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Pilates exercises complement ab workouts by building core strength. Some moves involve only the abdominal muscles, while others require other body parts. Stability balls can be used to increase spinal stability. Counter-stretch movements and extension exercises are important for a complete workout.
Since Pilates exercises are meant to build core strength, and strong abs are necessary for core strength, it makes sense that Pilates exercises would be ideal complements to ab workouts. Some Pilates moves are basic and involve only the participant’s abdominal muscles, while others are involved moves and require other parts of the body as well. For example, many Pilates abdominal exercises rely heavily on the participant’s legs. Other Pilates moves use a stability ball not only for ab exercises, but also to build core strength and increase spinal stability. To get the most out of their Pilates abdominal exercises, participants should perform counter-stretch movements, which are designed to stretch the opposing muscles that were used during the initial abdominal training.
The Hundred, which involves slightly lifting both ends of the body off the ground, is perhaps the most common of the Pilates ab exercises. Roll Up has the participant roll her upper body to develop core strength. The Rolling Like A Ball move, on the other hand, actually requires the participant to roll back and forth on their spine to work the core.
Certain abdominal exercises during Pilates significantly involve other parts of the body, such as the legs. For example, both the single leg stretch and the double leg stretch target the lower abdominal muscles. The Open Leg Balance also helps participants work the lower abdominal muscles, but this Pilates ab exercise also works to strengthen balance. A flowing exercise similar to bicycle crunches, the Criss Cross Leg helps to slim down the waist by working the oblique abdominal muscles. The simple straight leg stretch may sound like it’s just for legs, but this Pilates move actually helps strengthen your core.
Several Pilates abdominal exercises with stability balls are variations on regular Pilates movements. For example, the double leg stretch, which is usually done on the floor, can be done with a stability ball. The Prone Plank is another ab exercise similar to The Double Leg Stretch, only this ball variation is meant to hit the deeper core muscles than its original version. Of course, certain abdominal exercises require other muscles to be strong in order for the participant to perform them correctly. The Teaser On The Ball, for example, requires strong hamstrings and hip flexors.
Keep in mind that it is important to add extension exercises to a Pilates ab workout. This is especially true if the Pilates abdominal exercises a person does are designed with a forward bend in mind. Consider Swimming, which has the participant face down and eventually stretches her arms and legs out from the center of her, moving them up and down in a swimming-like motion. The swan is another beneficial extension exercise, working the abs, quadriceps, and hip flexors. These types of movements will help counter stretch and work the contrasting muscles.
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