{"id":961707,"date":"2026-11-07T11:10:33","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T11:10:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/961707\/"},"modified":"2026-11-07T11:10:33","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T11:10:33","slug":"4-move-pilates-workout-to-build-core-strength-without-plank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/961707\/","title":{"rendered":"4-move Pilates workout to build core strength without plank"},"content":{"rendered":"

thick yoga mat <\/a>anytime and strengthen and stretch your muscles in just a few movements.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt-home Pilates<\/a> can be highly effective if you commit to a regular practice, and it doesn\u2019t need to be a lot,” says Pilates instructor and founder of East of Eden<\/a> studio, Abby McLachlan. It also doesn’t need to be a sweat-inducing, full-body workout.<\/p>\n

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She says even a 15-minute Pilates workout<\/a> or 20-minute session every day can make a \u201creal difference\u201d. These four exercises take less than half an hour, with rest in between, and boost core strength and stability without putting pressure on the spine in exercises like planks.<\/p>\n

1. Roll downs<\/p>\n

Abby says this is a \u201cfantastic exercise to mobilise the spine and spinal extensors while engaging the core, particularly the rectus abdominis, and stretching the hamstrings\u201d.<\/p>\n

Many Pilates classes begin with these to set up the body for movement, she adds.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

Here’s how to do it:<\/p>\n

Start from a standing position with your legs hip-width apart.Lower your head and relax your neck, shoulders and arms.Roll your spine down so your arms move closer to the floor. Bend your knees slightly if your hamstrings feel tight.Inhale at the bottom, before very slowly engaging your abdominal muscles and rolling back up to a standing position.2. Toe taps<\/p>\n

Toe taps are a very popular Pilates exercise to build core strength and hip stability. Abby says they activate the \u201cdeep core muscles<\/a>, especially the transverse abdominis\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Here’s how to do it: <\/p>\n

Lie on your back and bend your legs into tabletop position.Lower one bent leg at a time to gently tap your toe on the floor. Move your thigh from the hip rather than the knee.Keep your core engaged during the exercise and press your lower back into the mat.Lift your head and shoulders off the mat if you want to increase the intensity.Aim for 10 on each leg.3. The Hundred<\/p>\n

This is a classic Pilates move and one that is effective, but divisive. Abby says this is one of Pilates\u2019 \u201cendurance\u201d exercises which focuses on strengthening the upper abs.<\/p>\n

Here’s how to do it:<\/p>\n

Lie on your back and lift your head, neck and shoulders.Pump your arms up and down alongside your hips.Focus on your breath as you count to 100 pumps.\u201cYou can modify this by keeping your feet on the floor or progress to extended legs for added intensity,\u201d says Abby.
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\"Gaiam\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Gaiam<\/p>\n

Premium 6mm Print Extra Thick Non Slip Exercise Mat <\/p>\n

You don’t need a lot for a Pilates workout, but I would recommend a good thick yoga mat. With at least 6mm of cushioning under your back, hips, knees, and other joints, it’s considerably more supportive than other options.<\/p>\n

4. Glute bridge<\/p>\n

\u201cThis move strengthens the posterior chain, glutes, and hamstrings while improving spinal articulation,\u201d Abby explains. She says you can progress the move by lifting one leg and holding it at the top.<\/p>\n

If you’re a strength training pro and this move would be too easy for you without weights, add a Pilates ring between your knees for extra inner thigh intensity.<\/p>\n

Here’s how to do it:<\/p>\n

Lie on your back on the mat with your feet hip-width apart and around 6 inches from your bottom.Squeeze your glutes, push through your heels and lift your hips up as high as you can and hold.Keep your glutes and core engaged as you breathe in and out for 3-5 seconds.Lower your hips slowly down to the mat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Any gentle movement…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":961708,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[49,48,407,84],"class_list":["post-961707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-fitness","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/961707","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=961707"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/961707\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/961708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=961707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=961707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=961707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}