05/21

5 Core Moves For A Quick Ab Burn

By The Pilates Class

I absolutely love working out my abs and with pilates, the core is the foundation to the practice. It’s essential to keeping your body connected and strong during your practice. I put together five of my absolute favorite core-crunching ab moves that will whip that tummy in to shape and tighten.

Repeat each one for 50 seconds with 10 second intervals. Repeat three times for a deep burn. If you need to take a break throughout the series, take a moment to reset your alignment and begin again. It’s always better to focus on proper technique rather than keeping a quick pace and risk losing proper form.

Toe Taps

Laying on your mat, place arms beside you with feet in table top. Lift legs to 90-degree angles. Take a moment to activate your core, as you exhale draw your belly button back towards your spine. Inhale, lower one toe down towards your mat and exhale draw that same knee back then repeat the move with the other leg. To get the most out of this exercise, as you exhale draw your ribs down towards your hips and then move the knee!

Full Suit Up Reach

Laying on your mat, position your feet flat on the mat with hands interlaced behind your head. Exhale, activate the core, and lift the head, neck and shoulders off your mat, drawing ribs down towards hips. Reach hands towards ankles and gently lower down as you inhale. Repeat the movement on the exhale.

Bicycles

Laying on your mat with feet in table top, interlace hands behind your head. Exhale, activate the core and lift your head neck and shoulders off the mat, twist the spine to the left, drawing right elbow to left knee, whilst extending your right leg out. Repeat this movement to the opposite side. Try to keep your pelvis still and flat on your mat and twist through the thoracic spine. If your neck starts to ache, simply lower the head down, take a break and begin again. One more Pilates Class tip; Imagine your spine is like a wet tea towel and your rinsing out every last drop of water!

Bunny Hop

Laying on your mat, place arms beside you with feet in table top. Exhale, curl legs towards your chest and then engage your core, drawing your pubic bone toward your belly button while lifting your tail bone off the mat. Control this movement by feeling each vertebra come down onto the mat one by one. Repeat this movement!

This is such a strong exercise for the lower abdominal muscles, so if you need a little assistant during this move, press your palms into the mat to assist with your bunny hop! If your movement is small, that’s ok too… You’re doing a great job and the strength will build over time.

Plank Rock Forward

Start in a plank position, hands facing forward, shoulders stacked on top of wrists, long spine with core engaged. Shift your weight forward over your wrists and toes, engaging the core, then rock your weight back. If you need to modify this movement, lower the knees and come into a half plank and hold for 50 seconds!

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To learn more about our core technique classes and experience our Abs Goals classes; head to www.thepilatesclass.com for a FREE 7-day trial and more ab burn!