The Best Lower Ab Exercises For Pilates Beginners

Your lower abdominals can be a tricky area to train and tend to get neglected in many of the usual ab- strengthening exercises. In this guide, we will dive into the best Pilates lower ab exercises to do in order to train them.

Why Is It Important To Train Lower Abs?

Failing to target this area can do more than merely deprive you of flat abs. Doing so means that the Transverse Abdominis (TrA), the deepest lower abdominal muscle, isn’t getting the attention it needs. The TrA is an important spinal stabiliser and research has shown that people with low back pain, often show delayed activation of these muscles. Targeted exercises can help improve activation and lead to reduced pain and improved movement. Important to note, is that the TrA is one muscle that works alongside other stabilisers of the core, back and trunk, and the most effective rehabilitation involves coordinated activation of the entire deep core. This is one of the reasons why Clinical Pilates is considered an effective management tool to manage persistent low back pain.  

How Can I Train My Lower Abs?

To target this area, choose controlled moves (like the dead bugs and femur arcs exercises explained in this blog) that isolate the lower abs. These lower abs Pilates exercises are great for almost everyone and are a safer choice than more dynamic moves (like reverse abs on the stability ball) for beginners or when recovering from an injury.

What Are Lower Ab Exercises?

Pilates lower abs exercises focus on strengthening the deeper abdominal muscles that support your pelvis and spine, rather than only targeting the visible “six pack” muscles.

In Pilates, lower abdominal exercises often focus on controlled movements where the legs move while the pelvis and spine remain stable. This helps improve core control, posture, and movement efficiency.

Unlike traditional abdominal exercises that often involve lots of crunching or fast movements, Pilates lower ab exercises teach you how to engage your deep core muscles effectively and safely.

Are Lower Ab Exercises Suitable For Beginners?

Yes, beginners can safely perform lower abdominal exercises when they focus on control rather than intensity.

Many people try to train their abs by doing lots of repetitions or advanced movements, but Pilates focuses on the quality of movement. Exercises such as dead bugs and femur arcs are suitable exercises for lower abs for beginners because they allow you to practise core activation without putting unnecessary strain on your back.

If you are recovering from injury, postpartum, or experiencing back pain, it is important to adapt exercises to your individual needs.

Benefits of Pilates Exercises for Lower Abs

Here are some of the main benefits of doing Pilates lower ab exercises:

• Working the lower abs by doing exercises like femur arcs is an effective way of functionally activating the TrA. People often talk about strengthening the TrA – but you can’t actually strengthen it. Instead, by performing exercises on this area, you teach it to switch on to stabilise and protect the spine as and when it needs to.
• Achieving flatter abs when diet and the usual ab exercises don’t work. This is because a bulging waistline can sometimes be the result of weak deep abdominal fibres. And, while it may seem surprising, even people who appear strong and work out regularly with weights can suffer from this. If this is you, then you need to start paying attention to those deep abs!
• Performing dead bug and femur arcs regularly helps you to develop better control over your torso. They teach you to move your hips independently of your pelvis.
• Being able to move your legs freely in the hip sockets without twisting the pelvis or torso unnecessarily. This is important because moving in this way protects the spine and joints. It also makes your movement more efficient. You’ll feel the benefits of this in everything from simply standing up from a chair to squatting at the gym.

Lower Ab Pilates Exercises

Equipment Needed:

• A mat.
• A pillow (optional).

Exercise 1: Dead Bugs

Starting Position:

• Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent.
• Ideally, legs should be hip distance apart.
• Your head can be propped up on a pillow if that feels more comfortable, or if you notice your ribs flaring.
• Arms down by your sides and relaxed. Palms can be facing up or down.
• Spine is in neutral – so check that you can feel that natural tiny gap behind your lower back and the mat is there.

The Exercise:

• Take an inhale to prepare.
• On the exhale, lift one leg up to table top. This is a Pilates term for when the thigh bones are perpendicular to the floor and shins are parallel to the floor.
• Exhale as you lower the leg.
• Repeat on the other side.

Top Tips:

• Try to move the legs with as little effort as possible. To do this, relax your bottom. Then, as you bring the leg into the table top position, imagine the thigh bone is filling with concrete as you “pour” (drop) the hip into the socket.
• The front of your hip should remain soft during the exercise.
• It can also help to press firmly on the foot still on the mat to allow the other leg to become light and to “float” up to the table top position.
• Keep the pelvis still and in neutral throughout the movement.
• Avoid using your neck or tensing your shoulders.

Repeat between 5 – 10 times. Focus on maintaining good form throughout and stop if you feel you’ve lost this.

Exercise 2: Femur Arcs

This exercise is a progression from dead bugs and because of this is a bit more challenging for those lower abdominals.

Starting Position:

• Lying on your back with a pillow behind your head if you like.
• Arms down by your sides and relaxed, palms can be facing up or down.
• Spine is in neutral.
• Inhale deeply.
• On the exhale bring one leg and then the other up to the table top position.

The Exercise:

• Inhale to prepare.
• On the exhale, move from your hip and lower one leg towards the floor until your toe just touches the mat.
• Inhale to return the leg and then repeat on the other side.

Top Tips:

• Watch for doming of the abdominals as you lower your leg towards the ground. This is when the abs “pop up” and is a sign that they are weak and can lead to back pain. To prevent doming, reduce your range of movement and only send your leg towards the ground to the point where your abdominals can stay flat. Then bring the leg back.
• Check that your hips aren’t rotating or that your lower back isn’t arching or flattening. Your spine should stay in neutral throughout this exercise.
• Allow your legs to roll freely in their sockets as you lift your legs.
• Use imagery: picture balloons attached to your knees. Then imagine the legs floating back up to the table top position, supported by the balloons. This should help the movement feel quite effortless.

Repeat between 5 – 10 times. Focus on maintaining good form throughout and stop if you feel you’ve lost this.

Build Up To:

You can also use this exercise as a preparation for more advanced exercise in the gym, (like squatting heavy weights) or in Pilates itself. Like abdominal work on the reformer.

To make this exercise more challenging, we suggest placing a foam roller or soft ball behind your pelvis. Try the dead bugs and femur arcs from this position.

Once you’ve mastered this then why not try reverse abdominals on the stability ball.

If you enjoyed this then why not try the basic Pilates bridge exercise or this simple spine mobilisation exercise.

Common Mistakes When Doing Lower Ab Exercises

When training the lower abs, it is common to compensate by using other muscles. 

Common mistakes include:

• Arching the lower back
• Gripping through the hip flexors
• Holding your breath
• Pushing through a range of movement that is too difficult
• Allowing the pelvis to move instead of controlling the legs

The goal is not to make the movement as big as possible, but to maintain control and feel the deep abdominal muscles working.

Key Takeaways

1. Lower abdominal training is about function, not just appearance. Pilates lower ab exercises target the deep abdominal system, especially the transverse abdominis, which helps support the spine and pelvis.
2. Dead bugs and femur arcs are excellent beginner-friendly exercises. They teach you to move the legs while keeping the pelvis and spine stable, making them useful for beginners, injury recovery and back pain management.
3. Control matters more than range. The aim is not to make the movement as big as possible, but to maintain neutral spine, steady breathing and good pelvic control.
4. Common compensations can reduce the benefit. Arching the lower back, gripping through the hip flexors, holding the breath or allowing the pelvis to move are signs the exercise may need to be modified.
5. Pilates lower ab exercises can support everyday movement. Better hip, pelvis and trunk control can improve movement efficiency in activities such as standing, squatting, walking and gym training.

Conclusion

Pilates lower ab exercises are a safe and effective way to improve deep core activation, spinal support and pelvic control. Rather than focusing purely on visible abdominal strength, exercises such as dead bugs and femur arcs help train the deeper stabilising muscles that support the spine and help the body move more efficiently.

The key is to move with control. By maintaining a neutral spine, breathing well and avoiding compensations such as hip flexor gripping or abdominal doming, you can build a strong foundation for more advanced Pilates exercises and everyday movement.

If you are recovering from injury, postnatal, managing back pain or unsure whether you are doing these exercises correctly, working with a clinical Pilates instructor can help ensure the exercises are adapted to your body.

Related Reading: 8 Ab blasting exercises you can do at home!

Resources

Inefficient muscular stabilization of the lumbar spine associated with low back pain. Hodges PW, Richardson CA. Spine. 1996.

Therapeutic exercise for chronic nonspecific low back pain based on re-education of the transverse abdominal muscle activation. Rubí-Carnacea F et al. BMC Primary Care. 2023. 

Transversus abdominis activation and timing improves following core stability rehabilitation. Selkow NM et al. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. 2017

Feeling inspired 

If you want to experience the Complete difference and discover the benefits of one-to-one or small group Pilates, book a session at one of our London or Norfolk studios today. Not able to make it to one of our studios? We've got online options to suit you anywhere, anytime.  

Our physiotherapist-led Chelsea Pilates studio, our Angel Pilates studio, our Pilates studio in London City, and our Norfolk Pilates studio in East Anglia, offer a highly tailored approach to your Pilates training. Whether your goal is to manage a health condition, rehabilitate from an injury or to improve your strength and fitness, Complete Pilates is the studio for you.

Education is Key

These blogs are designed to give information to everyone, however, it is important to remember that everyone is different! If you have not seen one of our therapists and have any questions about injuries, what you have read or whether this may be useful to you, please just ask. We are more than happy to help anyone and point you in the right direction. Our biggest belief is that education is key. The more you understand about your injury, illness and movement, the more you are likely to improve.

If you are not sure whether this is for you, simply get in touch. We are here to help!

FAQs