Here is a ten-minute abdominal routine complete with levels suitable for beginners and more advanced clients! This would work well at the start of class to help engage your client's core from the very beginning - and get them very warmed-up for the rest of your class.
No props required, and the written list of exercises and instructions are below so you can copy to your class plan. The exercises are designed to flow into one another - so think of each addition as adding a 'layer' and try to keep the client's moving for the whole ten minutes. Of course, remind clients to take a break whenever they need.
Not a Pilates instructor but have ten minutes to spare today? Great! Follow along from home and remember to listen to your body to know when to rest! Want to do a longer workout? Check out our online studio.
Set up and Warm up
Get clients to lay on their back in the middle of their mats, feet on the floor hip distance apart.
Core engagement - place fingertips on hipbones and walk them in until they're about 10-15cm apart. Engage core by tightening muscles under fingertips - cue client's to think about drawing up between their legs, across their hipbones, and the bellybutton down. Contract and release 5-10 times.
Tabletop prep - engage core and imprint spine. Float one leg into tabletop (inhale) and slowly float second leg up to tabletop (exhale), pause for one second and then return first leg back to the floor (inhale) and second leg back to the floor (exhale). Repeat by alternating the starting leg.
Part One - abdominal and oblique curls
Add ab curl - set up hands behind head and repeat tabletop prep with abdominal curl on first leg lift. Hold head lifted throughout second leg lift and first leg lower, then lower the head with the second leg. Breathing now changes to begin on an exhale.
Level two option: hold the abdominal curl the whole time.
Hold legs in tabletop and transition to bicycle legs - head can stay down (level 1) or stay lifted (level 2). On the exhale, cue clients to extend one leg either to the ceiling (level 1) or lower toward the ground (level 2), draw leg back to tabletop and then alternate with the other leg. Remembering to pause in tabletop between each side.
Level two option: swap legs so they never meet together in tabletop. This forces the clients to move a little faster, and requires precise movement to keep the hips from wobbling.
Add oblique curl - return hands behind head if they're not already there and aim chest toward opposite knee in tabletop, while other leg is out straight in bicycle position. Clients can lower head down in between each side (level 1) or keep the chest lifted and simply swap sides (level 2).
Quick rest, return feet to the floor
Part Two - introducing arm and double leg work
Arm sweep ab curls - return both legs to tabletop and arms up, pointing to the ceiling and aligned with the shoulders. Exhale and ab curl, sweep the arms down by the hips to hover over the mat, inhale to return arms to ceiling and head to floor.
Add pulses - cue clients to add 3-5 pulses of arms up and down while hovering over the mat, holding the ab curl. Clients can do small exhales while pulsing and arms should stay straight and strong, including fingertips.
Add double leg extension - cue clients to add a double leg extension either to the ceiling (level 1) or lower over the floor (level 2) at the same time as ab curl and arm sweep. Hold the legs out long while arms pulse.
For the last few reps, increase arm pulses to 10x small pulses. Clients need to hold double leg extension for longer. Level 1 can continue doing just 3-5 pulses.
Quick rest, return feet to the floor
Part Three - beats and finisher
Add leg beats - return hands behind the head and legs to a froggy tabletop position - heals together, knees and toes turned out and knees roughly at 90 degrees. On the exhale, ab curl and double leg extension, inhale to open the legs about 30-50cm apart and exhale to draw the heels back together, beating the heels in small, sharp movements for 3-5 reps.
Hold & continue to beat - Cue clients to hold ab curl and just do the beat move - inhale open legs, exhale beat in 3-5 reps.
Final rest, return feet to floor.
Interested in getting started on your own Pilates instructor journey? Learn more about our Pilates instructor courses here.
Wanting to find out more about the importance of core activation? Read our previous blog, "Understanding the Core".
