Easy Core Strengthening Exercises You Can Do at Home

A strong core is essential for good health, as it helps improve posture and balance and provides support for your body during all sorts of physical activities. Core strengthening exercises can sometimes be difficult, however, requiring special equipment or a fair amount of space. And I know for me, my core is the quickest area of my body to fatigue during my workouts, but this can lead to dangerous injuries. Because you use your core for all physical movements, even when you don’t know you’re using it, it’s crucial to make sure it’s strong enough to support your body every day, athlete or not.

That’s why we’ve compiled this list of easy core strengthening exercises you can do at home. Whether you’re just beginning your fitness journey or you’re an experienced athlete, these movements will help you build and maintain a strong core. So read on to learn more about the most effective core strengthening exercises you can do at home!

Warm Up: Getting Ready To Do the Exercises

Before engaging in any physical activity, prepare your body for exercise by warming up. Proper preparation can help prevent injury, especially in the abs and lower back. To begin your core strengthening routine, start with a few dynamic stretches to get your body loose and ready for movement. Focus on areas like your abs and lower back, the main muscles utilized during your core workout.

After stretching for about five minutes, it’s time to move on to some light cardiovascular activity. This could be something like jogging in place or jumping jacks. Move enough to increase your heart rate and get your muscles fired up in anticipation of the workout ahead.

Core Strengthening Exercises

Now that your body is warmed up and ready to go, it’s time to start the actual core strengthening exercises. While really any movement you perform is going to work your core to some capacity, these movements focus on your core specifically. You’ll be feeling the burn in no time. Be careful to focus on your mind-body connection when working on ab exercises; you want to ensure that you’re actually flexing your ab muscles and not your back or neck muscles by mistake. And remember to breathe! You’re going for slow and controlled movements, as rushing leads to injury. It’s okay to use less weight and perform less reps if your body needs it, especially when you’re first starting out.

Abdominal Crunches

Start by lying flat on your back with your hands behind your head, elbows flat and facing outward. Placing your hands here ensures that you’re protecting your neck. Slowly raise your upper body (up to your shoulders) off the ground while focusing on engaging your abdominal muscles. Once you’ve come up as far as you can comfortably go, hold the position for a few seconds before returning to the starting position. Repeat this exercise 10-15 times for one to three sets, depending on your fitness level. Your knees can be bent or flat.

Plank Pose

Get into a push-up position with your arms extended and feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Engage the abdominal muscles by squeezing and drawing them toward your back. Hold this pose for 30 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds before performing a second plank for 30 seconds. Repeat this process one to three times. You can have your palms flat on the ground, or you can pose on closed fists to aid in wrist support.

Superman

Lie on your stomach and extend both arms in front of you like Superman flying through the air. Keeping your head, arms, and legs in line with one another, lift them off the ground as far as you comfortably can while maintaining a straight line from head to toe. The goal is for your abdomen to be the only body part touching the ground. Hold this pose for 10 seconds before returning to the starting position and repeat 10-15 times for one to three sets, depending on your fitness level.

Leg Lifts

Begin by lying flat on your back with both feet flat on the floor and arms down at your sides. Next, draw in your abdominal muscles while slowly lifting both legs off the floor until they are at a 90-degree angle with the floor. Hold this pose for 15-30 seconds, then slowly return to starting position and repeat 10-15 times for one to three sets based on your fitness level. If you need additional back support, you can place your hands under your butt while performing the movement.

Single Leg Reach

Begin by lying flat on your back with both arms outstretched above you, shoulder width apart, and one leg raised straight toward the ceiling. Your other leg can be bent at the knee or straight. You can also hold an exercise ball between both hands at chest level if desired. Focusing on engaging only your abdominal muscles, slowly reach both arms straight out above you toward one ankle, then return to your starting position before repeating the opposite leg and arm movements. Perform 10-15 repetitions for one to three sets.

Cool Down

Once you have finished your workout, it’s important to cool down properly. Start by stretching all of those hardworking muscle groups one last time before transitioning into some light cardiovascular activity, such as a brisk walk or jogging in place. This will help ensure all those worked muscles are properly relaxed and not overly tightened after working them so hard.

A strong core can help keep your body healthy, balanced, and fit. There are lots of core exercises that can help you achieve these goals — and not all of them require expensive equipment or a lot of space. With the easy core strengthening exercises listed above, you can get a good workout in no matter where you are. So try these exercises in the comfort of your own home and feel the difference that a strong core can make!