
Forget crunches — a Pilates instructor shares 9 exercises to target your deep core
A lot of the exercises you might typically see in ab workouts include sit-ups and crunches, which mainly target the outer abdominal muscles. In this five-minute workout, Pilates instructor and physiotherapist, Lilly Sabri, takes you through nine different exercises that really target your deep core.
As a reminder, if you're new to Pilates or you're returning to exercise from an injury or pregnancy, it's always a good idea to check in with a professional before taking on a new exercise regimen.
The exercises included in the workout are as follows. You'll do each exercise for 30 seconds. You won't be taking any breaks, but feel free to press pause should you need. This workout is designed to be used as a warm-up or cool-down to blast your core.
For all of the exercises mentioned above, it's important to ensure that you're moving with good form, with your lower back pressed into the exercise mat. If you're struggling to do this, focus on engaging your core, thinking about squeezing your belly button into your spine.
Like all good Pilates workouts, these exercises work on the muscles in your midsection, especially those all-important deep core muscles and pelvic floor. While one workout alone won't dramatically change your body, over time, strengthening your core muscles will help protect your spine from injury, and build balance and stability in the body, reducing your risk of falls.
If you're postpartum, working on your pelvic floor muscles is especially important, and abdominal exercises like this are a good place to start (once you've got the sign off from your doctor). Childbirth weakens the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, which support organs like the bladder, bowels, and uterus. Weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to issues like incontinence.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Far from being an aesthetic goal, a strong core can also help you sit, walk, and run with better posture. Your core is the link between your upper and lower body, so whether you're a runner or a cyclist, a strong core will help improve your athletic performance and endurance.
Finally, Pilates helps build functional strength in your body. Functional fitness refers to your ability to do everyday activities, like getting out of bed, lifting objects, or just sitting with good posture at your desk. Your deep core is responsible for a lot of day-to-day movements, so practicing how to engage it is about building a strong foundation for a healthier, pain-free life.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Tom's Guide
5 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
This homemade 'cool collar' is the ultimate heatwave hack, and it won't cost you a dime
With heatwaves becoming a growing concern in the U.S., and the National Weather Service reporting that half the country is under active heat advisories, there is an increasing concern about staying safe in the heat. However, other hacks that can keep you cool in a heatwave without costing you a dime, and they are eco-friendly too, so you don't have to spend your days feeling like you're trapped in a sauna. To help you beat the heatwave and stay chilled, try out my cooling hack that only uses one item that you'll find around your home. This summer's spate of heatwaves seems endless, with the thermometer permanently settled in the red zone. And there appears to be no other choice than to spend your days face-up against a cooling fan or with your smart air conditioner on full pelt. Both options will ramp up your energy bill, while having access to cooling fans and air conditioning is not a universal option for everyone, and the cost of running these appliances can also be prohibitive for some. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), electricity consumption for air conditioning accounts for 19% of electricity in U.S. homes. 1. Take a small towel, measuring approximately 10 x 18 inches — about the size of a small hand towel or dish towel. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. 2. Wet the towel through with cold water, and wring it out. 3. Roll the towel lengthwise and form it into a 'U' shape. 4. Place it flat in the freezer and leave for about one hour. 5. Once it has frozen, remove it from the freezer and place it around your neck. 6. The towel will act as a cooling aid to help reduce your body heat. Constructed from Frogg Togg's hyper-evaporative material that retains water, this reusable towel provides cooling relief and sun protection. Wetting the towel in water allows it to activate quickly and cool up to 30 degrees. According to Medical News Today, applying a cold compress to pulse points on the body can help reduce body temperature. These key areas include the neck, chest, wrist, and temples, and are where large blood vessels are close to the skin's surface. Once a cold object is placed on a pulse point, there is an immediate cooling effect. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.


Tom's Guide
9 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Is paddle boarding a good workout? This study says yes — especially for your core
Paddle boarding might look like an easy breezy float on the water, a relaxing alternative to sweating through sit-ups on one of the best yoga mats. But according to research published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, this low-impact activity packs a considerable punch for your fitness. The study compared elite and recreational stand-up paddle boarders to sedentary adults. What the researchers found was that both groups of paddlers had lower body fat, stronger core endurance, and better balance than those who didn't exercise. Elite paddlers also had better heart health, with higher HDL (good cholesterol) and lower triglyceride levels (a type of fat in your blood linked to heart disease). Even recreational paddlers showed noticeably better aerobic fitness and muscular power than the sedentary control group. The reason paddle boarding is so effective comes down to balance. Unlike traditional workouts, where you often have the floor, a bench or machine to support you, paddle boarding keeps your body working constantly to stay upright. This activates the deep core muscles that support your spine and posture. In the study, paddlers outperformed the sedentary group in several core endurance tests, including front and side plank holds and the Biering–Sørensen test (a timed back extension hold for the lower back). All of this was achieved without a single crunch or sit-up. It's a full-body workout that keeps your core switched on the whole time, thanks to the constant effort of staying upright on moving water. It's low-impact but concentration is required. Take your eye off the horizon and expect to be submerged under water. It's all fine and good finding out that supping (stand up paddle boarding) is a ripper of a workout but most people reading this probably don't own a board and some may not live anywhere near a calm lake or coastline. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. With 20% off and all the essentials included (paddle, pump, safety leash and carry bag), this board is a good-value bundle for anyone looking to give paddle boarding a go this summer. Of course, renting gear can help, but transporting a large, bulky board is not exactly convenient. And for those who aren't confident in the water, standing up on a moving board can feel awkward at best and anxiety-inducing at worst. That said, if you do have access to water and the means to try it, paddle boarding is a fun and effective way to cross-train. It's low-impact, challenges your coordination, and offers a real mental refresh too. Just be sure to wear a buoyancy aid and check local safety advice before you head out. But, if paddle boarding doesn't appeal, do not worry. We have heaps of core workouts you can try instead. Check these out below. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.


Time Business News
11 hours ago
- Time Business News
How Pilates Can Improve Your Posture and Core Strength
The human body is a complicated mechanism which is built up on balance, flexibility and power. The body naturally loses its natural harness with time, by sedentary nature, sitting all the time and unconsciously moving. The flexion of the spine is overshadowed; posture becomes weak and abdominal muscles slacken to a state of relaxation. These changes usually leads to discomfort, fatigue, and chronic muscular issues. Practicing Pilates will allow one to change internally and externally, improving the quality of life and increasing strength and physical form. Engaging the Core Through Every Movement Pilates is deeply rooted in engaging the core muscles in each movement. As compared to selecting exercises that target specific muscle groups, Pilates helps to train the entire body, particularly the muscles in and around the abdomen area, lower back muscles, hips, and pelvis. These are muscles that maintain posture and spine and give balance. Increasing activity leads to better posture because the body starts to organize itself and carry itself in a better way. Instead of using surface muscles or moving in a forced way, Pilates allows one to retrain the body to move in a position of strength and support. Consequently, daily chores of standing, walking, and sitting people are more systematic and not laborious. Increasing Flexibility for Spinal Health Flexibility is a very important element in maintaining good posture and keeping the core strong, and Pilates is constructed to enhance flexibility by using dynamic and static stretching exercises. Tight muscles tug at joints, pushing them out of their natural alignment. Pilates are useful in relieving this stress on the muscles and, at the same time, toning up the opposite muscles. The two results in a well-shaped body that is balanced and is flexible to maintain good postures without overstraining. In the long-term, increased flexibility allows the spine to straighten and open up leaving the discs and the nerves without any stretch and pressure, thus relieving the stress on the discs and the nerves, and making the core stronger and the spine healthier in general. Improving Balance and Coordination Through Movement The other important effect of Pilates on posture and core strength is that it enhances body balance and coordination. By a set of coordinated movements, Pilates tests the stability of the body and elicits the body to reach a balance. This is a dynamic act that requires the muscles of the core to struggle to balance and stabilize the center of gravity of the body. Posture is also made better as the balance does the same, with the body getting more capable of carrying its weight evenly and without putting undue pressure on each body part. Improved coordination also makes sure that muscles fire in the right order, thus reducing compensatory movement patterns that often lead to poor posture. Strengthening the Back Body for Lasting Support The posterior chain is another element of strengthening procedures in Pilates that helps in the development of the posture and the core. The posterior chain is composed of muscle groups like the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. They contribute significantly to the mechanism of keeping an upright posture. Deficiency can easily lead to hunched-back, forward-tilted pelvis syndrome, or flat-back syndrome. Pilates exercises are designed to contract these muscles using low-impact movements that can strengthen and increase endurance without increasing the mass. The back body should be strengthened to reverse the impacts of prolonged sitting and the much-needed strength to keep the spine aligned. Safe Strength Building During Recovery and Pain Management Pilates is particularly appropriate for individuals who have been injured or deal with discomfort caused by poor posture because of chronic pains and ailments. Pilates is an encouraging retreat to rebuilding the core strength and stability of the spine since its movement is all about controlled movements with a slow pace and the practice is aided with breathing patterns. Connect with a credible studio offering Pilates in Fort Lauderdale or a place near you who can provide information that fits your case, so the exercises must be effective as well as safe. Pilates is, in fact, encouraged by physical therapists to assist those who have back pains, scoliosis, or other musculoskeletal conditions due to the non-strenuous yet effective process of the activity. Conclusion In the long term, those who practice Pilates on a regular basis claim that they obtain more energy, experience better digestion and improve circulation. All these benefits, which might not seem related, are connected to posture and core performance. When the spine is put in alignment and the core is strong, organs have more space to work. More oxygen is going into the muscles and the brain meaning that breathing is deeper and more effective. The nervous system works more efficiently, reduces fatigue and increases concentration. This is an overall enhancement of the functioning of the body, which underlines the effects of Pilates, which go far beyond aesthetics. TIME BUSINESS NEWS