If your main fitness goal is to strengthen your core, boost flexibility, improve posture and feel more energized, Pilates is an extraordinary training modality to consider. This form of "moving meditation” focuses on mindful breathing and total-body tension relief. Plus, it’s easy on the joints, making it an excellent workout for older adults.
You may be surprised to learn that Pilates is also effective for building strong, sculpted abs. You read that right—you don’t have to hit the gym and perform countless crunches or turn to ab machines. Pilates fires up your transverse abdominis and naturally draws your midsection inward. By practicing Pilates regularly, you will flatten your midsection and build a firmer, more toned six-pack.
The good news is you can do these movements in the comfort of your own home without equipment.
“Pilates mat work is built around the transverse abdominis as the foundation. Every exercise asks you to find a deep connection before you move, not as an afterthought. It's not just ‘crunch harder,’ it’s ‘stabilize first, then move with control,’” explains Lily Colins-Sak, certified Pilates instructor and owner of The Daily Pilates. “That’s where two of the core Pilates principles really come into play: precision and control. Rather than moving through reps quickly or relying on momentum, Pilates asks you to slow down and actually feel which part of the core is doing the work in each moment: Is it the deep stabilizers holding you steady, the obliques controlling rotation or the rectus abdominis driving the movement itself?”
That precision is exactly what makes Pilates stand out against classic crunches. You’re not just performing the exercise—you’re learning how to recruit and direct every part of your core with intention.
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According to Portia Page, certified Pilates instructor, Pilates fires up the entire core, including the internal and external obliques, pelvic floor, diaphragm, multifidus and rotators and transverse abdominis—not just the superficial muscles.
That’s why Pilates core training typically translates so well to how your body performs daily tasks like lifting, carrying and twisting.
“You’ve trained your core to respond with the same precision and control in real life that you practiced on the mat,” Colins-Sak points out.
Related: Exactly How Often You Need To Do Pilates To Reduce Belly Fat, According to Instructors
Signs You’re Effectively Engaging Your Core During Pilates Mat Work
One of the most common misconceptions about Pilates core engagement is that it involves holding your breath or sucking in your tummy. To the contrary, activating your core should feel controlled, supportive and strong as you continue to breathe normally, says Lyndsey Meade, founder of BODY Hot Pilates and certified Pilates instructor.
Below, Meade shares some telltale signs you’re properly engaging your core:
Your rib cage remains connected instead of flared open.Your pelvis stays stable throughout each exercise.Your shoulders and neck remain relaxed instead of taking over the movement.Your lower back is not over-arched or pressing aggressively into the mat.Your breath is controlled and steady.Your abs wrap inward and upward around the waist.“I often tell clients to imagine pulling their hip bones slightly toward each other while continuing to breathe. When the deep core is engaged properly, the movement feels controlled and effortless rather than strained,” Meade explains. “If your neck is doing more work than your abs, or you're holding your breath to get through the exercise, you're likely compensating instead of truly engaging your core.”
Related: The Equipment-Free Move a Pilates Instructor Is Begging Every Woman Over 50 To Do in the Morning
According to Page, the hundred builds endurance in the deep intrinsic muscles.
“[This exercise also] teaches proper abdominal engagement and endurance and uses the breath and arm pattern to help warm up the body and prepare for what’s next,” Page adds.
Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and arms by your sides.Lift your head, neck and shoulders off the mat, setting your gaze toward your hips.Start to pump your arms rhythmically up and down to match your breathing.If comfortable, lift your legs one at a time, eventually extending them to a 45-degree angle.Perform 100 counts or breath, or 10 cycles of 5-count inhales and 5-count exhales. As you inhale, expand your rib cage; as you exhale, gently draw your abs in toward the center of your body.2. Double-Leg Stretch
“When extending both the arms and legs away from the center of the body, it creates a long lever challenge that requires significant abdominal strength and lumbo-pelvic control,” Page notes.
Lie flat on your back on the mat and hug your knees toward your chest.Lift your head, neck and shoulders off the floor.Place your hands on your shins to begin.Take a deep breath in as you reach your arms overhead and extend both legs out to a 45-degree angle.Make sure your core remains engaged and your lower back stays pressed into the mat.Breathe out as you reverse the motion, bringing your knees back to your chest and your hands to your shins.Perform 4 to 6 reps, breathing in as your arms and legs reach out, and breathing out as they come back in.Related: ‘I’m a Pilates Instructor—These Are the 5 Moves I Give Every Client Who Wants To Lose Weight After 50′
The side plank hip dip is one of Colins-Sak’s go-tos for teaching lateral core control. The obliques and transverse abdominis have to work together to drop and lift the hip with control instead of letting gravity do the work.
Begin by lying on your side, propping yourself up with your forearm.Extend both legs, stacking your top foot on top of the bottom foot.Brace your core and lift your hips, forming a straight line from your head to your feet.Use control as you slowly dip your hips toward the mat.Then, drive your hips back up to the top of the side plank.Perform 8 to 10 reps on each side.Related: This Is the Safest Way To Start Pilates After 60, According to Instructors
4. Criss-Cross
“This is where we deepen true oblique work for a sculpted, defined look, while still requiring the TVA to stay engaged to protect the low back during rotation,” Colins-Sak explains.
Lie flat on your back with your knees lifted in a tabletop position.Place your hands behind your head, elbows out wide.Curl your shoulders, neck and head off the mat.Extend one leg straight out to a 45-degree angle.At the same time, rotate your torso and bring the opposite elbow toward your bent knee.Perform 8 to 10 reps on each side.Related: The #1 Pilates Workout Sequence That Builds Strength Beyond the Mat
5. Teaser
The teaser is a signature Pilates move and one of the best tests of core strength, Meade tells us.
“It requires the deep abdominals, obliques, hip stabilizers and postural muscles to work together simultaneously, building both strength and control,” she adds.
Begin by lying flat on your back with your legs extended and arms reaching overhead.Press your lower back into the mat and engage your core.Lift your legs to 45 degrees, or to a tabletop position, to modify.Reach your arms forward as you gradually roll your spine off the floor.At the top, balance in the “V” position with your hands reaching toward your legs. Keep your chest tall.Roll back down to the start position with control.Perform 8 to 10 reps.Find a space in your home or backyard, roll out your mat and get started on these Pilates mat moves instructors swear by. You’ll achieve strong, sculpted abdominal muscles before you know it!
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Lily Colins-Sak, certified Pilates instructor and owner of The Daily PilatesPortia Page, certified Pilates instructorLyndsey Meade, founder of BODY Hot Pilates and certified Pilates instructorHence then, the article about want strong sculpted abs start with these 5 pilates mat moves instructors say was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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