But it’s called a movement practice for a reason since we’re always learning more and more about our bodies and how to best use them. As for specific exercises, if you’re a fitness beginner, it’s important to listen to your body—and refrain from trying an advanced pose before you’re ready. Doing so won’t help you get stronger, and it may even lead to injury. To get you moving on your fitness journey, I’ve put together some of my favorite core exercises for beginners, along with a modification and progression for each—which means you have nine great moves to choose from. Find the exercises that work best for your body and level, and incorporate them into your routine a few times per week. When to modify: You’re in early stages of recovery after childbirth or working with diastasis; if you feel your back ribs popping off the ground as the leg lowers. When to progress: You’re able to keep your spine stable, and you’re ready for more intensity. When to modify: You feel pain in your lower back, or you’re unable to keep your pelvis level during the marching portion. When to progress: You’re able to keep both hips at the same height and feel the work in your glutes and hamstrings, not lower back. When to modify: Your back is hyperextended (overarched) in plank position, or you feel pain in the lower back; your hips are not level; you’re in early stages of recovery after childbirth or working with diastasis. When to progress: You feel your shoulders, arms, glutes, and core working together, and you’re ready for more intensity.
