Someone recently asked me if Pilates was German for ab exercises. While the founder of Pilates hailed from Germany, his last name is now what we know his exercise method by. This question, however, is highly indicative of classic Pilates exercises - they work your abs!

In many Pilates exercises that focus directly on strengthening the abs, you lie on your back and have both your legs as well as your head and upper back off the ground. To increase the intensity of the exercise, lower your legs. This forces the abdominals to work harder.

There are a couple of caveats though:

• Only lower your legs as far as you can keep your deep abs engaged. You will know they are no longer working if your belly is pooching. When the top layer of abs, the rectus, works alone it pulls away from the spine and creates a mound of abs. This is not good. You want to work all layers of your abdominals together. To ensure that is happening focus on pulling your navel to your spine.
• Keep your low back glued to the floor. When working with your legs off the ground you don't want a neutral spine. Nope. You want every vertebrae in your low spine attached to the ground / You want to round your low spine into the floor by scooping your abdominals, not by squeezing your booty.

If you are having trouble finding and consistently working and/or feeling your deep abs, you should raise your legs. It might seem super cool and tough to have your legs lower, but if you are pooching then you are not doing Pilates.

Looking for an exercise to put these tips to use? Then read more