Learning to engage your core and glutes doesn’t just protect your lower back from injury; it will also help you feel an exercise in all the right places. After all, if you don’t use a muscle, how do you expect to make it grow or get stronger?
Luckily for Pilates beginners, Pilates instructor James Shaw has one essential exercise he uses to fire up your core and butt for your next session on the mat, and it merely takes a minute or two of your time. For this exercise to feel comfortable, one of the best yoga mats is recommended, but besides that, you don’t need equipment.
Here’s what he recommends for all ages and levels, along with step-by-step instructions.
The exercise for strong abs and glutes, according to a Pilates teacher
Forget sit-ups, crunches, or Russian twists: this is the move to try the next time your glutes and abs need help firing up.
"One of my go-to beginner classical Pilates exercises to fire up both the glutes and abs is the side kicks series,” says Shaw. “It’s a brilliant classical movement that builds what I like to call the feet-to-seat connection, teaching you to move the legs from your powerhouse (the core) while keeping the pelvis stable.
“It strengthens the outer hips, glutes and thighs, while the abdominals work to keep everything steady and supported.”
How to do it:
- Lie on your side with shoulders and hips aligned along the back edge of the mat.
- Place your top hand in front of your chest for light support.
- Lift both feet slightly and bring them forward so you can just see your toes.
For the forward and back exercise, Shaw instructs: "Flex the foot and kick the top leg forward with two small pulses to stretch the hamstrings. Then point the toe and sweep the leg back behind you, opening through the hip flexors. Keep the torso still and maintain a stable pelvis throughout."
Next, try the up and down exercise. "Point the foot to lift the leg as high as you can without rocking the pelvis. Flex the foot to lower it down to the arch of the bottom foot, keeping the ribs lifted and heel reaching long," he says.
Finally, try small circles. "Lift the top leg to hip height and make small, controlled circles — about the size of a dinner plate — one way, then the other. Pause between each one to stay precise."
Shaw advises including the side kicks series as part of a full beginner’s classical Pilates repertoire, which "helps to integrate and strengthen the whole body."
But if you only have time for one exercise, aim for 8–10 repetitions of each variation on both sides, three times per week.
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