A Pilates teacher recommends this eight-minute beginner routine to strengthen your core and stabilize your spine
“A strong core is about how well you can control your body, not how many crunches you can do,” says BetterMe’s Brittni Johnson
Building a strong core, according to certified Pilates instructor Brittni Johnson, takes discipline.
The discipline to perform each rep with control and exemplary form. Simply doing more reps, faster, rarely helps.
“Your core keeps you steady while your arms and legs move,” says the BetterMe instructor. “When I think about a strong core, I think about how well you can control your body, not how many crunches you can do.”
Pilates, Johnson explains, is great at training exactly that. “You’re moving slowly and with intention, paying attention to your breathing and alignment instead of rushing through reps.”
Here, the experienced teacher outlines a five-move routine that will challenge the abdominal muscles from multiple directions, training the core to support and stabilize the spine on and off the mat.
“The priority should always be form over volume. If your ribs start flaring, your lower back takes over, or you need momentum to finish a repetition, that’s your signal to reduce the range or take a break,” she says.
The goal is to finish feeling “connected through your center”, not exhausted from doing as many repetitions as possible.
“That’s one of the biggest advantages of Pilates-style core training: you’re building strength you can actually use to stabilize and control your body outside of the workout.”
How to do the workout
Johnson recommends performing eight to 12 controlled repetitions of each exercise in the routine below.
Alternatively, especially if you’re prone to rushing, she suggests using a time-based approach of between 30-45 seconds per exercise, and completing two rounds in total.
This workout can be performed with just your bodyweight.
But if you’d like to add variety or increase the challenge, Johnson says introducing a Pilates ring for moves like the dead bug, can make the hips and core work harder.
“These small props are an easy way to progress the routine without making it high impact,” she says.
1. The hundred
- Lie on your back with your knees raised and bent to 90°, and held directly above your hips.
- Gently press your lower back into the mat to engage your core.
- Lift your head and shoulders slightly off the mat.
- Lift your arms so they are horizontal, and lift and lower them in small, controlled movements.
- Inhale for five pumps and exhale for five, working toward 100 pumps while maintaining control through your center.
- To progress, you can also extend both legs and hold them at a 45˚ angle, as in the video.
Johnson says: “The hundred is a great way to start because the sustained position asks your abdominals to stabilize your trunk while your arms and breathing add another layer of demand. If you feel your lower back arching, keep your feet on the floor or bring your knees closer toward your chest.”
2. Single-leg stretch
- Lie on your back and gently press your lower back into the floor to engage your core.
- Lift your head and shoulders just off the floor and bring both knees toward your chest.
- Extend your right leg so it is horizontal and hug your left knee into your chest.
- Swap positions of the legs so your left leg is extended and horizontal and you are hugging your right knee into your chest.
- Continue alternating sides, moving smoothly and with control.
Johnson says: “The challenge is keeping your pelvis and torso quiet as the legs move. Think about maintaining the same relationship between your ribs and pelvis throughout every repetition. The farther and lower the extended leg travels from your body, the greater the demand on your abs, so beginners can keep the leg higher.”
3. Dead bug
- Lie on your back with your knees bent to 90° and held directly over your hips, and your arms extended straight up.
- Gently press your lower back into the floor to engage your core.
- Slowly extend and lower your left leg and lower your right arm behind your head, until both limbs are just above the floor.
- Return to the start, then repeat on the other side.
Johnson says: “This is a simple but very effective way to train the core to resist extension. Your goal is to move your limbs without allowing your ribs to flare or your lower back to excessively arch. I would rather see someone use a smaller range with excellent control than reach all the way to the floor and lose their alignment.”
4. Seated saw
- Sit tall with your legs extended, your feet a little wider than hip-width apart and your feet flexed so your toes point straight up.
- Extend your arms out to the sides.
- Slowly rotate your torso to the left, reaching your right hand toward the outside of your left foot.
- Return to the start, then repeat on the other side.
Johnson says: “The saw adds controlled rotation, which is an important part of a complete core routine. It challenges the obliques while encouraging mobility through the thoracic spine and rib cage. Keep both sides of the pelvis grounded so the rotation comes through the trunk rather than simply shifting the hips.”
5. Criss-cross
- Lie on your back with your hands lightly touching the back of your head and your elbows pointing out to the sides.
- Lift your legs and bend your knees to 90°, so they are directly above your hips.
- Engage your core.
- Lift your head and shoulders, then rotate your rib cage so one shoulder moves toward the opposite knee as the other leg extends away.
- Return through your center and switch sides, moving slowly rather than rushing from elbow to knee.
- Make it easier by keeping your extended leg higher or leaving one foot on the floor.
- Make it harder by extending your leg lower while maintaining the same control through your pelvis and lower back.
Johnson says: “Criss-cross targets the obliques while asking the deeper core muscles to stabilize the pelvis as your legs move. The key is to create the rotation through your torso, not by pulling your elbow across your body. Keep your pelvis as still as possible and think about rotating your ribs around a stable center.”
Brittni Johnson is a nationally certified Pilates teacher (NCPT) and Club Pilates (CP) Master Trainer with over 15 years of experience in performance, education and coaching. She has a background in competitive gymnastics and professional dance, completed a BA in Dance Science at California State University and currently creates Pilates programs for the BetterMe: Health Coaching app.
