To find your core muscles, put one hand on your belly button and the other on your butt. Now, squeeze those muscles hard! You should feel tension in your lower back and around your stomach. If you’re not feeling anything, try again. Once you’ve found them, you can use these muscles to do Pilates moves or you can follow pilates Northern Beaches routine. As with any exercise routine, it’s important to have good form before advancing to more difficult moves. Here are some easy Pilates exercises for beginners:

• Beginner Pilates Mat-work: This is a great way to start learning Pilates exercises at home. By doing the beginner mat-work first, you’ll be building up strength in the core muscles that are used for all other mat-work exercises.
• Advanced Pilates Mat-work: Once you’ve mastered the beginner’s mat-work routine, try adding some advanced exercises into your daily workout routine. These moves will help strengthen your core even further and also give you more flexibility in your spine and hips!
• Reformer Workouts: A reformer machine is used when doing Pilates workouts because it helps build up strength while keeping the body aligned properly during all movements (which reduces risk of injury). With this equipment, you can do many different types

Pilates is well known for its core benefits but also for being challenging. A strong core is important not only to look trim and toned, but also to support the back, improve posture and prevent injuries. Here are some moves you can do on your own that incorporate Pilates principles and will help you get the firm abs you want.

Start with the correct posture. Sit up tall with your spine erect, shoulders back and down, chest out, stomach in and hips straight.

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head with elbows out to the sides. Inhale deeply through your nose as you raise your head and shoulders off the floor. Exhale through pursed lips as you lower yourself back down. Repeat 20 times.

Sit up tall with your spine erect, shoulders back and down, chest out, stomach in and hips straight. Lift your right leg off the floor about 6 inches and cross it over your left leg at a 90-degree angle so that your right ankle is resting just above the left knee. Extend your arms out to each side at shoulder level with palms facing up.

At the core of any Pilates practice is the idea that you need a strong, stable center in order to perform any other move successfully. If your core is weak, the rest of your body will be unable to function at its peak; if it’s unstable, it will have a difficult time moving through space and maintaining correct form. Master these moves to build a strong foundation and reap all the benefits.

Lying on your back, arms at your sides, feet flat on the floor and hip-distance apart, draw both knees toward your chest, then extend them out straight. Lift your head off the floor and curl your upper body up, so that your shoulder blades are a few inches off the ground. Interlace your fingers behind one knee and pull it in toward the chest. You should feel a stretch in the opposite leg as you hold this position. Repeat with the other knee.

It’s not just for the rich and famous. Pilates is a great workout on its own, or as a supplement to your regular routine.

Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century, who believed that modern lifestyles were causing people to lose touch with their bodies and the healing power of movement. His namesake method focuses on strengthening the core—the muscles surrounding your spine, torso and pelvis, which includes the abdominals, obliques and lower back muscles—to encourage alignment, balance and flexibility in all your movements.

A strong core helps improve posture and reduce back pain, while also promoting stability and improving balance. And it helps you move more efficiently in everything you do, from sports to daily life chores like carrying groceries or bending down to pick up something off the floor.