Boost your core strength and stability by adding these simple bodyweight moves to your workouts.
If you’re looking for a total-body workout, Pilates is an excellent choice. Training on the reformer helps increase muscle mass, improve posture, and reduce body fat. That said, not everyone has access to the reformer—and signing up for Pilates may be out of the question for some. That’s why we spoke with Jill Brown, personal trainer with Jill Brown Fitness & Coaching, who shares four daily exercises you can easily do at home to restore core strength after 65.
According to Brown, “I love Pilates and I teach it, but the reality is, it has a steep learning curve. If you aren’t already a ‘Pilates-head,’ you can spend way too much time trying to master the choreography or making tiny, pulse-like movements that don’t always translate to real life, functional strength. Strength and flexibility aren’t the same thing. These four exercises are about creating stability. They skip the fancy bells and whistles and put you right in the game. We’re going for total-body tension that builds a core like a corset, which is exactly what you need to move better, faster.”
Below, Brown breaks down four productive daily moves that help boost core strength quicker than Pilates.
Bird Dog
- Start on all fours on a workout mat.
- Extend your left arm and right leg.
- Hold for 3 seconds before returning to the start position.
- Switch sides and continue to alternate.
- Aim for 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.
“Tips: Don’t let your hips wiggle. Imagine you’re balancing a tray of wine glasses on your lower back and you don’t want to spill them,” Brown says.
Forearm Plank
- Assume a forearm plank: Place your forearms on the ground with your elbows under your shoulders and arms parallel to your body, shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your body straight from head to heels.
- Activate your core, legs, and glutes.
- Complete 1 to 3 sets, holding your planks for 20 to 60 seconds.
“If that’s too much, drop your knees to the floor. Just make sure your hips aren’t poking up in the air— don’t let the hips pop up. That means you’re using your arms, not the core,” Brown explains. “Squeeze your glutes like you’re trying to hold a quarter between them. That’s how you really ‘turn on’ the core.”
Half Side Plank
- Begin by lying on your side with your knees bent to 90 degrees.
- Prop yourself up on your bottom forearm/elbow.
- Lift your hips up high while bracing the core, keeping your chest open, and keeping your shoulders stacked vertically.
- Perform 3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds on each side.
“Don’t let your top shoulder roll forward toward the floor. You want to feel this right in the side of your waist (your obliques),” Brown says. “The working side is the side closer to the floor. Imagine squeezing a tennis ball between the bottom side ribs and hips.”
Dead Bug
- Lie flat on your back, arms extended toward the sky and knees lifted in a tabletop position.
- Press your lower back into the floor and engage your core.
- Lower one arm and the opposite leg.
- Hover for a moment without allowing your arm or leg to touch the ground.
- Return to the start position.
- Repeat on the other side, and continue to alternate.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 alternating reps.
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Greenwich, CT. She has 11+ years of experience covering wellness, fitness, food, travel, lifestyle, and home. Read more about Alexa
