Your Core Needs to Be Strong!
What is the first thing that comes to your mind? You are likely to have thought of crunches. Crunches are effective when done correctly but they can also be dangerous if you do them wrong.
When performing regular exercises such as crunches or situps, many people experience neck and back pain. Your hands should be placed behind your head so that you don’t pull on your neck. This can cause strain and devalue the exercise. It’s also easy for your body to call on other muscles to help you. To do a complete situp, you need to have a strong core.
Good news: Situps and crunches only scratch the surface of moves that target your abdominals. There are many effective exercises to strengthen your core. It’s worth diversifying your routine with ab exercises that target different areas of the core. This will ensure you don’t become bored and keep your workout interesting.
15 Ab and Core Exercises for Effective Training
Although you may begin an ab routine with the intention of getting a toned midsection and abs, the benefits that can be reaped are far more than aesthetics. For stability, support in daily movements, good posture, and lower back pain, a strong core is essential.
Exercise #1
Place your hands on the mat and place your knees on the floor. Place your shoulders over your wrists and ensure your wrists are in line with the mat’s front. Move your knees back a little. Your navel should be pulled in towards your spine as if there was a fire on the mat. Your toes should be under your feet and your legs lifted off the floor. Reach your heels towards the rear of the room by flexing your quads. Keep your neck and head extended by making sure your shoulders are above your wrists. For 30 seconds, hold the position.
Exercise #2
Place your shoulders above your wrists and get into a plank position. As you pull your naval towards your spine, hug your legs as you bring your left foot to touch your right. Place the left foot on the right side of your right foot. Keep your right hand under your right shoulder and press down on your right hand. Slowly, bring your left hand onto the right hip. Keep your right hip and spine away from the ground by pulling the abs in towards the spine. Hold the position for a few seconds, extending your left arm straight up towards the ceiling. Then switch sides and go through the plank.
Exercise #3
Start in a plank position. Keep your back straight and keep your hips down. Engage your core by keeping your core engaged. Your right knee should be under your chest towards your right elbow. Your right leg should be in a plank position. Now, bring your left leg underneath your chest towards your left elbow. Keep going at a steady pace, switching your legs. Keep your breathing steady and focus on engaging your glutes, hamstrings, and abs.
Exercise #4
Place your hands on your stomach and place your knees under your hips. Your left arm should be straightened out in front of your body. The right leg should be out behind your body. Next, bend your left elbow towards your right knee and crunch your abs until your stomach touches underneath. Continue with your left arm and right leg. Perform 10 alternate sides.
Exercise #5
Place your hands on the ceiling and lie down. Your arms should be at your sides. For greater stability, you can place your hands underneath your butt. To increase stability, squeeze your core and lower your legs to a 45-degree angle. As you lower one leg toward the ground, lift the other. Switch your legs. Keep moving your legs in a fluttering motion, and continue to alternate. Continue to alternate approximately 15 times, but don’t speed up.
Exercise #6
This moves your lower core muscles. Standing with your feet hip-distance apart, your arms extended at your sides, your legs straight out in front of you. The right hand should be placed on the backside of your head, just like you would for crunches. Start moving your torso towards the left and crunching your left oblique so your right elbow is in line with the sky. Your left hand should be pointed toward the ground. Continue to hold this position while squeezing your abs. Then switch sides.
Exercise #7
Keep your knees bent and your legs straight. Now, stretch your abs as you raise your legs up so your knees hover over your hips at an angle of 90 degrees. Your calves should be parallel to the floor so your legs can rest on top of it. As you raise your hips and knees towards your chest, engage your core. Try tilting your pelvis in the forward direction. Your entire upper body should be on the ground. Keep your lower back on the ground. As you return down through the tabletop, keep your legs at a 90-degree angle. Tap your feet on the ground. Continue the steps but remember to slow down and squeeze your abdomens.
Exercise #8
Place your arms straight up at your sides and lie on your back. Your legs should be lifted off the ground. Now, bend your legs into a tabletop position. Keep your shins parallel to the floor. Slowly lower your legs so that your knees are slightly above the floor. Once your knees are close to the ground, slowly lower your legs to the right, moving your legs back to the center. Then, move your legs to the left. For a total of 20 repetitions, alternate sides for 10 reps.
Exercise #9
With your knees bent, erect on the ground, with your feet resting on the floor. Your upper body should be tilted backward at a 45-degree angle. This will make you feel like you’re doing a situp. Take a dumbbell and hold it in each hand. Next, pull your shoulders back from your ears. Keep the dumbbell close to your chest. Next, move your torso forward and tap the dumbbell on the floor. Repeat the process five times on each side. You can modify the move by using a dumbbell.
Exercise #10
Laying on your back, extend your legs straight up to the ceiling. You can bend your knees slightly to modify the position. Inhale and tighten your upper abdominals. Next, lift your head, neck, and chest off of the ground. Reach your arms towards your toes as you exhale. Repeat this 20 times.
Exercise #11
Place your back on the mat and engage your core muscles. Then, gently lean back a few inches. Slowly raise your legs so that they are at the table’s top. Your arms should be straight in front of your body so they are parallel to the mat. Keep your core engaged and extend your legs straight up at a 45-degree angle. This will create a “V” shape that is in line with your body. Reach your arms toward the ceiling if you feel comfortable. You have the option of extending your arms straight ahead. Ten seconds. Then, relax your shoulders and pull in your abs. Keep your inner thighs tightened by squeezing. Bring your arms and legs back to their original position.
Exercise #12
With your back straight, your knees bent, and your feet flat on the ground, sit up. Lift your legs up to the sky and grab your ankles. Point your toes toward the ceiling so your body forms a “V”. Keep your legs as wide as possible. Keep your core engaged as you roll back onto your shoulder blades. Straighten your spine and roll backward. Keep your legs straight and your head up. Continue rolling backwards, stopping at the top.
Exercise #13
With your knees bent, lie on your back and place your feet on the ground. Your elbows bend to the sides and your hands behind your head, lifting your left shoulder blade off of the ground using your abs. Your right knee should be bent towards your left elbow. Straighten your right leg by bending it at 45 degrees. On the opposite side, bring your left knee towards your right elbow and straighten your right leg. Continue to alternate legs and squeeze your core. As you alternate sides, rub your inner thighs together to make sure you are hugging your legs in toward the middle of your body.
Exercise #14
Place your hands on the ground, with your arms extended at your sides. Your legs should be straight in front of your body. Keep your back low as you pull your navel towards the spine. Then, squeeze your legs together. Lift your legs straight up so your body forms an L shape. Your legs should be lowered towards the mat slowly, without arching your back. Hold for a few seconds until your feet touch the ground.
Exercise #15
Standing crunches will reduce the discomfort in your neck and back that you can experience when doing the traditional crunch. Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, bring your abdominals toward your spine. Bring your hips forward and place your hands on your stomach. Your hands should be behind your head. Now, bring your shoulders down and crunch your neck. Keep your chest and chin in line with your shoulders. To avoid pulling your neck, keep your elbows straight and your elbows to the sides. You can reverse the movement and return to a standing position. Repeat the process 10 times.
