If you hate sit-ups and planks as much as I do, I’ve got good news — they’re not essential when it comes to building a rock-solid core. Your core is your body’s corset, and those deep core muscles work hard to stabilize your body as you walk, sit and stand, as well as protect your spine from injury. Pilates is an effective way to strengthen your core, as the practice focuses on building strength in your midsection.
I’ve been practicing Pilates for the past decade, and below, my favorite instructor, Lilly Sabri, shares a five-minute deep-core routine designed to build strength and stability in your abs. You’ll be working your transverse abdominis muscles, which are the deepest in your midsection, as well as your pelvic floor and lower back muscles.
As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, you’re recovering from a specific injury, or you’re pregnant or postpartum, it’s always a good idea to seek personalized advice before trying something new.
What are the exercises?
This sequence only takes five minutes. You’ll do three different exercises, working for 50 seconds, followed by a quick 10-second break to reset. You won’t need any additional equipment, but using one of the best yoga mats to soften the impact on your joints can make things more comfortable.
Here are the exercises involved:
Leg raise, crunch and rotation
This exercise really challenges your entire midsection. Raise your left leg to the ceiling, keeping it as straight as possible, while extending your right leg away from your body and hovering it a few inches off the ground.
From here, place both hands behind your left thigh, and crunch your torso up toward your body. Without lowering your head and neck back to the floor, place your hands on either side of your head and twist your right elbow to your left leg. The movement should be coming from your core.
Single leg extensions
Start in a tabletop position, with your knees bent and stacked over your hips. Keeping your left leg bent, push your hands into your left thigh, maintaining the pressure. Keep your lower back flat on the mat, extend your right leg out, away from your body, then bring it back into your starting position.
Reverse crunches
Place your hands underneath your seat bones and bend both legs, squeezing your thighs together. Use your core to crunch your legs off the floor, keeping your thighs close to your chest. Lower your glutes back to your hands as slowly as possible.
Flutter kicks
The workout finishes with some flutter kicks to really blast the core. Resting your hands underneath your glutes, engage your stomach and extend your legs to a 45-degree angle. Kick your legs up and down, keeping your lower back pressed into the exercise mat.
The key to all the exercises above is to think about engaging your core. Some people like to imagine they are bracing their midsection as if someone were going to punch their stomach. I like to think about squeezing into a pair of jeans that are a size too small and zipping my abs in and upward.
Move slowly and with control — the slower you move, the harder all the exercises will be. Don’t be tempted to hold your breath, either. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth — this will help you keep your core engaged.
More from Tom's Guide
- Not sit-ups or lunges — I use this simple Pilates exercise to sculpt strong obliques, inner thighs and hip stabilizers
- Not sit-ups, planks, or crunches: I do this simple Pilates exercise every single day to build a strong and stable core and work on my hip flexor mobility
- 'I’m a Pilates instructor, and I recommend these 5 core exercises to help older clients build strength and improve posture'
