When it comes to Pilates, the smallest movements often have the biggest impact. I’ve tried enough of these moves to find that even the simplest-seeming exercises can activate muscles you didn’t realize needed attention.
Try the Pilates heel tap. These are deceptively simple exercises that work your core muscles, improve coordination, and strengthen your lower back and lower abs. When I kept hearing Pilates instructors raving about Pilates, it caught my attention.
As someone who spends many hours of the day sitting in front of a laptop, I’m always looking for movements to relieve desk-related stiffness and counteract the slow motion of desk posture. And since so many Pilates instructors describe the heel tap as a gentle but effective way to activate your deep core, the muscles that support better posture, I decided to dig a little deeper.
Article continues below
The more I read, the more I realized that a heel tap made sense. Research published in PMCID found that Pilates-based core stabilization training improves deep muscle function, and further research suggests that Pilates-based workouts can enhance core stability and postural control.
Additionally, the heel tap requires no equipment and takes up very little space, so it seemed like a familiar movement that could be easily incorporated into daily life. So when MC UK Senior Health Editor Allie Head encouraged me to try Pilates Heel Tap every day for a week to see if I noticed any benefits. I had no hesitation. If I could reset my posture and switch my core back on with a simple movement, I was happy to test it out.
Before you read on to find out how I succeeded, it’s worth checking out the Best Pilates Exercises for Beginners, The Best Pilates Core Moves, A Guide to the Most Effective Pilates Exercises of All Time, my experience trying daily Pilates pelvic curls, and other health writers’ experiments with toe taps, leg kicks, and leg circles.
Experts say Pilates heel tap can strengthen your core and relieve hip tension, so we gave it a try for 7 days.
What is Pilates heel tap?
At first glance, Pilates heel taps have no effect. look Particularly challenging. For this move, lie on your back with your legs in tabletop position, engage your core and stabilize your spine, and lower one heel to tap the floor. It may seem effortless, but Pilates rarely accomplishes anything so easily.
Emma Mahama, founder of Everyone Reformer, told me: “The heel tap is one of those exercises that may seem simple, but it does wonders for your body.” It didn’t take long for me to realize how right she was.
The movement itself is small, but requires incredible control, slowly alternating slamming your heels into the mat without arching your lower back or rocking your hips from side to side. Done properly, heel taps quickly become a test of coordination and concentration.
“The heel tap is a Pilates warm-up exercise that strengthens your deep core muscles and develops pelvic and spinal stability,” explains Anuska Shen, founder of Office Yoga Company. Although modest, it is this precision and focus that makes the practice so effective.
@nikkipolos
Stop chasing crunches. Start your core training the smart way. Heel taps build control without breaking your lower back. When you’re ready, lower your legs to raise the level. Strong core ≠ punishment. Stability, breathing, and consistency are key. Save this for your next big day 💜
♬ Silence – ONEIL & Giorgio Gee & Sarah Phillips
What kind of effects does Pilates heel tap have?
With this in mind, I wanted to know what kind of results I could notice by doing a daily heel tap. And experts say this little exercise has surprisingly powerful rewards.
1. Strengthen your core strength
One of the biggest benefits of Pilates heel taps is that they are effective for strengthening your deep core. “You don’t just need visible abdominal muscles, you also need stable muscles that support your spine, which is why abs are a staple of Pilates,” Mahama told me.
Shen refers to these stabilizing muscles when he says: “Heel taps specifically strengthen the TVA (transversus abdominis) muscles. These deep core muscles act like a corset for your back, so strengthening these deep muscles is one of the most effective ways to prevent pain in this area.”
2. Improves pelvic stability and posture.
Another big reason Pilates instructors recommend heel taps is their stabilizing effect.
“By keeping your spine neutral while moving your legs, you teach your body to maintain proper posture and increase the stamina of the muscles that help it do so,” Shen outlines.
So while the movement seems easy, focusing on stabilizing your hips and torso is the difficult part.
3. Support your lower back
“When done well, it’s very low-back friendly because the movements are controlled and the focus is on keeping the pelvis stable,” says Mahama. “This makes it a more supported alternative to exercises like sit-ups.”
4. Relieve hip tension
Heel taps are a great hip-strengthening exercise, which is especially great news for people who spend a lot of time sitting.
“The hip flexors control the raising and lowering of the leg, so it’s a workout,” explains Shen. “The lowering phase stretches your hip flexors, so doing this can relieve some of the tension that builds up from sitting for long periods of time.”
How to do a Pilates heel tap with correct form
Correct form is essential if you want to reap the benefits of any Pilates exercise, and heel taps are no exception.
Before starting my week-long experiment, I asked an expert to show me how to perform the moves correctly.
- Lie on your back on your mat with your knees bent so your legs are in a tabletop position (your hips and knees should be at a 90° angle).
- Place your arms at your sides.
- Press your lower back lightly into the floor. Your hip bones and pubic bone should be level and your ribs should be soft to the mat. This is the key to stability.
- Inhale and prepare. As you exhale, lower one heel toward the mat and lift it off your hips.
- While breathing in, slowly lift your legs and return them to the starting position.
- Then, as you exhale, switch legs.
- Alternate your legs in a slow, controlled, steady rhythm.
According to Shen, it’s important to keep your knees bent at 90 degrees to perform this exercise correctly. “Motion should come from the hip hinge, or the movement of the femur bone away from and toward the hip joint, rather than bending from the knee and lowering the heel to the mat.”
She also focuses on controlling speed. “A common mistake I see is people raising and lowering too quickly, dropping their legs and using their momentum to bring them back up. Instead, they want to focus on resisting gravity on the way down and using their core to get back up.”
watch on
My review after trying Pilates Heel Tap every day for a week
From day 1 to day 3
With the advice of experts, I started experimenting with optimism about what this move actually was and the subtle benefits I could notice in a week.
First, lie on your back, raise your legs to a tabletop position, and press your hips lightly into the floor. At this point, Shen reminded me to lift my lower abdomen. “Try to maintain this tension during practice,” she said. A small opportunity changed everything.
Next came the challenging part. It takes more control than you might expect to get your feet back up automatically without dropping them. You should focus on slowly lowering each leg until your heels touch the mat, then raising them back up in a controlled rhythm. My thighs burn quickly – and I’m not exaggerating. Really pain.
When you wake up on the second day, you can feel a mild pain in your abdominal muscles. This is a clear sign that the deep stabilizers have indeed been activated.
After a few days, I started to find a natural rhythm and started doing more reps per session. Although the burn remains, I’ve noticed subtle differences in how my lower back and lower back are supported during exercise.
Rebecca found that getting her foot to automatically return to its original position without dropping it required more control than she expected. She had to focus on taking her time and slowly lowering each leg until her heels touched the mat, then raising them back up in a controlled rhythm.
(Image credit: Rebecca Lawton)
From day 4 to day 7
Later in the week, your heel tapping will feel more natural, and you’ll develop a steady rhythm that will help you control your movements. You’ll feel your deep core, obliques, and hip flexors all working together, and the slow, precise movements help maintain pelvic and lower back stability.
The burning in your thighs subsides slightly and you begin to feel your body move with control and precision, which in itself feels like a small victory.
After sitting at your desk for a few hours, you get into the habit of pulling out your mat, so your lower back feels looser and more responsive than usual, and you feel less tense. Even after just a few days, it’s clear that Heel Tap targets the areas you know need strengthening.
By the final day, I’m feeling a subtle but encouraging change in my posture and core engagement. One week isn’t enough time to see transformative changes, but this experiment has shown me benefits in all areas I’ve struggled with, including stronger core muscles, improved hip tension, and improved posture and coordination.
Do you continue to do Pilates heel tap every day? Probably not. But after seeing results in such a short period of time, they’ve earned a permanent spot in my workout routine. Once you get used to the practice, it’s a great warm-up exercise that’s low-impact, easy to handle, and effective. Recommended for anyone looking for core-focused movements that get results with consistent practice.
Rebecca saw results in a very short time. This means this move has earned a permanent spot in your upcoming workout routine.
(Image credit: Rebecca Lawton)
Shop MC-UK approved Pilates essentials
BAM Pilates Grip Crew Socks – 2 Pack
I recently started wearing BAM Pilates Grip socks and they have quickly become my go-to. Comfortable, practical and sustainable.
Lululemon Align™ High Rise Pants 28″
These have become my low impact leggings. The high rise and stretch properties make transitioning from desk to mat effortless and easy.
sweaty betty balance yoga mat
A reliable mat can be a game changer for Pilates. This Sweaty Betty option ticks all the boxes. It has enough grip for comfortable cushioning and stability, and can be neatly rolled up for storage.
How often should you do Pilates heel taps?
Anouska Shenn, founder of The Office Yoga Company, recommends aiming to start out with two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions per side, two to three times a week.
“Once it’s easy to do, there are ways to make the movement more demanding,” she says. “You can curl your upper body and keep your chest lifted and maintain that position throughout the exercise. Alternatively, you can extend your arms out in front of you (dead bug style) for extra stability.”
You can also alternate legs in the air (inhale, tap, exhale, switch) and raise and lower both legs together. This greatly improves core movement and control.
#Pilates #heel #tap #day #highly #praise #lowimpact #movement