Great Core Workout Exercises

The concept of fitness has, more recently, started to revolve around the strength of your core which includes all muscles between your shoulders and hips. A strong core is the foundation of your overall health and will help prevent injuries, whether you participate regularly in sports or not.

Planks:

Start out with toes, body and forearms on the ground. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart. Raise yourself up by contracting your core abdominal muscles and make sure that your forearms form a 90 degree angle with shoulders right above elbows. Keep your abdominals engaged the whole time and maintain this position.

Flutter Kicks:

Lie on your back with legs extended. Place your hands, palm down, underneath hips. Raise feet and legs off the ground by six inches. Engage your core muscles and kick feet up and down in a quick scissor-like motion.

Boat Pose:

Sit on the ground with knees bent and hands resting on the ground near hips. Lean back slightly, raise feet off the ground and extend legs so that they are also at a 45 degree angle from the ground; your body should form a V. If able, lift hands off the ground and extend them in front of you to knees with palms facing inwards.

Bridges:

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Raise hips off the floor so that your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Pause at the top then slowly lower body back to the floor, repeat.

Twists:

Sit down with knees bent and hands on the ground on either side of you. Raise your feet off the floor about 2 inches, but keep knees bent. Lean back slightly and lift hands off the ground and clasp them together tightly in front of chest. Twist at the waist in this position and move arms so that you touch the ground on either side of you with your clasped hands.