I did 3 classic Pilates moves instead of sit-ups — here’s what happened to my core strength and spinal health

I’ve been working out consistently for over five years and I’ve always incorporated core exercises into my routine. At first, admittedly, the motive for this was to develop visible muscle in that area of my body. But after discovering the many functional benefits of a strong core — including better posture and less back pain — my motivation to make time for core work has only grown.

For the past few years, I’ve relied on popular core exercises, such as sit-ups, crunches and planks, all of which…