A Pilates instructor says these are the three most effective beginner-friendly exercises to strengthen your lower body

Woman exercises at home, lies on her side with her top leg lifted.

Pilates is well known for strengthening the core muscles—but instructor Hannah Lawrence says that people underestimate the impact the practice has on other areas.

“While your core is definitely involved, some of the best strength gains I see in beginners actually show up in their glutes and legs,” says Lawrence, who’s the studio manager at Sundrop Pilates in Denver, CO.