Pilates is a great type of exercise for building core strength because it targets all of the muscles in your torso, including the deep-lying ones that support the spine, which help you to maintain good posture and balance.
Movements tend to be slow and controlled, which means you have to work hard to keep your body stable as you move. When you strengthen the core in this way, it builds endurance and can also reduce the chances of experiencing lower back pain.
If you’ve never tried Pilates before and want a few basic exercises to get started, the five-move workout below is for you. All you need is a mat and 10 minutes to spare. It’s great for slipping into the start of your day before anyone else gets up.
How to do this workout
Perform the workout as a circuit, doing all of the following five exercises in sequence to complete one round. Do each exercise for 40 seconds and take 15 seconds of rest before doing the next move. Rest for 50 seconds between rounds. Perform two rounds in total.
Workout overview
- Bird dog
- Modified hundred
- Toe tap
- Glute bridge
- Lying leg lift and toe tap
1. Bird dog
Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec
How to do it:
- Get on your hands and knees, with your shoulders directly above your wrists and your hips directly above your knees.
- Engage your core, then extend your left arm forward and right leg behind you, keeping your back and hips as still as possible.
- Lower your arm and leg to your starting position and repeat on the other side.
2. Modified hundred
Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec
This move is called the hundred because you’re meant to do this pumping action 100 times, but for beginners, just stick to the 40 seconds at first.
How to do it:
- Lie on your back and gently press your lower back into the mat.
- Raise your legs to tabletop position, bringing your knees directly above your hips and bending them to 90°.
- Lift your head and shoulders off the floor, looking up at the ceiling rather than towards your knees to avoid straining your neck.
- Lift your arms just off the floor, then pump them up and down at pace, inhaling for five pumps and exhaling for five pumps.
3. Toe tap
Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec
How to do it:
- Lie on your back and gently press your lower back into the mat.
- Raise your legs to tabletop position, bringing your knees directly above your hips and bending them to 90°.
- Keeping your left knee bent at 90°, carefully lower your left leg until your left foot gently taps the floor.
- Carefully return to tabletop position and repeat on the other side.
4. Glute bridge
Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
- Lift your hips, squeezing your glutes until your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Pause at the top for a second, then lower back down to the mat.
5. Lying leg lift and toe tap
Time: 40sec Rest: 65sec
How to do it:
- Lie on left your side, propped up on your left elbow, with your right leg on top of your left.
- Slowly raise your right leg as far as is comfortable, then lower it to the start.
- Then move your right leg forward, rotating your hip to tap your toes on the floor in front of you, then tap it behind you, then return to the starting position.
- Switch sides for the second round.
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