Want to skip the sit-ups? Here's an alternative that I find much kinder to my lower back, and it doesn't involve heavy weights or standing.

This move might look simple, but it's about building stability and control and holding your muscles under tension. Derived from Pilates, it requires a Pilates ball and your mat, and not a lot else.

Rather than the repetitive up-down motion of sit-ups, which can hurt some people's backs, you'll support your back on a ball roughly at your shoulder blades. I recommend one of the best yoga mats for your butt and feet. This exercise is about to challenge those deeper stabilizers and fire up the abs — you've been warned.

What is the exercise?

Learning how to engage your core doesn't mean an exercise will feel good for you. While I wouldn't automatically

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