While it can be very satisfying to power through a workout at a fast pace, when it comes to your core sessions, sticking to slow and controlled movements can be as or even more effective in building strength.
Control is a central element of Pilates workouts in particular, with the breath used to help guide you through movements and a constant focus on engaging the right muscles to drive each exercise. It’s a great way to work your deep core muscles and build functional strength that acts as the foundation for your everyday movements.
This 15-minute workout from Pilates instructor Lilly Sabri keeps things slow throughout but having tried the session myself I can confirm it is effective in engaging your abs, glutes and lower back.
You don’t need any kit for the workout aside from one of the best yoga mats, and you can make it part of your training routine as a standalone session or add it on at the end of a wider workout, to stretch and strengthen your core.
Watch Lilly Sabri’s 15-minute Pilates workout
There are 14 exercises in the workout and you do each for around a minute. Sabri takes a loose approach with the timing of the moves, explaining how to do them at the start of each minute.
Sabri also does the workout with you and provides very detailed and useful instructions on how to perform each exercise perfectly. Make sure you can see and hear your screen to follow her form and advice, because it will help you get a lot more out of the move by ensuring you’re engaging the right muscles.
I slipped the workout in one lunchtime and was impressed by how much it felt like I’d achieved even while moving quite slowly for just 15 minutes. Here are my main takeaways from the session.
It’s all slow and controlled
I’ve gone on about this already, but the session really is done at a more stately pace than your average YouTube core workout, to the point where it’s almost relaxing at times, even as you build the burn in your core muscles.
Early on I was worried that the slow pace might mean I wasn't doing much in terms of strengthening the core, but the effect of the session builds-up throughout and you finish with no doubt that you’ve done some good work.
You mostly work your glutes and deep core, not the abs
There are a couple of classic abs-focused exercises in the workout like the Pilates hundred, but for the most part it targets the glutes and deeper core muscles, along with stretching and strengthening your lower back.
It’s a great session for building the foundational strength I’m looking for from my core workouts, but if you’re hankering for a sharp abs-burner, then you could try this 10-minute six-pack abs workout instead.
Listen to Lilly Sabri
For a lot of workouts on YouTube, you can start the video and turn on your own audio, just following the video by watching the instructor. With Lilly Sabri if definitely pays off to pay close attention to what she’s saying, because you get constant form tips throughout.
This will help you fine tune your position for each exercise to ensure you are using the right muscles for the job, and avoid any risk of injury by putting unnecessary strain on the back or neck, for example.
The workout also contains some stretches
The slow, relaxed vibe of the session extends to the fact it contains some stretches for the glutes, hamstrings and lower back, including cat-cow and child’s pose. It makes the workout a great option for breaking up the working day, stretching muscles that might have become tight while sitting at a desk.
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