Don’t enjoy crunches? Well, we’ve got some good news, you don’t actually need to do them. There are plenty of other exercises out there that won’t just fire up your abdominal muscles, but your entire core system (including your lower back, pelvis and diaphragm). This Pilates workout is a great place to start and there isn’t a crunch (or weight) in sight. Just grab a mat, or a towel, and your gym water bottle.
Pilates is well-known for its core-strengthening benefits as the movements are primarily designed to target these muscles and (despite sample sizes often being small), studies show this too. One study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that women who completed a one-hour mat Pilates workout, twice a week, not only saw significant improvements in abdominal strength, lower limb strength, flexibility and balance.
