There’s no denying that common bodyweight exercises, like planks, crunches and sit-ups can help you carve out a stronger core — but these fiery moves aren’t the only way to help you strengthen your torso.
Just take this powerful 30-minute Pilates workout from instructor Mira Hassan, who uses just body weight to help build core strength — which, in turn, can result in enhanced flexibility, improved stability and a much stronger back.
“This mat flow is all about stronger abs and back for better posture and staying injury-free,” Hassan explains at the beginning of her class.
No fancy equipment has been used for this session. You’ll just need your body weight and enough floor space to roll out one of the best yoga mats. So once you’ve done so, you’re good to flow.
Watch Flow with Mira’s 30-minute no-equipment Pilates workout
Due to the use of compound exercises like side planks, glute bridges and the Pilates roll-down, this 30-minute low-impact session will work your whole body, as it works multiple muscles and joints at the same time. But Hassan’s Pilates workout is especially effective at boosting strength and stability in your core.
“In this straightforward, no-fluff session, we'll target both your abs and back muscles with proven exercises that deliver results,” Hassan confirms. “Perfect for intermediate fitness enthusiasts who want to challenge themselves while maintaining proper form.”
That’s because each Pilates exercise is initiated by stabilizing the ‘core musculature’.
When we talk about your core, we’re not just talking about your abdominals, which are often referred to as your six-pack. Instead, your core refers to all the muscles that surround your stomach. So while your rectus abdominis makes up part of your core, this section also includes other crucial muscles, like your external and internal obliques, pelvic floor, transversus abdominis and your multifidus.
These muscles, along with others, work around the clock to provide your body with the balance and stability it needs to go about life’s daily tasks. Whether it’s bending down, standing up or getting out of bed.
Is Pilates without equipment effective?
It absolutely can be. Pilates uses a combination of approximately 50 simple, repetitive bodyweight exercises that can be used for strength training and rehabilitation.
As evidenced in the Muscle, Ligaments and Tendons Journal, mat-based Pilates exercises are designed to increase muscle strength and endurance, as well as boosting flexibility, posture and balance.
As long as you are consistent in your practice, one 2022 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health discovered that practicing Pilates for an hour twice a week for 12 weeks could improve functional fitness, flexibility, core strength and balance.
Finally, a 2022 review article, published in the Heliyon, found that there is ‘no difference’ between Pilates and other exercise modalities for increasing dynamic strength, isometric strength, resistance strength, balance and flexibility. So what are you waiting for?
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