A Pilates instructor recommends these two simple exercises to strengthen your core and support your lower back
Build a strong foundation with these core exercises
If you think your lower back isn’t strong enough to cope with the rigors of day-to-day life, you’d probably expect us to tell you to strengthen your lower back muscles.
But that fatigue you feel at the end of a long day may come from your core not being up to par.
"The core and lower back don't work independently, they function as a team," says Georgia Testa, Pilates instructor and founder of Studio 281.
"When the deep core muscles are strong, they can provide better support for the spine, reducing the need for the lower back to compensate."
Testa recommends two straightforward exercises to her clients that strengthen the deep core muscles and support the lower back.
"Sometimes the most effective exercises are the simplest,” she says, recommending single-leg extensions and toe taps to strengthen the deep core muscles, and encourage better pelvic and spinal alignment.
“Mastering fundamental movements like these can help improve posture, stability and overall back health over time," she adds.
Both exercises help to improve alignment, reduce strain through the lumbar spine and create a stronger foundation for movement.
Testa says these exercises are particularly useful for people with an excessive anterior pelvic tilt, where the pelvis tips too far forward, increasing stress on the lower back—often referred to as swayback posture.
This posture can also make it harder to engage the deep core effectively.
These exercises aim to strengthen the lower muscles of the core, which encourages the pelvis to shift into a more neutral position.
They rely on the weight of your legs to challenge your core, which has to engage to counterbalance them.
"As your legs move away from your body, your core has to work harder to keep your pelvis stable and stop your back from arching,” explains Testa.
Here’s how to do the two moves that Testa recommends.
1. Single leg extension
Sets: 2-3 Reps: 6-8 each side Rest: 45sec
- Lie on your back with your legs raised, knees directly above your hips and bent to 90°, and your arms by your sides, slightly off the mat.
- Draw your belly button toward your spine to engage your core and lightly connect your lower back with the mat.
- Extend your right leg away from your body so it forms a straight line from your toe to your hip. Keep your left knee bent.
- Return to the starting position and switch sides, extending your left leg while your right remains bent.
- Continue alternating legs with slow, controlled movements.
2. Toe tap
Sets: 2-3 Reps: 6-8 each side Rest: 45sec
- Lie on your back with your legs raised, knees directly above your hips and bent to 90°, and your arms resting on the floor by your sides.
- Engage your core and maintain contact between your lower back and the mat.
- Keeping your knee at 90° throughout, slowly lower one foot, moving from your hip, to lightly tap your toes on the floor.
- Return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.
- Continue, alternating sides with each rep, keeping your pelvis steady throughout.
Georgia Testa is the founder of Studio 281.She holds a level 3 diploma in instructing mat-based Pilates and leads the YMCA Awards-accredited 281 Training Academy.
