When Joseph Pilates developed his signature exercise technique, he stressed the importance of what he called the "powerhouse" or deeper abdominal muscles. This emphasis on the core musculature makes Pilates a widely practiced exercise method of toning and flattening the abdominal muscles. Proper breathing technique and correct alignment must be used at all times.
Pilates Breathing Technique
The Pilates breathing method contributes to its abdominal toning efficiency. Pilates students are taught to engage the deeper core musculature, known as the transverse abdominal muscle, by exhaling during spinal flexion. Exhalation, explain Mark D. Faries and Mike Greenwood in an article for National Strength and Conditioning Association, causes the transverse abdominal muscle to press against the diaphragm to expel the air. This creates a deeper abdominal muscle contraction.
Pilates Pelvic Placement
Faulty postural alignment may cause the back muscles to be over-active. Since the abdominal muscles work in opposition to the back muscles, over-active lumbar muscles may be paired with weak, under-active abdominal muscles. Most beginner Pilates classes begin with pelvic alignment exercises. The Stott Pilates program uses a a pelvic rock. Lie supine with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Rock your pelvis, alternating between a pelvic tilt and an arched back. Neutral spinal placement is somewhere between the two. The neutral spine alignment eliminates excess lumbar muscle compensation, and allows the abdominal muscles to assume their share of the workload.
Rib Cage Placement
The forward rib cage is another postural misalignment that makes the stomach appear bigger than it actually is. Pilates instructors call this "rib popping," and correct it with a rib cage placement exercise. Lie supine with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Inhale as you reach your arms toward the ceiling. Exhale, contract your abdominal muscles and bring your arms overhead, only as far as you can go without lifting your upper back from the mat. Inhale and reach your arms back toward the ceiling. Exhale and return them to your sides.
Pilates Crisscross Exercise
An American Council on Exercise study ranked the bicycle maneuver as one of the most effective abdominal exercises. Pilates instructors call this the "crisscross." The exercise uses the obliques, which make an "X" across your abdominal muscles, and the rectus abdominis, which is the large, central abdominal muscle. The deeper core muscles maintain spinal stability. Lie supine and lift both legs from the floor. Support your neck by placing your hands behind your head. Lift your head and shoulders from the mat. Bend your right knee and rotate your upper torso toward the knee. Keep your upper body lifted as you straighten your legs and pass through center, and then repeat the movement on the other side. Perform 20 repetitions or 10 to each side.
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