Forget flashy cardio routines or maxing out at the gym—there’s an easier way to produce real workout results. Mat Pilates is all about building deep, lasting strength through slow, intentional movement, and experts say that even a beginner-friendly practice can help you tighten and tone your core. This area of the body includes not just the abdominal muscles, but also the pelvic floor and lower back. By working those core muscle groups carefully, you’ll improve your posture and balance, protect your spine, and even enhance your athletic performance off the mat.
Just one warning: Once you start feeling that strength radiate from your center, it’s easy to get hooked on your new routine. These are the seven best mat Pilates exercises to strengthen your core in no time, according to seasoned Pilates practitioners.
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1. The Hundred
3 | The HundredShutterstockThe hundred is a foundational mat Pilates move, and many people use it to open their routine. Andrea Lepcio, founder and owner of Mighty Fit, says it not only tones your core but also stimulates circulation to warm you up for the rest of your workout.
"The name comes from the counted duration of the move. We count five inhalations and five exhalations ten times while splashing arms up and down to the count," she says. "The 100 gets your heart rate pumping and warms up the entire body. It aids in building flexibility and range of motion."
"A beginner might keep their head down and lift their legs into a tabletop," she explains. "An advanced student would lift their head toward their sternum and lengthen their legs at a 45-degree angle throughout the count."
2. Planks
1 | Planks and other isometric exercisesShutterstockWhether you're looking to tone up, slim down, or simply get your body moving, Pilates makes for a great strength training workout. Tamara Galinsky, founder and brand president of JETSET Pilates, tells Best Life that when done regularly, any Pilates exercise that uses isometric core contraction should result in weight loss and muscle development in your midsection.
"Incorporating isometric contractions in Pilates accelerates toning by engaging muscles without movement, maximizing muscle fiber recruitment and enhancing endurance. This method is excellent for sculpting and defining muscles efficiently," she says.
Portia Page, CPT, certified trainer and Balanced Body Educator at Balanced Body, recommends trying a forearm plank with a twist.
"Start on your forearms facing down with your legs outstretched behind you in plank, finding a long line with your body from head to toe," she advises. "Keeping your upper body steady, start to twist your hips and dip one down towards the floor. Return to your long line and repeat on the other side."
"If you start to feel your upper body twisting, step your feet further away from each other for more stability," she adds.
But even a traditional plank or side plank will help strengthen not only your core but your shoulders, arms, glutes.
3. Teaser
5 | TeaserShutterstockAnother move known as the Teaser can also provide a rigorous core workout—but that’s not its only benefit.
"This exercise mainly targets the core muscles but also benefits the lower back, glutes, and legs," says Ronny Garcia, CPT, personal training manager at Blink Fitness.
To try it, lie on your back with your arms overhead and legs extended, Garcia says. Simultaneously lift your legs and upper body, forming a "V" shape, then lower back down with control.
4. Mini Swan
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The mini swan is a back extension exercise that achieves two aims at once: Strengthening the muscles on the posterior chain and enhancing overall core engagement.
Page says you should start by lying on your mat, face down. "Stretch your legs long, away from your head," she instructs. "Bring your hands facing down in front of your forehead like you are about to salute. Brace your core by pulling your belly button in. Lift your torso off the floor, slightly twist right and left, then return back down."
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5. Corkscrew
9 | CorkscrewShutterstockNadia Murdock, a certified Pilates and barre instructor who works with Garage Gym Reviews, recommends the corkscrew, "a classic move" that provides consistent core strengthening results.
"Start by lying down on your back with your arms straight by your side and palms facing down," she says. Next, lift your hips and swing your legs over your head to a high diagonal, then roll down to the right side in a circular "corkscrew" motion. "To complete the movement, circle your legs down and over to the left, then roll up to a high diagonal again," she adds.
Repeat this action for 30 seconds on each side, or—if you're up for a challenge—until exhaustion.
6. Roll Up
4 | Roll-UpShutterstockLepcio describes the next workout on the list, the roll up, as "a terrific measure of core strength." In fact, she says she has 75-year-old students who can do it and 22-year-old students who cannot.
To test and build your own core strength, begin by lying supine with your legs drawn into the center and your feet flexed. Your arms should be lifted chest high and shoulder width apart for beginners, or diagonally overhead for those at an intermediate level of practice.
“The action calls for two cycles of breath,” Lepcio says. “With an inhale, lift the head and shoulders, exhale to draw up and over the legs, inhale to roll back, and exhale to finish articulating the spine into the mat."
"This exercise targets the entire 360 degrees of the core. If the practitioner purposefully exhales, drawing up from the pelvic floor, it helps to support those muscles,” she notes.
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7. Series of Five
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The last move that Lepcio recommends actually consists of five moves in one—and that’s exactly what makes it so rigorous and effective. This subseries, known as the Five or Series of Five," focuses explicitly on developing the abdominal muscles.
To try this powerful sequence, start on your back with your knees tucked into your chest. Your head can be positioned up or down on your mat, depending on your comfort and strength level. Perform five to 10 reps of each movement before moving on to the next.
- Single Leg Stretch: Begin by lying down on your back with your legs in a tabletop position. Then, exhale to pull one knee into the chest and reach the other leg long. Inhale to transition to the second leg and do the same.
- Double Leg Stretch: To perform the next move in the sequence, begin by hugging your knees to your chest, still lying on your back. Then, as you inhale, stretch your legs to a 45-degree angle and stretch your arms out above your head, also at a 45-degree angle. Exhale as you return to your original position, hugging your knees.
- Scissors: Lying on your back, lengthen both of your legs to the ceiling to try this next core strengthening movement. It’s okay if the legs are not fully straight, Lepcio notes, though many people aim to hold their calves in their hands as they stretch. “Pump one leg towards your face as you scissor the other leg to the floor. Alternate to the second side,” she says.
- Lower Lift: The lower leg lift has two possible variations, depending on your level of mastery: "Beginners will place their hands in a V under their sacrum," Lepcio explains. "Those at an intermediate level will put their hands behind their head. Lift your legs to the ceiling. The action is to lower the legs to a 45-degree angle and then return to center."
- Criss-Cross: Finally, the criss-cross is a type of curl that Lepcio describes as "bicycle-like." To try it, place one hand over the other behind your head. "Inhale to elevate your head and shoulders. Exhale and draw one knee to the opposite elbow before repeating on the second side," the trainer notes. For a serious challenge, finish your routine by pedaling your legs until exhaustion. You’ll be feeling the burn in your core in no time.
