get on the reformer or the Cadillac, my body immediately goes back. I can see an instant shift."

We've pulled a few of Hudson's best #PilatesLover photos on Instagram, and asked experts to break down each move.

"Intense" isn't the first word that comes to mind when we think of Pilates (in a good way—the workout is famously low-impact), but this badass video of Hudson from longtime trainer Nicole Stuart is definitely next-level. One caution: This advanced move is not for anyone with neck herniations, Lesly Levy, senior instructor at Uptown Pilates, tells SELF. Try this one out if you're working toward better posture: Levy says this move teaches "spinal articulation," a.k.a. proper form. The slow, controlled hip lift is key here—keep your knees bent over the bar and your hips high throughout.

Hudson may have a studio's worth of Pilates equipment at home, but there are plenty of moves you can do even in your Reformer-free apartment. Here, she works through slow scissor kicks, simply lifting up each (completely straight) leg to help strengthen her core and fire up her abs. "Pilates scissors are great for targeting all of the abdominals for stability, and for strengthening and stretching the legs and hips," Pilates and movement specialist Jared Kaplan, C.P.T., founder of Studio 26 in NYC, previously told SELF. Don't worry if you can't get your legs quite so high as Kate!

Hudson herself calls this move "advanced," but anyone who's taken a Pilates class will recognize the Frog. Benefits included toning the glutes, strengthening the inner thighs and core, improved coordination, and stability, Pilates master instructor Cary Regan tells SELF.

This dreaded glutes move targets the booty muscles for a seriously tough workout. Keep your leg straight and foot flexed, and lift, lift, lift. Not only did this move give Hudson a #DonkeyKickMeltdown, it's Busy Phillips' least favorite butt exercise. Even if no one enjoys this move, your glutes will thank you for giving it a try.

Hudson pilate-fied her squat practice by holding on to the Cadillac handlebars, letting her go deeper into the movement. Bonus: Those hand-holds mean she got to work in a arm-strengthening exercise as well as core and glutes work. Double bonus: She's managing to smile through it.

The Pilates pull-ups have many benefits opposed to regular push-ups," senior Pilates instructor Nicole Lichau tells SELF. "It increases core stability, stretches the back, and strengthens the back, arms and legs all while working with the breath. Gravity is pulling you in a different way than on the ground so the resistance is coming from a different place." Also, as Hudson would be the first to tell you, it makes for a really great photo op.

Related:

• Kate Hudson’s Trainer Shares Her 5 Best Fitness Tips
• 5 Things to Know Before You Take Pilates Classes
• 15 Exercises for Lower Abs That Will Set Your Core on Fire