How to do a Full-Body Roll-Up

Bored with crunches and want a new move to work your abs and strengthen your core? Try this Pilates-inspired move, called a Full Body Roll-Up. A Full-Body Roll Up works all your abdominal and back muscles, and is a great exercise to practice to sculpt a sleeker stomach. Watch in this short video as Chris Freytag demonstrates how to do this core exercise at home so you can get to work trying it today.

First, start lying on the floor with your body long and your arms over your head. Inhale as you bring your arms up to the sky, and exhale as you draw your chin to your chest and your belly to your spine. Roll up as you pull your shoulder blades up off the ground and focus on “scooping” your abs in. Come all the way up and stretch as far as you can. Inhale as you start to go back down, keeping your shoulders away from the ears and exhale as you methodically lower each vertebrae down to the mat, one at a time. As you perform this exercise, make sure to keep your abs fully engaged and tight, and you’ll start to feel your core get stronger as you do. Try to do about five to eight roll-ups per day to strengthen your core.

Core strength is so crucial not just for the appearance of flat abs but for everyday activities and to help your athletic performance in virtually any other exercise you do. Pilates core exercise is a great thing to incorporate into your weekly workouts for core strength and overall improved performance in other forms of exercise. By practicing moves like this, you’ll feel and look stronger! The best part is, you can perform many Pilates exercises at home, with just a mat or a soft surface and your own body weight–no equipment needed.