Pilates Beginner Exercises to Lose Belly Fat

Full Abdomen

• The Hundred is performed as a warm-up exercise. Lie on your back. Raise your legs into the air and bend your knees so that your calves are parallel to the floor. Put your chin to your chest so that your upper shoulders are off the mat. With your hands near your hips, begin pumping your arms up and down for 10 counts of 10.

  The Roll Up begins lying down on your back with your arms over your head. Slowly pull yourself to sitting and reach for your toes. Be sure to use your stomach muscles and not your arms for momentum. Go back down with control. Try for 10.

  Chest Lift also uses all your abdominal muscles. Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet hip width apart. Hands should be behind your head. Slowly bring your chin, then your shoulders and then your torso off the mat and toward your knees. Your abdominal muscles should do the work. Slowly lower back down, one vertebra at a time. Do this 10 times.

Lower Abdomen

• Shoulder Bridge works the lower abdominal muscles as well as the back and glutes. Lie on your back with your feet hip width apart. Hands should be relaxed next to your hips. Slowly raise your pelvis up so that you create a slide from your knees to your chin. Hold for five seconds. Lower back down with control. Repeat 10 times.

  Double Leg Lower also works the lower abdominal muscles, back and glutes. Lying on your back with your hands relaxed at your side, raise your legs into the air. Your toes should be pointed at the junction of the ceiling and wall. Lower them back down slowly, but don't touch the floor. Go back up. Do this 10 times.

  Corkscrew not only works your abdominal muscles, it also works your hip flexors. To start, lie on your back with your legs in the air. Pretend you are drawing on the ceiling with a paintbrush between your heels. Your toes should be apart. Draw half circles on the ceiling first going clockwise then stopping and going counterclockwise. Repeat 10 times.

Upper Abdomen

• Teasers work the upper abdomen. To start, lie on your back with your legs in the air. Calves can be parallel to the floor for beginners. Take a breath. Reach for your knees so that your head, shoulders and torso end up off the floor and you are balancing on your bottom. Try for five of these.

  Rolling like a ball gives a nice massage to the spine but it also helps you tone abdominal muscles. To do this, start by balancing on your bottom. Lightly grasp your ankles. Tuck your chin down and rock backwards. Use your abdominal muscles to come back up. Try to do five of these.

Obliques

• Criss Cross begins on your back. Pull your right leg up so that your calf is parallel to the floor. The left leg is also off the mat but is straight and pointing the toes toward the wall. Place your hands behind your head. Touch your left elbow to your right knee. Switch legs. Repeat 10 times.

  Starfish stretches your oblique muscles. Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet hip width apart. Slide one foot down the mat until the leg is straight while extending the opposite arm. Come back to start and repeat with opposite leg and arm. Do 10 of these.

  Side Swipes begin sitting on your bottom with your knees bent. Toes rest lightly on the floor. Pretend you are holding a beach ball. Turn your torso so that you are looking to the right. Come back to center. Turn to the left. For added stretch, swipe the hand on the turning side down toward the floor. For instance, if you are turning to the left, swipe the left hand toward the floor.