5 Exercises For A Stronger Core

Having a strong core is important for a bunch of reasons. A strong, stable midsection can give you a better posture and better balance, it can even reduce back pain. Your core really is the centre of all of your movements – and every move you make, both in everyday life and during your workouts, can and will be made easier if your core is showing up and doing its job.

So with that, let’s explore some exercises that can strengthen your core by focusing on both stability and mobility workouts.

Here are 5 Exercises For A Stronger Core:

Plank

The plank position takes a lot of strength and endurance in your abs, back, and in your core. The plank is one of the best exercises for core conditioning but it also works your glutes and hamstrings, supports proper posture, and improves balance!

How To:

  1. Rest your forearms on the floor, with your elbows directly underneath your shoulders and hands facing forward so that your arms are parallel.
  2. Extend your legs out behind you and rest your toes on the floor. Your body should form one straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
  3. Squeeze your entire core, your glutes, and your quads, and tuck your butt under a little to keep your lower back straight. Make sure you are not dropping your hips or hiking your butt up high toward the ceiling.
  4. Position your head so that your neck is in a neutral position and your gaze is on your hands.
  5. Hold this position.

Panther Shoulder Tap

The panther shoulder tap is a great workout, and will definitely help to improve your balance as well as working your core. It’s fun, dynamic, challenging – and you will feel that burn pretty quick while in this position.

How To:

  1. Start off on all fours.
  2. Engage your core and while keeping your back flat and your butt down (like you’re in a plank), lift your knees off the floor about 1-3 inches.
  3. Gaze at the floor a few inches in front of your hands to keep your neck in a comfortable position.
  4. Tap your right hand to your left shoulder, and then your left hand to your right shoulder, while using your core strength to keep your hips as still as you can.
  5. Continue alternating sides.

Butterfly Sit-up

The butterfly sit-up exercise eliminates the option to use the hip flexors, basically forcing you into a good form. It’s also easily modifiable in both directions, so you can increase or decrease the difficulty of this workout.

How To:

  1. Lie faceup with the soles of your feet together, knees bent out to sides. Reach your arms overhead. This is the starting position.
  2. Using your core, roll your body up until you are sitting upright. Reach forward to touch your toes. That’s 1 rep.
  3. Slowly lower back down to starting position and continue immediately into the next rep.

Dead Bug

The “dead bug” sounds like a weird exercise, but I promise it’s not. The dead bug is a straightforward movement you can do while lying on your back. It’s great for connecting to your mind and to your core and it’s an all-encompassing ab exercise!

How To:

  1. Lie faceup with your arms extended toward the ceiling and your legs in a tabletop position (knees bent 90 degrees and stacked over your hips). This is the starting position.
  2. Slowly extend your right leg out straight, while simultaneously dropping your left arm overhead. Keep both a few inches from the ground.
  3. Squeeze your butt and keep your core engaged the entire time, lower back pressed into the floor.
  4. Bring your arm and leg back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat on the other side, extending your left leg and your right arm.

High Boat to Low Boat

High Boat Low Boat is an ab exercise that strengthens both your upper and lower abs and helps train your core stability to strengthen and protect your low back. This workout teaches the body to stay stable while at the same time pulling the body up and down while the weight of your legs remains off the floor – disclaimer, this one is a little challenging.

How To:

  1. Sit up straight with your legs bent, feet flat on the floor.
  2. Keeping your legs together, slowly lift them off the floor until they form a 45-degree angle to your torso.
  3. Engage your entire core, keep your back flat, and balance on your tailbone.
  4. You can keep your knees bent or straighten them out for more of a challenge.
  5. Reach your arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor. If you feel that you need some extra support, place your hands on the floor, underneath your hips.
  6. This is a High Boat. Hold here for three deep breaths.
  7. Then, lower your legs, straightening them out, while also lowering your upper body. Both your shoulder blades and legs should hover a few inches off the floor. If that is too challenging, keep them slightly higher off the floor and work toward bringing them lower and lower.
  8. This is Low Boat. Hold for one breath, and then lift your legs and torso back to High Boat.

 

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