This underrated piece of equipment might be the best way to strengthen your core, according to a Pilates instructor

I swear by bodyweight Pilates workouts for building core strength, and improving my mobility, posture and coordination, but I also love adding weights to my workouts for an added challenge.

Lately, I’ve been using ankle weights to boost my lower-body strength at home. So when I came across a workout by Pilates instructor Iris Poldervaart using ankle weights, I was keen to give it a go.

“Ankle weights add extra resistance, which challenges your core to stabilize the body during movement,” Poldervaart tells Fit&Well.

How to do the Pilates ankle weights workout

20 MIN PILATES ABS WORKOUT | using ankle weights - YouTube

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The only equipment you’ll need for this workout is a pair of ankle weights, typically between 1lb and 3lb each.

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This workout takes just over 20 minutes and Poldervaart demonstrates the moves so you can follow along.

Good form is always essential to target the right muscles, especially during the more challenging exercises, such as those done lying on your side.

“In side-lying positions, imagine a long line from your head to your toes,” says Poldervaart. “Keep the waist slightly lifted off the mat and avoid rocking backwards.”

The focus should always be on moving slowly and with control.

My experience using ankle weights to strengthen the core

I’ve tried many core workouts over the years—from weights sessions and HIIT routines to traditional exercises like planks, sit-ups and crunches—but I've found Pilates to be the most effective way to build strength in my deep core.

“In Pilates, many exercises involve lifting the legs or keeping them extended at different angles. When you add ankle weights, your deep core muscles, like the transverse abdominis, have to work harder to maintain alignment and control,” says Poldeervart.

I thought Pilates workouts couldn’t get any better, but adding ankle weights proved me wrong. It made the workout even more challenging and resulted in greater activation of my deep core muscles, particularly during the side-lying leg work.

“While the workout is focused on arms and abs, the added resistance of ankle weights activates the glutes, inner thighs and hip flexors, especially during side-lying lifts and leg extensions,” says Poldeervart.

I can second that, and felt the challenge in my hip flexors and obliques, which forced me to slow down, engage my core, and focus on stability and form.

“[Ankle weights] are a great way to intensify the workout without compromising form,” adds Poldervaart.

I also felt the workout in my legs and glutes, and surprisingly experienced DOMs (delayed onset muscle soreness) the next day in both my core and legs—all from just 20 minutes of movement.

“Pilates is all about full-body integration, so even when we target a specific area, the legs and stabilizing muscles are always working too,” says Poldervaart.

It’s convinced me that ankle weights are a fantastic way to make Pilates workouts even more effective. I’d highly recommend this workout if you’re short on time but want to build strength effectively.