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Fit&Well asked Madison DiSalvo, a Pilates instructor at STRONG Pilates Commack, for exercises to train the deep core. She recommended the dead bug, bird dog, bear plank and plank leg lift, emphasizing control and a steady torso or pelvis as the limbs move.
Fit&Well asked Pilates instructor Madison DiSalvo of STRONG Pilates Commack to recommend exercises for strengthening the deep core, and she named four: the dead bug, bird dog, bear plank and plank leg lift. Her guidance focuses on keeping the torso and pelvis steady while the arms or legs move, a way to challenge control and stability rather than simply completing repetitions.
DiSalvo describes Pilates as a practice in which people move their limbs with control and coordinate movement with breathing. “It builds foundational stability from the inside out,” she said. The Fit&Well report presents her four choices as accessible exercises that can be adjusted through the range of movement and the time spent holding a position.
For the dead bug, lie on your back with arms reaching upward and knees bent so the lower legs are parallel to the floor. Keep the spine neutral. As you exhale, lower one arm overhead while extending the opposite leg, stopping before the lower back arches; inhale to return and switch sides. The report suggests two to three sets of 10–15 repetitions per side. Its key form cue is to keep the torso, lower back and pelvis still.
The bird dog starts on hands and knees, with hands beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips. Extend one arm forward and the opposite leg behind you, aiming for hip height without tilting the hips or arching the lower back. Return with control and alternate sides. The suggested dose is two to three sets of 10–15 repetitions per side. For the bear plank, lift the knees about an inch from the floor and hold with a flat back and elongated neck; the report suggests three to five holds of 20–30 seconds. The plank leg lift begins in a straight-arm plank: lift one leg without letting the pelvis shift or the back arch, then alternate. Fit&Well lists two to three sets of 10–12 lifts per side.
Control Is the Core Challenge
The recommendations offer readers a practical distinction between moving quickly through a workout and training the body to resist unwanted movement. In the dead bug and bird dog, opposite limbs move while the trunk remains controlled; in the plank variations, the challenge is to avoid shifting or arching as a leg lifts. DiSalvo’s approach gives readers specific form cues alongside the exercise names, which may help them understand what each movement is intended to test.
The report says deep-core training can support balance, posture and spinal health, but those benefits are presented as general rationale, not as measured outcomes from a study of these four exercises. The article does not establish that this particular sequence will produce a specific health result. Its immediate value is a set of instructor-attributed movement suggestions and starting volumes for people seeking a controlled core routine.
The distinction matters because repetitions alone do not describe how an exercise should feel or be performed. DiSalvo’s cues repeatedly stress a neutral spine and steady pelvis. Readers can use those instructions to focus on movement quality, while recognizing that the report is a fitness recommendation rather than an individualized assessment.
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How the Four Moves Differ
The Fit&Well article frames the four exercises around a shared idea: keep the midsection stable while the limbs move, or hold the body in a controlled position. The dead bug is performed on the back, while the bird dog uses a hands-and-knees position. The bear plank adds a brief hover with both knees off the ground, and the plank leg lift introduces alternating leg movement from a full plank.
The report distinguishes their challenges: it says the dead bug is more demanding for the deep core, while the bird dog tests balance and coordination. These are the source’s descriptions, not comparisons supported in the supplied material by a published trial or testing data. The exercise instructions include breathing cues—typically exhaling during the effort and inhaling on the return—as well as suggested sets, repetitions or hold times.
Fit&Well identifies DiSalvo as an instructor at STRONG Pilates Commack. The supplied report does not include a publication date, details of her qualifications beyond that role, or independent evidence comparing the four movements. The recommendations should therefore be understood as her coaching guidance as reported by Fit&Well.
“It builds foundational stability from the inside out.”
— Madison DiSalvo, Pilates instructor at STRONG Pilates Commack
Limits of the Exercise Guidance
The supplied article does not report clinical research testing whether these four exercises improve posture, balance or spinal health, nor does it quantify how much strength a person might gain. Those outcomes are described as potential reasons to train the deep core, not guaranteed effects of the routine. The comparison between the dead bug and bird dog is also presented as coaching guidance, without a cited measurement method.
Fit&Well does not specify who should avoid these movements, how to modify them for an injury or health condition, or how to progress once the suggested sets and holds become easy. The exercise volumes are recommendations, not a personalized plan. Anyone with pain, an injury or a condition affecting exercise may need guidance from a qualified health or fitness professional before trying them.
Applying the Instructor’s Cues
The report does not announce a follow-up study, new program or scheduled development. Readers can follow the instructions as presented—using the listed repetitions and holds while keeping the lower back and pelvis controlled—but the article does not prescribe how often to perform the sequence or how to increase its difficulty over time.
Any assessment of the exercises’ effects would require information beyond the supplied report, such as a defined training period and measured outcomes. For now, the confirmed development is a set of four instructor recommendations published by Fit&Well, with form cues and suggested starting volumes; longer-term results and suitability for individual readers remain unspecified.
Key Questions
Which four exercises did the Pilates instructor recommend?
Madison DiSalvo recommended the dead bug, bird dog, bear plank and plank leg lift in Fit&Well’s report.
What is the main form cue across the exercises?
Keep the torso and pelvis controlled as the limbs move. The report specifically warns against letting the lower back arch or the hips tilt and shift.
How many repetitions or holds does the report suggest?
It lists two to three sets of 10–15 repetitions per side for the dead bug and bird dog; three to five bear-plank holds of 20–30 seconds; and two to three sets of 10–12 plank leg lifts per side.
Does the report prove these exercises improve posture or spinal health?
No. The report gives those as potential benefits of deep-core training, but the supplied material does not cite a study measuring the effects of this four-exercise routine.
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