10 minutes of yoga for core strength (with a little Pilates)

Ready to work your abs? You’re about to do a 10-minute yoga workout to build core strength that includes a mix of classic yoga and Pilates moves. I like to think of it as “Yogalates.” It’s an ab-focused workout that takes you in and out of traditional Pilates and yoga exercises for core strength movements throughout the class.

Each yoga and Pilates pose is very simple, so even if you’ve never done it before, you’ll be able to follow along. But just because something is beginner-friendly doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy. This yoga for core strength will definitely challenge you. Let’s get started!

10 minutes Pilates + yoga to build core strength

This multi-level class does not require any tools, although you can access them if you prefer. It also includes an affirmation at the end to help you set yourself up for the rest of your day.

Knee circles

Let’s start by lowering onto your back. Once you get there, pull your knees toward your stomach, maybe swaying slightly from side to side and notice how you feel this morning.

Place your hands on top of your knees and start drawing some circles.

So, before you actually do cardio, you do a little gentle movement. Then reverse the direction of those circles. When you’re done, return to the center.

The hundred

Let’s heat things up. Classic Pilates classes usually begin with a version of this exercise called the “hundred.” Still on your back, stack your knees over your hips and keep your legs parallel to the mat. Lift your head and shoulders off the mat and extend your arms forward. Keep your legs in position as you begin to vigorously pump your arms up and down.

This is as much a breathing exercise as it is a core strengthening exercise. So you will inhale for a count of 5 and exhale for a count of 5. Try inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Continuing to inhale and exhale, lift your shoulder blades off the mat, hug your legs toward your midline, and pull your lower abdomen in and up. Take 4 additional rounds of breathing.

When finished, relax your head and shoulders on the mat and bring your knees toward your chest. Great job.

Reclining spine twist

Keep your feet flat on the mat. Open your arms and bend your elbows to form a cactus shape. Your hips can rock a few inches toward the right before you lower your knees toward the left in a spinal twist. Try to keep your right shoulder blade down on the mat so you can stretch through the oblique muscles here.

Lift your knees back through the center and move to the other side to twist them. So your hip can go a little bit to the left, and then your knees can go down to the right, trying to press down through your left shoulder blade. Breathe here.

Bring your knees back through center.

One leg stretch

This is another Pilates exercise and is a breathing exercise. So pull your knees toward your chest and lift your head and shoulders off the mat again. Hold your right leg while extending your left leg straight out on a diagonal. You will inhale, raise it up slightly, and then exhale completely through your mouth. At the end of the exhale, switch your legs, bending your straight leg and straightening your bent leg. Then inhale, lift, exhale, switch legs.

Continue to breathe in and out as you do more exercises. Then bring your knees toward your chest and relax by lowering your head and shoulders to the mat.

Happy baby pose

Grab the outside edges of your feet or legs and try to stack your ankles over your knees Happy baby pose. Maybe you’re swaying a little bit from side to side here, massaging your lower back.

The table hovers

Then release your grip and get onto your hands and knees. Maybe rock up and down along your spine, crossing your ankles, and placing your hands on the mat below your shoulders with your knees under your hips.

Then place your hands a few inches from your shoulders. Point your toes down so you can lift your knees an inch or so off the mat. This is your moving table top with an engaged back and a straight spine.

Wooden board to hover the table for down dog

From the Hovering Tabletop, straighten your legs and get into plank position. Then bend your knees and return to the Hovering Tabletop.

Then extend and straighten the legs outward Downward facing dog.

Then repeat this. Inhale when you find the Hovering Tabletop, exhale into Plank, inhale into Hovering Tabletop, then exhale into Downward-Facing Dog. Do more like this.

Stay in Downward Facing Dog and cross your legs or do whatever small movements feel good here.

A three-legged dog from knee to nose

Extend your right leg toward the sky, bend your knee, open your hip, and give yourself a gentle thigh stretch here while pressing into your left heel.

Then exhale as you bring your knee toward your nose and squeeze it as you move your shoulders forward and into a plank position. Feel your core engagement.

Inhale as you get back into Three-Legged Dog and exhale as you crunch. Repeat this two more times. After the last step, move your foot forward between your palms to the top of the mat.

Low impulsion

Lower your back knee to the mat and lift your chest in Low impulsion (Anjaneyasana). You want to lengthen your tailbone down and engage your core so you are Don’t collapse in your lower back. Instead you lift from your lower back. So pull the lower abdomen inward and lift it high.

You may start to press your hips forward and down, but you don’t need to dip very deep. Stay here otherwise your palms can come together and you can shift your gaze upwards in a little backbend. Think of this as a curve in your upper back rather than coming from your lower back. Keep your abs engaged here.

Toe squat

From Low Lunge, step your right foot back, keeping your toes tucked, and see if you can sit back on your heels to stretch across the bottoms of your feet. Although this is a core strengthening exercise, you can include movements that target a full-body workout so you can properly prepare for your day.

When you’re ready, return to Downward Facing Dog. Then repeat the knee-to-nose sequence on the second side plus the toe squat. Then find yourself in downward-facing dog before taking a short vinyasa flow.

Plank position

Tilt your shoulders forward over your wrists inward Plank position.

Snake pose

Lower yourself until you reach your stomach, keeping your elbows in and your toes pointing directly behind you as you lift in Snake pose (Bhujangasana).

Child’s position

Then press your hips back toward your heels and relax your forehead down on the mat Child’s position (Balasana). Take at least 5 breaths in and out through your nose here to slow down and set the tone for the day ahead.

When you’re ready, slowly work your way back to a comfortable sitting position.

For each practice, I like to draw an affirmation card from my deck, I radiate joyTo help create focus for the rest of the day. So our affirmation today is, “I allow myself to heal from the inside out.” As you sit, perhaps with your eyes closed, repeat this to yourself several times. “I give myself permission to heal inside and out.” You don’t need to know anything. Just be curious about what it brings you and use this time to connect with yourself before continuing with the rest of our day. Stay here as long as you can.

Thank you so much for doing 10 Minute Pilates and Yoga for Core Strength season.