If you’re over 60, these three scalable Pilates exercises will help you build core strength

If you’re over 60, Pilates can be an effective way to maintain your muscle mass and build strength to keep you mobile and active for longer.

Many workouts for older adults focus on the lower body, but according to Jill Drummond, a Pilates instructor and director of programming and education at Bodybar Pilates, if you’re short on time, focusing on your core should be your priority.

“There are countless effective Pilates exercises to explore, but if we had to narrow it down to just three, the core—or “powerhouse,” as it’s called in Pilates—deserves the spotlight,” says Drummond. “Core strength is foundational for posture, functional movement, balance, and longevity, making it one of the best areas to focus on as we age.”

Try Drummond’s top three exercises below, with beginner-friendly modifications if you find the standard versions too challenging. If you can’t hold a move for the prescribed time, start with shorter holds and build up gradually from there. Drummond suggests working towards one-minute holds as you get stronger.

1. Plank

Sets: 2-3 Time: 30sec

“Planks recruit all the major core muscles, can be modified for beginners and progressed for advanced practitioners,” says Drummond. If your wrists feel sensitive, hold your plank on your forearms or make the move easier by lowering onto your knees.

• Get on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders.
• Engage your core, then step your feet back one at a time so your legs are extended behind you and your body is in a straight line from your head to your feet. Engage your upper back to create space between your shoulder blades and lengthen through your spine.
• Hold for time.
• Lower your knees to the floor and sit back on your heels to rest between sets.

2. Bow and arrow

Half Roll Back with Bow and Arrow - YouTube

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Sets: 2-3 Time: 30sec

“This exercise not only targets the obliques but also engages the abdominals and back while challenging your coordination and control,” says Drummond. You can perform this exercise on the floor, as described below, or in a chair, omitting the lean backward.

• Sit with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, arms extended in front of you at shoulder height.
• Moving from your hips, lean your torso backward, and rotate it to your right, bending your elbow to draw your right hand to your right armpit, as if drawing back a bowstring.
• Return to the start with control, then repeat on the opposite side.
• Continue, moving smoothly with precision, for time.

Bird dog

Bird Dog with Variations - YouTube

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Sets: 2-3 Time: 30sec

“Like the plank, this exercise is highly adaptable. It can be modified by lowering to the forearms to reduce wrist pressure or intensified by adding light resistance in the outstretched hand,” says Drummond.

• Start on your hands and knees, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Engage your abdominals and keep a neutral, stable spine throughout.
• Extend one arm and the opposite leg, reaching and lengthening through both limbs, keeping your core engaged to prevent arching or sagging in your lower back.
• Pause, then return to the starting position with control.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.
• Continue for time.