If you’ve been doing a bunch of sit-ups to tone your abs, you might be missing out on a Pilates ab workout. This low-impact, easy-to-follow exercise is perfect for beginners, but will still challenge your core muscles.
Grab your yoga mat (and a small Pilates ball, if you have one) and follow this five-move routine from Louise Buttler, founder of online Pilates platform Live Brave.
“Pilates focuses on core strength,” says Butler, “and engages all of the abdominal muscles, including the obliques, transverse abdominis, and rectus abdominis, which can help improve posture, lower back strength, and reduce the risk of injury.”
Depending on your fitness level, perform the following routine two to three times.
Pilates abs training: tips for beginners
- Get the right equipment: All you need for this routine is a yoga mat that’s perfect for support. If you love Pilates, it might be worth investing in a set of the best resistance bands as well.
- Pay attention to your breathing: Adjusting your breathing method will loosen tense muscles and relieve mental tension. Inhale and engage your abdominal muscles, then exhale during the “effort” portion of the movement.
- Focus on your form: Squeeze your abdominal muscles and round your spine. This strengthens your deep abdominal muscles and lengthens your back.
How to do Live Brave’s Pilates abdominal training
Butler is a certified Pilates instructor and director and founder of the Pilates platform Live Brave, which offers 15- to 45-minute sessions with options and plans for all ages, genders and fitness levels.
1. (Supported) Russian Twist
(Image credit: Louise Butler)
manager: 10 on each side
- Sit on your mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, in line with your sit bones.
- Keep your spine straight and lean back so your back is at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Butler says you’ve found the right position when you feel your abdominal muscles “shake.” If you have a small Pilates ball, you can place it between the base of your spine and the floor for added support.
- Extend your arms out in front of you. Inhale and lift your right foot off the floor, reaching your arms out to the right until they are almost touching the floor.
- Exhale, then inhale again as you bring your arms back to center and slowly lower your right foot back down to the floor. Repeat once.
- Repeat this movement on the left side of your body, alternating until you have completed 10 repetitions on each side.
2. Breast lift with rotation
(Image courtesy of Louise Butler)
manager: Five on each side
- Start by sitting on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor in line with your sitting bones.
- Lie face up on your mat with your hands clasped behind your head, thumbs running down your neck and elbows wide apart.
- Take a deep breath, and as you exhale, imagine pulling your belly button inward and knitting your ribcage. Slowly lift your right leg off the floor and bring your left armpit towards the top of your right thigh.
- Inhale and return to the starting position, then exhale and repeat on the other side, lowering the front of your ribcage. Repeat this movement 5 times on each side. Again, you can place a small Pilates ball under your back to support this movement.
3. Oblique Crunch
(Image courtesy of Louise Butler)
repetition: 10 on each side
- Lie on your side with your top leg straight and your bottom leg bent (as shown in the photo above). Support your head with your bottom arm and place your other hand on the ground in front of you for balance. If you’re using a small Pilates ball for this, place it under your rib cage.
- Take a deep breath and as you exhale, lift your rib cage off the floor, then control it back down to the starting position. Repeat 10 times on each side.
4. Lower abdomen and straight legs
(Image credit: Louise Butler)
manager:Ten
- Lie on your back with your legs together and fully extended. Inhale and exhale, remembering to draw your belly button toward your spine and lift your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor.
- Repeat this 10 times while lowering your body back to the floor. If you use a Pilates ball, place it under the base of your spine. This will help stabilize your muscles even more.
5. Scissors for lower abdominal muscles
(Image courtesy of Louise Butler)
manager: 10 pieces on each side
- Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing down.
- Keeping your legs straight, lift them a few inches off the floor. Take a deep breath, then as you exhale, raise your right leg up so that it is perpendicular to the floor, keeping your left leg parallel to the ground.
- Inhale again and as you exhale, move both legs at the same time and switch positions. The left foot will be perpendicular to the floor, and the right foot will be parallel to the ground. This is her one repetition. Do this 10 times in total. If you want to use a small Pilates ball for extra stability, you can place it under the base of your spine.
Is Pilates good for your body?
Pilates is a great way to increase your daily activity level, build a stronger body, and prevent injury, but Butler says this list just scratches the surface of the benefits.
“Pilates helps you create mobility and strength in your body to counteract all the things that happen when you sleep or sit for long periods of time, or when you work out major muscle groups in other sports,” she says.
There are hundreds of muscles in the body, but most are overlooked in other exercise styles, such as strength training and HIIT workouts, which focus on the major muscle groups of the chest, back, arms, shoulders and legs. Pilates focuses on the smaller stabilizing muscles that play a key role in a healthy, functional body.
“It works all the small, unique muscles that are often overlooked in gym sessions. It helps you avoid injury and builds a strong body and mind for life. It’s also a low-impact workout that gets results. It’s also training,” Butler says. You can maintain muscle tone without doing high-impact exercise. ”
This reduces pressure on the joints, making it a great option for people recovering from an injury or who want to exercise without aggravating pain in the knees, hips, etc.
If you enjoyed this session and would like to try more similar practices, why not give our beginner’s Pilates plan a try?
