The Role of Core Strength in Pilates and Everyday Life

By Tamara Newell

January 2026

What does back pain, posture, and balance all have in common?  All three rely on core strength to maintain optimal health and stability in daily life.  The term core strength may drum up imaginations of wash board abs that seem unattainable and solely for appearance.  Yet, building and maintaining core strength is achievable for anyone willing and committed to practicing a few effective core exercises.

What is your core strength?

Core strength isn’t merely how flat and firm your ab muscles are.  However, core strength is the cohesion of your abdominal, back, pelvic and hips muscles working in tandem to provide healthy mobility and movement, minimize back pain and support your posture.  Maintaining core strength can also have an effect on various bodily functions such as digestion, injury prevention, spine support and reducing tension pain in various parts of your body.

What is the most effective core exercise?

One of the most effective core exercises that’s widely well known is the plank.  The plank is often utilized in both Pilates classes and functional fitness classes.  The plank is effective because it challenges every part of the core muscles; the abdominals, back, pelvis and hips when the body is fully engaged.  Additionally, it increasingly challenges each of these muscle groups with a wide variety of variations on the classic plank.  Variations such as a side plank, single leg plank and front plank challenge both the mind and body. 

4 Pilates Abs Exercises for a Core Strength

1. Chest Lift

The Chest lift is a beginner  Pilates mat exercise and foundational for developing core strength for more advanced Pilates work. 

How to do it:

1. Lay on your back, knees bent. Knees and heels are about sit- bone distance apart.  Hands behind your head, at the base of your neck, elbows wide. 
2. Scoop belly in and up, inhale. 
3. On the exhale, lift the head, chest and arms up.  Try to lift the shoulder blades off the mat.
4. Inhale lower down. 
5. Repeat 6-8x.

• The Hundred

The Hundred is a classical Pilates mat exercise that can be modified for the absolute beginner to the most advanced.

How to it:

1. Lay on your back, knees bent and feet on the floor.  Arms by your side, palms facing down.
2. Curl head, neck and shoulder up into a Pilates curl.  Arms lift a few inches off the ground and legs to a table top position.
3. Exhale, straighten legs out to a 45 degree angle.
4. Make small pumping motions with the arms. 
5. Inhale for five counts, exhale for five counts.
6. Repeat inhale for five, exhale for five for a total of 10 reps.

• The Roll Up

The Roll Up emphasizes spinal mobility, an often overlooked, yet crucial element of core strength.

How to do it:

1. Lay on your back, legs straight and zipped together from heels to inner thighs. Arms reach back by the ears, shoulders down and core engaged.
2. Roll up one vertebrae at a time until the upper body is rounded over legs and arms are parallel to the legs. Do not collapse the upper body, imagine your rounding the chest over a ball.
3. Roll back down, articulating through the spine. 
4. Return to the beginning position and repeat 3-5x.

• Plank

The plank, a widely known and one of the most effective of core strength exercises, often seen in functional fitness classes.

How to do it:

1. Begin on all fours, hands under shoulders, knees under hips.  Scoop belly in and press hands into mat to prevent sinking into shoulders.
2. Extend one leg back at a time, bringing both into full plank.  Feet are hip width distance apart.  Tailbone slightly tucked and all muscles engaged.
3. Hold for 10-30 seconds.
4. Lower back onto all fours one leg at a time.

Core strength is essential to living pain free with good posture, balance, and mobility. Core strength can be gained and maintained at any age.  At ProHealth Physical Therapy and Pilates , certified Pilates instructors in Peachtree City, GA are ready to help you get started.  Book a class today!