10-Minute Morning Yoga + Pilates for Essential Core-Strengthening

This 10-minute yoga and Pilates practice focuses entirely on core-strengthening and getting you energized for the day ahead. The class focuses on the abdominals but also the entire midsection, including your hip flexors, obliques, and muscles along the spine.

Your practice starts with a little Pilates—including some less-intense variations in case you’re new to these movements. Then we’ll transition into a yoga sequence with some variations that challenge the abs and other core muscles, including Side Plank and a version of Extended Side Angle that’s definitely more difficult than you’re accustomed to practicing.

There’s a lot of movement in just 10 or so minutes of challenging your core to ensure you’re getting the most from your practice.

10-Minute Morning Yoga + Pilates for Core-Strengthening

Props aren’t requred for this practice although you’re always welcome to use them. If you’ve practiced with me before, you know I like to have an affirmation or an intention for the day. Today’s is, appropriately, “I move my body because I enjoy the vitality it brings me.”

The Hundred

Begin lying down on your back and drawing your knees toward your chest and rocking a little side to side or moving in any way that feels good here. Then you’ll start in classic Pilates fashion by lifting your head and shoulders off the mat and hug gingyour knees toward your chest and reaching your arms straight ahead at hip height.

Begin to actively pump your arms up and down. This is a breathing exercise in which you’re going to inhale for a count of 5 and exhale for a count of 5. Keep going like this and focus on drawing the lower belly in and up, lifting the shoulder blades off the mat, and hugging the inner thighs toward one another in what’s known as The Hundred. You’re trying to build heat in your body so really pump your arms and squeeze it all in once more.

Shoulder Bridge

What we call Shoulder Bridge in Pilates is essentially Bridge Pose in yoga with butterfly legs.

Relax your upper back and feet back on the mat with your arms by your sides, palms facing down. Shrug your shoulders down and away from your ears. You’re going to squeeze your glutes and lift your hips off the mat into Bridge Pose, roll onto the outer edges of your feet to open into a butterfly shape with your legs, bring your thighs back to parallel, and slowly lower yourself to the mat, inch by inch. Even though this is a lower body-strengthening pose, you can feel the abdominals contract and engage as you lift yourself, open your knees, and slowly lower yourself to the mat.

Do 3 more like this. So squeeze to lift, open the knees wide, bring the knees back, and squeeze through the inner thighs as you slowly lower down with control. Twice more.

Lower Lift

Staying down on the mat, lift your legs straight toward the ceiling. You can make a little diamond shape with your hands beneath your seat if you’d like some cushioning. Your legs don’t need to be perfectly straight but think of heels touching and toes pointed. Keep your head and shoulders relaxed on the mat as you draw your lower belly inward and upward as you lower your legs for a count of 3, 2, 1. Then slowly come up for a count of 3, 2, 1.

The lower you go, the harder this will be. You can bend the knees or keep your legs at a high diagonal rather than lowering them all the way to the mat to make this a little less intense. Keep your lower back on the mat during this controlled movement. You don’t want to feel any pain in your lower back. Do this 3 more times, lowering and lifting. Then bend your knees and draw them toward your chest.

Downward-Facing Dog

Rock yourself up to sitting, cross your legs at the ankles, plant your hands on the mat, and step back to your first Downward-Facing Dog of the day. Go ahead and bend your right knee generously and keep your left leg straight while pushing through your left heel. Keep reaching your chest toward your thighs and then alternate the bend in your knees.

Kneeling Side Plank

Shift forward into Plank Pose, lower your right knee to the mat, and shift your weight onto your right shin and right hand. Reach your left arm straight up into a version of Side Plank.

You’re welcome to hold here or you can reach your left arm alongside your ear in what is called Side Bend in Pilates. Lift the hips high as if you’re trying to touch them to the ceiling.

Then come back through Plank and repeat it on the left side.

Baby Cobra Pose

Come back to Plank and lower all the way down to your stomach. Point your toes, press into the tops of your feet, and inhale as you lift your chest and palms off the mat in Baby Cobra.

Lift an inch or two higher and stay as high as you can, pressing your fingertips into the mat if that helps you lift your chest. Then exhale and lower yourself down. Try that twice more.

Child’s Pose

Lower yourself back to the mat and keep your knees together as you sit your hips back on your heels, reach your arms back, and let yourself lean forward with your belly over your thighs in Child’s Pose. Breathe here.

Knee to Nose Crunches

Stretch your arms out in front of you, come to hands and knees, and lift yourself up and back into Downward-Facing Dog. Inhale as you lift your right leg straight up with your hips square to the mat. Exhale as you bring your tap your knee to your nose as you come forward into Plank Pose. Inhale and reach your leg up and back and repeat twice more, holding your knee to your nose the last time.

Warrior 2-Extended Side Angle Variation

Lower your right foot between your hands, spin your back heel parallel to the short edge of the mat and lift up into Warrior 2. Extend your arms overhead, like you’re holding a big beach ball between your hands, and tilt toward the right as you keep reaching your arms and bending your front knee in a version of Extended Side Angle. You’re making a diagonal line from your right hand all the way down to your right foot. Feel the stretch along the left side of your waist.

Reverse Warrior

Keep the bend in your knee as you lift and reach your right arm up and back in Reverse Warrior. You can sweep your left arm forward in front of your chest. Then circle your hands down to the mat.

Side Plank

From here, step your right foot back alongside the left, lean onto your left hand, and lift your right in the classic yoga version of Side Plank.

Downward-Facing Dog

When you’re ready, bring your right hand down and shift your hips up and back into Downward-Facing Dog.

Then repeat the Knee to Nose Crunches, Warrior 2, Extended Side Angle, Reverse Warrior, and Side Plank on the left side.

Child’s Pose

Once again lower yourself to the mat with your knees fairly close to one another and your arms reaching as you fold forward. Breathe here.

Sitting Meditation

Slowly lift yourself up, take a seat, and close out your practice with a few quiet breaths. Remember your intention of, “I move my body because I enjoy the vitality it brings me.” It’s a good one after a challenging core class. Stay here for another moment or two before you continue with your day. Thank you so much for practicing this core-strengthening flow with me.