Pilates is well known as an effective way to strengthen your core muscles. The two go hand in hand due to the big focus on breathing and engaging the deep abdominals and pelvic floor while practising Pilates. Like most things in life, when practising Pilates, the more you put in, the more you get back and this is particularly true when trying to target specific muscle groups.
Before we get into this 10-minute workout for your strongest core ever, here are my tips, as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist, to get the most out of your Pilates sessions and to ensure you are targeting these muscles effectively.
Breathe
The only way to build core strength is to be able to breathe through your exercises. If you are holding your breath, you are technically bracing rather than really engaging these muscles. Aim to exhale on the effortful movement to help with control, timing and effective muscle contraction. If you need to slow down to get the hang of this, that’s a good thing. Slow and controlled movements will target the endurance muscle fibres of the deep abdominals you are aiming to strengthen.
Actively engage your core muscles
If you focus on deliberately using these muscles, you will feel them work a lot harder. Think about flattening the lower part of your belly, between your two pelvis bones and drawing in through your pelvic floor
(unless advised otherwise). Ideally, your pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscles will be working together to create your ‘core’.
Relax your other muscles
Try to relax your neck, shoulders, jaw, glutes and inner thighs as you practise your core exercises. As soon as you master this you will feel your abdominals work a lot harder. By holding tension in other areas, you take away some of the effort where you want it. Check in every now and then with your body to make sure you haven’t tightened up again and eventually this will happen naturally.
Keep your ribs down
When your ribs are flared, your abdominals are on stretch, making it hard for them to contract effectively. So whatever exercise you are doing, try to draw your ribs towards your hips. It can help to imagine a couple of springs connected from your ribs to your pelvis bones gently pulling so you feel some tension across your stomach wall.
Start in the right position
Position is so important when it comes to core strengthening. The reason for t his is that our bodies will try to find the path of least resistance and use muscles that are the most easily accessed. This might mean that you use your hip flexors, neck muscles or lower back rather than your core abdominals. The position of your hips, pelvis, spine and shoulder girdle can all play a part in which muscles you use during your class, so listen to your instructor and then follow their cues throughout to really work your core.
10-minute Pilates workout for your strongest core ever
Complete each exercise for 50 seconds then rest for 10 seconds make sure you do both sides for 6 and 7!
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Chest lift and double toe tap
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Bicycle and leg raise
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Oblique ankle tap and double leg lower
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Reverse crunch and toe tap
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Elbow plank rock forward and back
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Side plank elbow to knee
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Kneeling obliques
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Oblique mountain climber + leg stretch
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Hannah McKimm is co-owner of Our Pilates, an online subscription Pilates service. They offer a whole library of online classes to help build your core strength from home. With classes for all levels and abilities, ranging from 5-50 minutes, there’s something for everyone.
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