5-Minute Pilates Abs: Get a Flat Stomach and Strengthen Your Core (Super Intense)

Are you looking to fit a few ab workouts into your cramped schedule but don’t know how to? Between family, work, and a ton of other responsibilities, it can feel impossible to create a fitness routine, especially for the abdomen. That’s where our 5-minute Pilates abs workout plan can help. 

It can fortify your core, promote muscle engagement, stimulate metabolism, and increase overall calorie expenditure. The best part? You can transform your body, gain confidence, and feel fantastic. 

Let’s get started.

What Is an Effective 5-Minute Pilates Abs Workout?

Most Pilates workouts move at a slower pace, but this one is about speed. An effective 5-minute Pilates abs workout targets every muscle group in your core. You work your way through stretches, roll-ups, and leg lowers in a short time. 

Controlled movements stimulate blood flow, strengthen, and stretch the stomach. The workout encourages you to use the abdominal muscles to stabilize your pelvis, keep your upper body in a curl, and move your legs from your center. 

Over time, Pilates can strengthen your internal and external oblique muscles. It may increase your endurance, improve your posture, and boost your ability to do more exercises or daily tasks. You can also modify the workout to suit your fitness level or increase the difficulty (1).

Does Pilates Slim Your Waist?

Pilates can contribute to a slimmer-looking waist. Exercises activate, fortify, and condition different muscle groups, some of which can target the waistline. They may enhance entire body mobility, balance, flexibility, and movement (2).  

Hunching over can cause your belly to hang down and appear more prominent. Pilates trains you to move and breathe with perfect posture. It can reduce muscle imbalance giving the appearance of a toned tummy (3). 

If you feel constipated or your belly feels full and tight, your tummy can appear bigger than usual. Pilates may help with bowel movement and decrease bloating (4).

However, Pilates alone may not be enough to get abs or a flat belly. You should integrate a balanced eating regimen, focus on your calorie intake, and incorporate regular physical activity. For the best flat stomach exercises, check out the BetterMe app. You get tracking progress, personalized workouts, a nutrition guide and even the ability to connect with a 1-on-1 certified fitness coach, all in one app.

Is 5 Minutes of Pilates Enough?

Depending on the intensity of the exercise, it can absolutely be enough. It’s the consistency that leads to positive change. Based on studies, moderate exercise bouts of less than 10 minutes can change body composition in sedentary adults. They can improve physical function, quality of life, and aerobic capacity, while also reducing pain (5, 6).  

You can burn calories by doing a 5-minute Pilates ab workout and it can help lead you to develop a new fitness routine. When the exercise becomes easy, increase the duration to 10 minutes or even add in other forms of exercise, and in a couple of weeks, the workout can provide measurable results. 

Is 5 Minutes Enough for Abs? 

The 5-minute workout can be useful with correct form and a range of exercises that target the entire core. Although it’s a great way to start, it’s not the only tactic for building a strong visible abdomen. You can’t target fat loss to specific areas of your body. When you perform compound exercise movements and pair this with an appropriate caloric intake for yourself, you lose fat all over your body. 

Nutrition plays a key role in fat loss. Creating a calorie deficit through a balanced diet can manipulate body composition and reduce excess body fat. Consuming healthy fats, complex carbs, proteins, vitamins, and minerals can fuel muscle recovery and growth (7). 

Reasons why BetterMe is a safe bet: a wide range of calorie-blasting workouts, finger-licking recipes, 24/7 support, challenges that’ll keep you on your best game, and that just scratches the surface! Start using our app and watch the magic happen.

How Often Should I Work Out My Abs?

You should train the abs as you train any other muscle group. Results take time, and Pilates provides slow progression. You may see well-defined muscles after practicing daily or a couple of times a week but we all have different bodies and visible results may take longer for some people. 

Choose various ab exercises that you can track for long-term improvement, then apply progressive overload, such as increasing the intensity, sets, and duration or using ankle weights or resistance bands over time. Train with the proper technique and volume. 

Incorporate healthy lifestyle changes and remain consistent. Creating a calorie deficit will drastically increase your chances of success. To get visible abs, you often need a lower body fat percentage, consider nutrition, and build your muscles. 

Read more: 7 Chair Exercises for Belly Fat Loss.

What Is an Effective 5-Minute Pilates Abs Workout Plan?

This 5-minute Pilates abs workout combines dynamic stretching with active movement. It’s an intense challenge that can burn calories, reduce overall body fat, and tone the abdomen. Each exercise lasts approximately one minute. 

Abdominal Curl Tabletop

Start by focusing on the deepest layer of the abdominal muscles. This activity trains the core, builds endurance, and stability. As you raise the legs, the hip flexors have to do more work than usual. This challenges both your lower and upper body. 

How to do it:

• Lie in a supine position. 
• Raise your feet and bend your knees to 90 degrees with your lower legs parallel to the mat.
• Interlock your fingers behind your head.
• With your elbows wide, exhale and lift your shoulders and head.
• Curl your upper body and draw in your belly button.
• Inhale, relax, and repeat.

Criss Cross

It’s time to target those muscles along the sides of your waist and hips. This activity promotes pelvic stabilization, ab strength, and stability. The leg movements may help correct postural imbalances and keep your back sturdy.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and bring your legs to a tabletop position.
• Place your hands behind your head.
• Twist toward your right with your upper body.
• Extend your left leg.
• Switch to the other side and repeat.

The Hundred Variation

This simple modification requires you to coordinate movement with your breath. It increases your heart rate and builds heat relatively quickly.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and bend your legs to 90 degrees.
• Lift your head off the ground.
• Extend your arms straight to the sides.
• Move your arms up and down without bringing them to the floor.
• Extend your left leg out and draw it back in.
• Extend your right leg out and draw it back in again. 
• Keep the legs bent while engaging the core.

Scissors

Let’s move onto reciprocal movements to challenge the hips, core, and pelvis. It increases spine mobility and stabilizes the torso. 

How to do it: 

• Lie on your back and bring your legs to a tabletop position. 
• Raise your head and neck off the floor.
• Extend your arms to the side.
• Lengthen your right leg toward the ceiling, while the left leg lengthens away just above the floor.
• Put your hands around your right thigh.
• Create a double pulse movement as you alternate legs.

Double Leg Lowers

This functional exercise engages the abdomen. It increases your physical prowess and promotes blood flow. You can use it to strengthen the hamstrings and glutes. 

How to do it: 

• Lie on your back and bring your knees just above your hips.
• Bring your rib cage down with your lower back flat.
• Position your arms on the ground. 
• Extend both legs up toward the ceiling.
• Keep your knees and ankles together.
• Lower both of your legs without arching your back. 
• Bring your legs back up again,= and repeat.

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How Long Does It Take to See Abs from Pilates?

It’s different for everyone. It depends on many factors such as eating regimen, daily habits, and exercise capacity. If you’re completely new to Pilates, you may see some results sooner. The muscles may spasm more, mainly because you’re not used to physical activity. 

As you increase the difficulty, the body adapts. The initial results usually show up in around 4 to 6 weeks as long as you remain consistent with your exercise and nutrition. Over time, you learn to maintain a proper posture, which can alleviate some aches and pains in your body. You can also feel the core getting more engaged and the muscles in your legs become more prominent. 

Read more: 30-Minute Wall Pilates Workout Plan For Beginners.

How Many Calories Does a 5-Minute Ab Workout Burn?

The number of calories you burn depends on your body weight, form, intensity, and fitness level. On average, you can expect to lose 5 to 7 calories per minute during core-focused exercises. In 5 minutes, you can burn approximately 25 to 35 calories.

Each exercise requires breath coordination and moderate exertion. It increases the heart rate and engages multiple muscle groups. To maximize calorie burn, maintain the correct form, add light ankle weights or resistance bands, and remember to keep the pace up. Gradually increasing intensity, repetitions, or weight helps your muscles adapt and grow stronger. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are 5-minute workouts worth it?

Yes, short 5-minute workouts can cause beneficial physiological changes when paired with proper nutrition. You can experience a quick burst of energy, better mood, increased blood flow, and improved metabolism. You burn more calories every day and slowly enhance your fitness capacity. Over time, you can develop a routine and a newfound love for fitness.  

• Can I do 5-minute abs every day?

Yes, because the core is involved in a number of movements the human body performs. A main component of exercise and lifting weights is engaging your core throughout the movement. In fact, the more often you work out the ab muscles, the more you’ll increase your likelihood of seeing long-lasting results. Include a variety of movements that engage the core with excellent form. Maintain a balanced and highly nutritious diet, create a caloric deficit, and slowly increase the exercise intensity. 

• Is getting visible abs in 30 days a realistic goal?

It may be possible to achieve visible abs in 30 days. However, it depends on body fat percentage, genetics, dedication to fitness, and diet. For example, people with low body fat may be able to reveal their abs after a month of regular physical activity and healthy eating habits. No matter your starting point, it’s essential to burn more calories than you consume and avoid processed foods, excess sodium, and sugary drinks. 

• Does Pilates make you curvy?

Pilates on its own most likely won’t drastically change your body shape. You can lose a couple of pounds of body weight and a few inches around your waist and hips, but the overall proportions typically stay the same. 

The Bottom Line

Five minutes of ab Pilates is a great starting point. Even a brief daily session can build core stability, functional fitness, and flexibility. It warms up the muscles, strengthens, and burns calories. You experience deeper abdominal engagement without any equipment, other than a mat. Remember to increase the intensity and duration as you train. Progressive overload can provide consistent results.