the 5 best pilates exercises to refine your waist

Often presented as a gentle way to maintain your shape, the pilates is above all a muscle building method very deep efficient. Inspired by yoga, dance and gymnastics, it is very popular with people who want to beautify their figure. It is also a method to know if you want to display a flat stomach as Aurélie Chauvel, coach at POSES Studiobecause it is based on the breath and on the engagement of the transverse, the muscle which constitutes our deep abs.

“You have to imagine a kind of large corset that covers our abdomen. A reinforced transverse “presses” our belly inwards and everything is refined from the inside!” she explains. In addition to targeting the deep abs, pilates also targets the superficial abs which helps us slim our waistline and give a more toned look to our belly. In addition to the purely aesthetic benefits obtained by performing pilates exercises that focus on the stomach, working on this area of ​​the body improves our well-being as it also stimulates digestion, “which also allows fight bloating and a swollen belly” ensures. So many good reasons to get started! That’s good, the coach revealed to us the best pilates exercises for a flat stomach.

Mandatory warm-up

First of all, start by warming up your body. Get into a seated position and make a few circles with your head and then your arms. Also perform a few rotations with your bust by putting your arms outstretched above your head, and turning the bust to the right without moving the buttocks while exhaling, before inhaling then returning to the initial posture to do the same at left. Then, lie down and raise your legs one by one at 90°. Repeat several times.

How to breathe well during exercises?

Breathing is a key part of pilates. Inspiration is through the nose and exhalation through the mouth or nose. During the exercises that we are going to present to you, you must “Keep the belly in all the way and take inspirations by opening the rib cage at the level of the ribs. The navel is drawn in towards the spine and the abdominals are engaged. We also think of his perineum, it is slightly contracted (as if to hold back a slight urge to go to the toilet)” explains Aurélie Chauvel.

The exercise of the hundred

What are we working on? Mainly the abs and hip flexors.

How to do it ?
Lie on your back, put your arms along your body and bend your legs to form a 90° angle. Exhale while raising your head, keeping your upper torso and your arms parallel to the ground. Then make small beats with your arms keeping them stretched. Look above your knees to keep your neck elongated without forcing (ie without pulling on it). Two options are then available to you: hold the position or straighten your two legs during the expiration before bringing them back towards you on the inspiration. Above all, be careful not to arch your lower back and to keep your belly tucked in at the end of the exercise.

Coach’s advice : “If there is a problem in the lower back, lightly press the lower back into the ground”.

Contraindication : if you suffer from a pathology affecting the neck, be careful not to force when the bust is raised.

The double leg stretch exercise

What are we working on? The abdominals, the flexor muscles of the hips and a little the shoulders.

How to do it ?
Lie on your back with your legs bent in an overturned chair (as in the previous posture) and your arms raised towards the ceiling, making sure to keep your hands facing each other above your shoulders. Exhale before extending your arms backwards but stop the movement of the arms at the level of the cheeks, while extending the right leg. Inhale, then return to the initial position. The lower back should not arch when the leg extends. Your neck should remain elongated and your shoulders away from your ears.

Coach’s advice : “If your cervical muscles allow it and your belly remains tucked in, perform the movement with your head and chest lifted”
Contraindication : be careful not to pull your neck too much when your chest is raised during the exercise if you have neck problems.

boat exercise

What are we working on? Abdominal muscles and hip flexors.

How to do it ?
Sit leaning on your small bones located under the buttocks (hamstrings), spreading your legs the width of your hips, raising your arms at shoulder height, with the palms of your hands facing each other. Exhale keeping your back straight and leaning your chest back slightly. Try to stabilize this position, exhale, then raise one of your legs to 90°. Inhale again then stabilize the posture before exhaling raising your second leg. Stabilize the position.

Coach’s advice : “Do not hesitate to work on one leg at the start if the final position is too hard to maintain”.
Contraindication : it is a posture not recommended for people who suffer from pathologies affecting the coccyx.

The scissors exercise

What are we working on? Abdominal muscles and hip flexor muscles.

How to do it ?
Lie on your back, arms along your body with legs hip-width apart. Extend your legs towards the ceiling with the tiptoes also positioned towards the ceiling. Before you even begin, slightly contract the front of your thighs then, on inspiration, lower your right leg towards the floor. As you exhale, lower your left leg while simultaneously raising your right leg so that your legs cross diagonally. If your stomach is well in, exhale and lift your head and chest to add difficulty. If necessary, place your hands behind your temples, keeping your elbows open.

Coach’s advice : “If necessary, you can do this movement by bending your legs” to make it easier to do.
Contraindication : Pay attention to pathologies affecting the cervical when the bust is raised.

The reverse cladding exercise

What are we working on? Mainly the abs.

How to do it ?
Lie on your back, with your legs bent in an overturned chair and that’s it, just stabilize the position to gain and strengthen your abs.

Coach’s advice : “To increase the difficulty, because it is possible to combine several options: try to do the exercise with straight legs or at least one of the two, take off your head and the top of your bust while putting your hands behind temples or placing your arms straight behind your head”

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