5 Minute Pilates Ab Workout

Need a quick and efficient workout for those abs? Try this 5 minute Pilates ab workout to target all angles of your waistline!

The Best Pilates Workout to tone your Abs
Update: This post has been updated. Enjoy a VIDEO and one more exercise to target those abs!

If you’ve ever tried Pilates before, you know that it’s a lot more intense than it looks! Pilates is a killer workout because every move hits your core. AKA your abs, back, and pelvic muscles.

Because of all the core work, Pilates workouts are some of the BEST workouts to get a tight tummy. Since it’s so great for it strengthening your back and your spine, it also awesome to prevent back pain and improve your posture.

I have been teaching both mat Pilates, and Pilates on the apparatus (the reformer, Cadillac, and chair) for over 8 years. So as you can probably guess, most of my ab workouts are very Pilates based. This 5 minute workout consists of six of the most popular exercises to slim your waistline.

These are basic moves, found even in the most beginner classes. Yet they’re so beneficial, they’re in almost even advanced class as well. This quick workout will hit all areas of your core — upper abs, lower abs, and also those obliques.

If you like this workout, then you’ll love…
Pilates with the Stability Ball
20 Minute Total Body Pilates 

My Equipment:
Yoga Design Lab Combo Mat (in Chevron)

Outfit:
Glyder Apparel

Pilates Ab Workout: the best exercises to tone your abs

5 Minute Pilates Ab Workout

  • Double Leg Stretch – Hug both knees in towards the chest. As you exhale, lift your head and chest up to a sit up position. Then, inhale as you reach your arms up overhead and your legs out diagonally. Finally, exhale as you come back in to hug your knees in to your chest.
  • Single Leg Stretch – Laying on your back, hug your RIGHT knee in towards your chest. Begin by exhaling to lift your head and shoulder blades off the ground as if doing a sit up. Lift the LEFT leg off the floor so that it reaches up diagonally. Then, as you inhale, switch your legs. Exhale as you hug your LEFT knee in towards your chest, then inhale through the center as you’re switching legs. Exhale to hug the RIGHT knee back to the chest to complete ONE repetition.
  • Criss Cross – Starting again with your RIGHT knee in towards your chest, bring your hands behind your head. Exhale to lift your head and shoulders up and twist your LEFT elbow towards your RIGHT knee.  Then as you twist back through the center, inhale and start to switch your legs.  Exhale as the RIGHT elbow reaches towards the LEFT knee to finish ONE repetition.
  • Double Leg Lowers – Start with your hands behind your head and your legs straight up towards the ceiling. Begin by exhaling to lift your head up as if you were doing a sit up and hold that position. In your ab curl, inhale to lower both legs down towards the floor without letting your back arch. Then exhale to bring your legs back to the ceiling. Repeat, keeping the head lifted for all 10 reps.
  • Scissors – With your legs straight up towards the ceiling and your arms down by your side, exhale to curl your head and chest up as if doing a sit up and grab behind your RIGHT thigh (or if you’re flexible, your calf or ankle).  Inhale as you scissor legs to the other side and then exhale as you grab behind the LEFT thigh, calf, or ankle. Switch to the other side to complete ONE repetition, then repeat 10 times.
  • Criss Cross Scissors – Continue moving the legs just as you did in the Scissors, only bring the hands behind your head. As you bring the RIGHT leg up to the sky, exhale and rotate your LEFT elbow towards the RIGHT. Begin to scissor the legs as you inhale. As you switch to bring the LEFT leg to the sky, exhale to twist the RIGHT elbow towards the leg. Complete 10 repetitions on each side.

Get more Pilates Workouts to help you reach your goals HERE

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5 Minute Pilates AB Workout
Pilates Abs Workout

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