This is perfect for working your upper and lower abs, Tovar says. You can also think of it as "Pilates in a nutshell," says Molly Niles Renshaw, certified Pilates instructor and cofounder of Phoenix Classical Pilates. "You feel the deep scoop of your abdominals while reaching your arms and legs away from each other . . . Your core is pulled in and stable while the limbs are working in opposition. This takes strength, control, and coordination — all things Pilates!"
- Start lying on your back with your hips and knees bent to 90 degrees in a tabletop position. Lift your upper back and head off the mat, reaching your fingers toward your toes.
- Lengthen your legs away from your center (at about a 45-degree angle to the floor) as you lower your upper body, reaching your arms overhead. Keep your low back pressing into the floor.
- Bend your legs back into tabletop position as you lift your upper body off the floor and reach your hands toward your toes. That's one rep.
