A strong core isn’t just good for looks, it’s important for running faster and lifting heavier, and it also helps stabilize your lower back and improve your posture.I have summarized some of them best abs workout You can try them out, but if you’re tired of them, adding Pilates to your routine is a great way to target different core muscles.
Pilates is a “mind-body” exercise developed in the 20th century by a man named Joseph Pilates. Low-impact and suitable for all levels of fitness, it helps improve strength, posture and structural alignment. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that people who did an hour of Pilates twice a week for 12 weeks significantly improved abdominal endurance, upper body strength, and hamstring flexibility. It has been reported that.
Pilates can be done from anywhere. best yoga mat You can practice with a variety of bands, lightweights, and Pilates rings. Here are some of the best Pilates moves to strengthen your core.
1. One Hundred
Often used as a warm-up, this 100-rep exercise will get you in the habit of coordinating your movements with your breath. It also stabilizes your core and strengthens your abdominal muscles. Here we detail how to perform hundreds of exercises and the best variations to try.
- Lie on your back and press your lower back to the floor
- Press your thighs together and raise your feet to a 45-degree angle, toes pointed
- If this puts strain on your lower back, keep your feet in a tabletop position
- Engage your core and lift your head and shoulders off the mat, forming a C shape with your neck.
- Stretch your arms down along your body
- Move your arms up and down for 100 counts, inhale for 5 counts, and exhale for 5 counts.
2. Bicycle crunch
Bicycle or cruciate exercises target the rectus abdominis, hips, and obliques. Because you need to keep your legs off the ground during the exercise, you’ll engage your lower abdominal muscles and twist, which activates your obliques. Here’s a breakdown of how to do bicycle crunches and the variations you should try.
- Lie on the floor with your back flat on the ground
- Place your hands next to your head and lift your shoulders off the mat.
- Bend your knees and lift your legs off the ground into a tabletop position
- Stretch your left leg while bringing your right knee toward your chest, then twist your body so that your left elbow touches your right knee while raising your right knee.
- Repeat on the other side, making sure to keep your feet and shoulders off the ground throughout the entire exercise.
3. Rotate the board
This exercise targets the oblique muscles that run along the sides of your body by holding a side plank and rotating your torso.
- Start in a side plank position. If you’re an advanced exerciser, stack your feet together, or if you’re a beginner, bend your lower legs, place your knees on the floor, and put your weight on your elbows.
- With your hips stacked together, raise your hands in the air, then pass them under your torso and twist your body.
- Then return to the starting position. He aims for 15 repetitions on each side, keeping the movements slow and controlled.
4. Toe tap
The toe tap is a classic Pilates exercise that targets the rectus abdominis, a deep, stable muscle in your core, and the transverse abdominis, a muscle in your outer core that manifests as your six-pack.
To make the exercise even harder, tap near your body or place a Pilates ball under your pelvis.
- Place the legs in table top position
- Strengthen your core and keep your knees bent as you lower your right side and tap your toes on the floor.
- The left foot must be placed on the table
- Reverse the movement and repeat on the other side. Aim for 15 repetitions on each side, keeping the movements slow and controlled.
5. Single leg stretch
Pilates’ single-leg stretching exercises target the core muscles of your lower body and slightly move your butt and legs.
- Start lying on your back with your hips pressed into the mat.
- Raise your head and shoulders off the mat, place your feet on your chest, and place your hands on your shins.
- Keeping your head raised off the mat, slowly stretch one leg at a time, alternating sides.
- Keep your movements slow and controlled and keep your core engaged throughout the exercise. Aim for 30 repetitions, 15 on each side.
6. Hip dips
These side hip dips target the oblique muscles that run along the outside of your abdominal muscles.
- Start in a side plank position with your hands or elbows on the mat and your hips stacked.
- If you’re more advanced or looking for a challenge, stack your legs.
- If you’re a beginner, keep your lower knees on the floor. Engage your core to lower your hips toward the ground and raise them to the starting position.
7. Dead insect
Dead insects have a stabilizing effect on the muscles of the trunk, spine and back. These are all important for good posture.
Here, we detail how to do dead bugs and what happened when our fitness editors did 100 dead bugs a day for a week and added weighted dead bugs to their workout routines. To do.
- Start heavy on the floor with your back and shoulders flat
- Raise your arms straight over your shoulders, place your legs in a tabletop position, and place your knees directly above your hips.
- Inhale and exhale as you slowly lower and straighten your left leg and right arm to just above the floor.
- Inhale and return them to the starting position. Repeat this on the other side to complete one repetition.
8. Scissor kick
Scissor kicks not only work your core muscles, but they also target your glutes, quadriceps, and adductors.
- Lie on your back, press your lower back into the floor and lift your head and neck off the ground
- Keeping your core engaged, lower your right leg to the ground and raise your left leg at the same time.
- Place your hands on the back of your raised leg, pulling it toward your chest.
- Switch legs, lowering your left leg to the floor and pulling your right leg toward your body. Keep switching sides.
9. Climber
The easiest way to describe the movement of a climber is to run in a plank position. The key for Pilates climbers is to keep the entire movement slow and controlled, and to keep your abdominal muscles engaged throughout.
- Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart, your back flat, and your core engaged (imagine drawing your belly button into your spine).
- Bend your left knee and bring it as close to your chest as possible.
- Pause, then straighten your legs back to the starting position and bring your right knee under your body.
- Continue repeating this movement.
Tom’s Guide Details
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