Planks are one of the best ab-strengthening exercises you can do but doing them every time you work out can get boring. To continue to challenge and strengthen your abs this 10-minute Pilates bodyweight ab workout can help. The purpose of this workout is to improve core strength and spinal mobility!

With consistency, this workout will help create greater stability in your core, which will allow you to perform movements like holding heavy objects and walking better, and it can even help improve our posture. Additionally, a stronger core can help improve your overall athletic performance.

No matter your fitness goals, a strong core is essential to feeling better and moving at your best. This workout may look easy, but trust us, it is challenging and will more than likely have you feeling sore every time you laugh, twist, or bend your torso for a few days. If strengthening your core is on your agenda, grab some water and a yoga mat and get ready to work.

Equipment needed: a yoga mat

You do not need to do a warmup before starting this workout.

Complete one round of the following Pilates sequence. Take three to five seconds of rest in between each move by hugging your knees into your chest. Move at your own pace and take as much time as you need to perform each exercise. After you've finished the workout, you can cool down with a gentle stretching routine.

The hundred: 100 reps

The roll-up: five reps

Single leg stretch: 10 reps (on each leg)

Double leg stretch: 10 reps

Scissor: 10 reps (on each leg)

Lower lift: 10 reps

Criss cross: 10 reps

Spine stretch: five reps

Saw: three reps

Bridge: three sets of 10 reps

Swimmer: 100 reps

1The Hundred

To get started, you will warm your muscles up with the Pilates hundred exercise.

Begin by lying flat on a mat with your legs fully extended, and your arms extended by your sides with your palms facing down.

With control, hug your knees into your chest, placing your hands on your shins.

Slowly release your legs and lower your arms; they should be as straight as possible. Begin to extend your legs to either a table-top position (creating a 90-degree angle at the hips), or for more of a challenge, extend your legs to a 45-degree angle.

Inhale and begin to pump your arms two inches up and down, making sure that they pass your hips with each pump.

Complete five pumps on the inhale and five pumps on the exhale. Repeat for a total of 10 times, which will equal 100 pumps.

2The Roll-Up

Start by lying on your mat with your legs extended. They can be touching or hip-width distance apart.

On an inhale, extend your arms behind you, and on an exhale begin to roll up, peeling your spine off the mat one inch at a time. It should look like you are creating a curve with your spine.

Once you are seated upright and your shoulders are parallel with your hips, begin to roll back down to the starting position with control. Make sure to perform this movement slowly and with control to prevent injuring yourself.

This counts as one rep.

Repeat for a total of five reps.

3Single-Leg Stretch

Begin by lying flat on a mat with your legs fully extended, and your arms extended by your sides with your palms facing down.

With control, hug your knees into your chest, placing your hands on your shins.

From here, curl both your head and chest up as you extend your left leg to 45-degrees with control. Simultaneously hold your right knee with your hands on your shin and your elbows wide. Hold your knee in this position for one second and then release your right leg, extending it out to a 45-degree angle and drive your left knee into your chest.

This counts as two reps.

Complete 10 reps on each leg.

4Double-Leg Stretch

Begin by lying flat on a mat with your legs fully extended, and your arms extended by your sides with your palms facing down.

With control, hug your knees into your chest, placing your hands on your shins. Your torso should stay lifted throughout the duration of the exercise. Only rest your head and neck if needed.

Extend your arms behind you so that your biceps are by your ears, and extend your legs out to 45 degrees. Hold this position for one to two seconds, and then hug your legs into your chest for one to two seconds.

This counts as one rep.

Complete a total of 10 reps.

5Scissor

Begin by lying flat on a mat with your legs fully extended, and your arms extended by your sides with your palms facing down.

With control, hug your knees into your chest, placing your hands on your shins.

Extend your right leg up to create a 90-degree angle (or as high as you can comfortably go), and extend your left leg to 45 degrees.

Wrap your hands around your right calf, pulling your right leg closer to your body as you simultaneously perform a double pulse downward with your left leg. This counts as one rep.

Switch legs with control, extending your right leg out and holding your left calf. Perform two double pulses with the right leg. Continue to alternate the leg that is pulsing.

Repeat for a total of 10 reps on each leg.

6Lower Lift

Begin by lying flat on a mat with your legs fully extended, and your arms extended by your sides with your palms facing down.

With control, hug your knees into your chest, placing your hands on your shins.

Extend your legs into the air with your heels together and your toes apart, making a 90-degree angle at the hip joint.

Place your hands behind your head, lifting your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat during the duration of the exercise.

With control, lower your legs for three seconds to a 45-degree angle, and then lift them back up for three seconds to a 90-degree angle.

This counts as one rep.

Complete 10 reps.

7Criss Cross

Begin by lying flat on a mat with your legs fully extended, and your arms extended by your sides with your palms facing down.

With control, hug your knees into your chest, placing your hands on your shins.

Place your hands behind your head, and extend your right leg out straight and off the ground, keeping your left leg bent into angle position.

From here, drive your right elbow to your left knee and then return to the starting position. Repeat this movement on the opposite side, extending your left leg, bending your right knee into angle position, and driving your left elbow to your right knee.

This counts as two reps.

Complete 10 reps.

8Spine Stretch

Start seated upright on your mat. Extend your legs, opening them to about mat-width distance apart or as far as you can comfortably go. Extend your arms out in front of you, creating a "V" shape, and raise them up to shoulder height.

On an inhale, sit tall and lengthen your spine.

On an exhale, curve and begin to round forward, stretching your spine. Imagine someone wrapping their hands around your waist and trying to pull you back as you reach forward.

Inhale and slowly return to a tall, seated position.

Repeat for five reps.

9Saw

Start seated upright on your mat. Extend your legs, opening them to about mat-width distance apart or as far as you can comfortably go. Extend your arms out to your sides, raising them up to shoulder height.

On an inhale, sit tall and lengthen your spine.

On an exhale, begin to twist to your right, reaching your left arm to the outside of your right foot. Be sure to engage your core and maintain a lengthened spine throughout this entire movement.

With control, inhale and roll up, returning to a seated position.

On an exhale, untwist, returning to center/your starting position. Repeat the same movement, twisting toward your left.

This counts as one rep.

Continue to alternate, repeating for three reps.

10Bridge

Start lying on your mat with your knees bent about two feet away from your glutes, and your arms extended by your sides with your palms facing down.

Begin to peel and lift your your pelvis off the mat by pressing your heels into the mat. Lift your body up for three seconds and then lower your body down for three seconds. Be sure to engage your core throughout the entire movement by pulling your belly button to your spine.

This counts as one rep.

Complete three sets of 10 reps.

11Swimmer

Start lying on your stomach on your mat. Your legs should be extended straight and hip-width apart. You can widen your legs to take pressure off your back. Your arms should be extended above your head with your biceps by your ears and your palms facing down.

Press your hip bones into the ground and engage your abs. Be sure to keep your gaze down to maintain the length of the top of your spine.

From here, lift your arms and legs a few inches off of the ground.

Simultaneously raise your left arm and right leg up, then simultaneously lift your right arm and left leg up. Continue to quickly alternate as if you're swimming, but be sure to move with control.

You should inhale for a count of five and exhale for a count of five, similar to the hundred exercise.

Repeat the breath sequence for 10 reps, which will equal 100 reps.

After you finish this exercise, sit in Child's Pose and let your muscles relax.