Pilates is designed to tone your body, and it makes everything longer and leaner—except your booty. That's the one area that Pilates will both tone and perk up! Here’s one of my go-to exercises that will get your whole backside:
Bridge Lift and Pulse
Lie on your back with your knees bent so that your feet are flat on the ground
Slowly scoop your abs and roll your hips up, peeling up your spine one vertebrate at a time until your hips are all the way up in the air
Make sure you are squeezing your glutes, then slowly roll back down, one vertebrate at a time
Repeat rolling up and down, the slower the better
After about 5 reps, once your hips are all the way lifted off the ground, lift one leg straight up in the air, keeping your hips level
Keep that leg straight, tight and contracted and then lift and lower (your foot will go from pointing straight up to the sky then down to point straight across the room
After about 15 reps, point your toes up to the sky and pulse your hips about 1 inch up and down and repeat about 20 times, or until your glutes feel fatigued
Then switch to the other leg and repeat
You can repeat this exercise as many times as needed to really feel the burn
*To intensify this exercise, you can put your base leg on a ball, foam roller, or some kind of elevated platform such as a block