The “core” refers to the main muscles in the trunk of the body. They help protect the spine, provide stability, and increase strength.
Strengthening the core muscles can improve athletic performance, help prevent injuries, and improve posture.
Firstly having a strong, well-trained core can also help create an athletic-looking physique if a person combines a focus on these muscles with a healthful diet and lifestyle that includes other forms of exercise. Here’s also a list of core exercises categorized under different subheadings based on their focus.
1. Basic Core Strength
Plank
The plank is a full-body exercise that targets your core. It also strengthens your arms, shoulders, back, glutes, and legs.
- Start on all fours, with your hands below your shoulders and your knees below your hips.
- Straighten your legs behind you, keeping your feet hip-width apart. Tighten your core.
- Hold for 10 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat 3 to 5 times.
- To make this exercise easier, keep your knees on the floor, with your weight over your hands. Keep a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
Crunch
Crunches are a classic core-strengthening move. The act of lifting your upper body works your abdominal muscles.
- If you have occasional low back pain, do crunches with care — move slowly and start with just a few reps.
- If your low back pain is chronic, talk with a certified trainer or healthcare professional before attempting this classic crunch. It may not be the best option for you.
- Start on your back. Bend your knees and plant your feet on the floor at hip width. Line up your head and spine. Cross your arms across your chest.
- Tighten your core and relax your neck and shoulders. Tuck in your chin and lift your upper back, keeping your lower back, pelvis, and feet on the floor. Pause.
- Slowly lower your upper back to return to the starting position.
- Start with 1 set of 8 to 12 reps
2. Dynamic Core Engagement
These exercises focus on dynamic movements and enhancing the body’s ability to control motion.
- Mountain Climbers: A full-body workout that engages the core while also providing cardiovascular benefits.
- Leg Raises: Excellent for targeting the lower abdominals and improving overall core control.
- Flutter Kicks: Focuses on the lower core and improves endurance and control.
- V-Ups: A more advanced move that targets the upper and lower abdominals in one movement.
3. Stability & Balance
These exercises are great for improving balance and stability by challenging your core in unstable environments.
- Side Planks: Work the obliques and help improve lateral core strength.
- Bosu Ball Plank: Adds an unstable surface to planks, making them more challenging.
- Stability Ball Rollouts: Engage the entire core as you roll out and back on the ball.
- Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts (with or without weights): Great for improving core stability while strengthening the hamstrings and glutes.
4. Obliques (Side Core)
The obliques are crucial for rotational movements and lateral stability.
- Side Plank with Hip Dips: Adds a dynamic movement to the side plank, further challenging the obliques.
- Woodchoppers (with cable or medicine ball): A rotational exercise that targets the obliques.
- Bicycle Crunches: Involves twisting the torso while engaging the obliques and rectus abdominis.
- Standing Oblique Crunches: Targets the obliques in a standing position, often using a cable machine or resistance band.
5. Lower Back/Core
These exercises target the often-overlooked lower back area, improving strength and reducing injury risk.
- Superman Hold/Back Extensions: Strengthens the lower back, glutes, and core.
- Reverse Hyperextensions: Focus on the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, improving posture and core strength.
- Good Mornings: Focuses on lower back strength and can be done with or without weights.
6. Advanced Core Exercises
These are challenging movements that require high levels of coordination and strength.
- Dragon Flags: A very advanced core exercise that builds strength across the entire core, especially the lower abdominals.
- L-Sit: Performed either on the floor or using parallettes, it requires the core to maintain an “L” shape.
- Windshield Wipers: Engages the obliques and requires significant core strength to move the legs side-to-side.
- Hanging Leg Raises (from a pull-up bar): Works both the upper and lower core while requiring grip strength.
7. Functional/Core Conditioning
These exercises enhance core stability in functional, real-world movements, making them great for athletes.
- Kettlebell Swings: Engage the core, especially the posterior chain, while working the entire body.
- Turkish Get-Ups: A full-body movement that heavily targets the core as you transition from lying to standing.
- Medicine Ball Slams: A dynamic exercise that combines explosive power and core strength.
- Farmer’s Carry: Holding a weight in each hand and walking while maintaining a stable core improves posture and endurance.
8. Core Flexibility and Mobility
To avoid tightness and improve range of motion, incorporating flexibility and mobility exercises for the core is crucial.
- Cat-Cow Stretch: A gentle movement to mobilize the spine and activate the core.
- Cobra Stretch: Stretches the abdominals and lower back.
- Child’s Pose with Lateral Reach: Stretches and lengthens the core muscles while encouraging flexibility.
Each of these categories targets different aspects of core training. To achieve a well-rounded core, it’s ideal to incorporate exercises from various categories into your routine!
