10-Minute Beginner Ab Workout for Women

How To Do C-Shape Tucks

1. Start in a seated position on your mat, legs bent at 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor. Place a pilates ball behind you, pressing it tightly into the low back.
2. Sit back into a C-Shape. Shoulders are pulled slightly forward, navel is drawn in tight as you lean back into the ball. Extend your arms long in front of you.
3. Push your low back into the ball on a four-count and pause to hold the tucked position for a four-count.
4. Then exhale as you slowly release on a four-count.

How To Do Lying Bent Knee Toe Taps

1. Start lying on your mat, back flat on the ground. Place a pilates ball under your low back and engage your core, pressing your lower back into the ball.
2. Lift your knees to a 90-degree angle (knees bent at 90 degrees).
3. Imagine there is a string connecting your hipbones. To activate your transverse abdominal muscles, pull your hip bones towards one another.
4. Then, with control, tap your right toe to the mat. Return to the starting position and then tap your left toe to the mat.
5. Alternate, tapping each toe to the mat without letting your low back ‘pop off’ the ball.

How To Do Alternating Leg Extensions

1. Start lying on your back. Place a pilates ball under your low back and engage your core, pressing your lower back into the ball.
2. Lift your knees to a 90-degree angle (knees bent at 90 degrees).
3. Extend the right leg straight out in front of you, keeping the left leg bent at 90 degrees.
4. With control, pull the right leg back so both knees are bent at 90 degrees. Then alternate by extending the left leg long. This movement is slow and controlled.
5. To intensify this movement, kick both legs straight out at the same time.

How To Do Side-to-Side Leg Lowers

1. Start lying on your back, core activated to press your lower back into the mat.
2. Lift your legs, knees bent at 90 degrees (knees stacked on top of hips) and squeeze a pilates ball between your knees.
3. Keeping your shoulder blades flat on the mat, slowly lower your knees to the right side of your body, knees stacked and tapping the mat with your right knee.
4. Squeeze your abs as you pull your knees back up to starting position.
5. Repeat on the left, lowering your knees so your left knee taps the mat on the left side of your body.

Modification: Reduce range of motion of your legs to reduce the intensity of this exercise.

How To Do A Modified Side Plank Lift and Ball Squeeze

1. Start in a modified side plank or knee down side plank on the left side. Left forearm on the mat, left shoulder stacked over left elbow and left knee on the ground. Place a ball between your knees.
2. Engage your abs and obliques as you lift your hips off the mat and squeeze your legs together to compress the ball.
3. Hold at the top, thinking about pressing your bottom knee into the mat to engage your glutes.
4. Then return to the starting position by lowering your hip back to the mat with control.
5. Repeat on the opposite side the next set.

How To Do A Bear Crawl Hold with Ball Squeeze

1. Start in a table top position, quadruped on all fours, shoulders stacked over wrists and hips stacked over knees, pelvis even. Place a pilates ball between your inner thighs.
2. Inhale as you let your belly slightly drop, raising your gaze up as you breathe through into your belly.
3. Exhale, drawing your belly button towards your spine as you tuck your toes under and lift your knees one inch off the mat, finding a bear crawl. Squeeze the ball between your inner thighs. Hold for a three-count.
4. Inhale as you lower your knees to the mat, finding a neutral spine position.

How To Do A Modified Plank and Ball Roll

1. Start in a modified plank. Knees on the mat, shoulders stacked over elbows and toes connected to the mat. Straight line from head to tailbone. Place a pilates ball under your forearms.
2. Slowly roll out, sliding the pilates ball under your forearms until it reaches your elbows. Keep your core engaged as your torso lowers closer to the mat.
3. Pause for a moment, then roll back in, rolling the pilates ball under your forearms until it’s closer to your wrists, pushing yourself back up a bit, core engaged.

Modification: Reduce range of motion by taking this from a quadruped (table top) position rather than modified plank.

How To Do Superman and Ball Press

1. Start lying on your stomach, arms and legs extended out away from your body. Place a pilates ball under your hands.
2. Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to engage your posterior chain as you lift your legs off the ground while you press your hands into the pilates ball.
3. Hold this position, keeping your core engaged and a neutral spine. The harder you press into the ball, the more intense this exercise becomes.
4. Slowly lower your legs back towards the ground and release the pressure from the ball.

How To Do A Glute Bridge

1. Start lying on your back, feet planted under knees. Place a pilates ball between your knees.
2. Press through your heels to lift your glutes off the mat, squeezing your glutes as you lift. As you lift upwards, squeeze your inner thighs together, pressing into the pilates ball.
3. Exhale, slowly lowering your hips to hover an inch above the mat and releasing some of the tension on the pilates ball.