11 Best Pilates Abs Exercises, According to Instructors

There's a reason everyone from celebs and TikTokers to fitness editors is into Pilates right now. This low-impact workout modality combines flexibility, strength, and endurance into exercises that can be done either on a mat or using a reformer in class (or at home, with a bit more of a price tag). And it's also amazing at building core strength. Most Pilates workouts incorporate plenty of core work throughout — often, you'll flow in and out of poses with a yoga-like emphasis on breath and your abs working with nearly every move. However, if you want to dedicate some time specifically to strengthening your abs (and everything else that makes up your core), you can do a full Pilates ab workout or try a couple of Pilates ab exercises that are sure to get the job done.

If you can't get to a Pilates studio or you just prefer home workouts, never fear. You can still get in a solid Pilates ab workout with nothing but a mat or space on a comfortable floor. To make it easy, we asked 10 different Pilates instructors for their top ab moves. You can do all of them right at home, with no equipment required. Incorporate a few of these Pilates ab exercises into your next core workout for a slow and steady burn that'll strengthen your abs and so much more.

"My favorite at-home Pilates abs workout without a machine is, hands down, planks!" says Nwando Emejulu, a certified Pilates instructor at New York Pilates. "I love to start with a forearm plank."

The next Pilates ab exercise, an elbow plank variation, challenges both your balance and core strength. While you're lifting your leg, "the rest of the body remains absolutely still, and that is where the majority of the [core] work is — in stability," says Julie Erickson, a certified Pilates teacher at Endurance Pilates.

Scissor kicks are "a classic example of how Pilates stretches and strengthens simultaneously," says Jennifer Herrera, a Pilates Method-certified teacher who's certified in mat and reformer Pilates. In this Pilates ab exercise, you build core strength by keeping your upper body lifted, Herrera says. "The lower abdominals work as the legs move, and the movement stretches the hamstrings and lower back."

"By far, my favorite at-home Pilates ab exercises are variations of planks," says licensed Pilates instructor Elyse Kaye. "They work your entire body and core." She recommends the slow mountain climber, a move that targets your lower abs with a challenging in-plank crunch.

Mat-certified Pilates instructor Liz Chen recommends this challenging Pilates ab workout move to improve your core stability. If you want to turn it up even more, she says, "do this while raising one leg an inch off the ground, then the other leg." You can try this Pilates ab exercise in a high or low plank position.

This Pilates ab exercise teaches you to build core endurance, using your abs to "support your spine against gravity," says Mary Badon, Stott Pilates instructor and owner of Soma Movement Studio in Connecticut.

"This is a great exercise to build endurance in your deepest abdominal muscle, the transverse abdominus," says Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, a physical therapist and BASI-certified Pilates instructor at Fusion Wellness and Physical Therapy. This muscle supports your posture, she explains.

Bicycle crunches are "wonderful for obliques," says certified Pilates instructor Supatra Tovar. "I love how this one really hits the obliques and challenges the body's oppositional strength," adds Kelsey Taylor, a personal trainer and Peak Pilates-certified instructor. "It also works the deep transverse [abdominis] and pulls everything in and together."

"This one is great because it engages your entire core," says Tracy Green, a certified Pilates and barre instructor at Baptist Health-Milestone Wellness Center in Louisville, KY. "Focus on the percussive breathing here — it's five sharp, quick breaths in, then five strong, quick exhales. Each breath further engages your abdominals." Pilates instructor Gia Calhoun, vice president of Pilates Anytime, agrees, saying Pilates 100s are designed to "fire up your core."

Bird dog "is really functional movement, where you're using your core to stabilize what your limbs are doing," Green tells POPSUGAR. It'll activate and strengthen your abs, which ultimately "keep[s] the rest of you from being hurt or injured," she says.

This is perfect for working your upper and lower abs, Tovar says. You can also think of it as "Pilates in a nutshell," says Molly Niles Renshaw, certified Pilates instructor and cofounder of Phoenix Classical Pilates. "You feel the deep scoop of your abdominals while reaching your arms and legs away from each other . . . Your core is pulled in and stable while the limbs are working in opposition. This takes strength, control, and coordination — all things Pilates!"