What is a common Pilates exercise for strengthening the core?

The Hundred is a foundational Pilates exercise renowned for its effectiveness in strengthening the core. This exercise involves lying on your back with your legs raised to a tabletop position and your head, neck, and shoulders lifted off the mat. While pumping the arms up and down, the focus is on engaging the abdominal muscles and coordinating breath, which enhances core stability and endurance.

This exercise not only targets the deep abdominal muscles, including the transverse abdominis, but also encourages proper breathing techniques and concentration, both vital components of Pilates practice. By maintaining the leg position and controlled arm movement, practitioners develop core strength alongside pelvic stability and overall body control.

In contrast, while exercises like The Bridge, The Plank, and The Roll Up also contribute to core strengthening, they each emphasize different aspects or regions of core engagement and stability. The Bridge primarily focuses on the glutes and lower back, The Plank emphasizes overall body strength with significant attention to shoulder and hip stability, and The Roll Up works on articulating the spine and flexibility along with core engagement.