Whether you are lifting a grocery bag or putting on shoes, waking up from bad or cooking some food, you use your core to accomplish a lot of everyday activities. Here are some core workout routines you need to follow.
Most of us think that core muscles are all about abdominals, but it is not. It also involves the muscles of the back and around your pelvis.
Your core involves:
- Erector spinae
- Rectus abdominis
- Obliques
- Transverse abdominis
- Multifidus
Maintaining strength in these muscles helps to stabilise your body, support your spine, and make you more fit as a whole.
Here we are discussing 8 exercises to strengthen your core group.
Crunch: Crunch is a basic exercise that helps you to strengthen abdomen muscles.
- Direction
- Start with lying down straight on the floor.
- Place your arms straight down the floor.
- Lift your neck and squeeze your stomach.
- Slowly return to the neutral position.
Bicycle crunch: Adding this variation to a regular crunch works for your hips, obliques, and rectus abdominis.
- Direction:
- Start with your back on the floor.
- As you bend your left knee and straighten your right leg, lift your right shoulder and move your right elbow toward your left knee.
- Bring your right shoulder back to the floor and, while doing so, extend your left leg while bending your right knee.
- As your right knee moves toward you, lift your left shoulder off the floor and move your left elbow toward it.
Forearm plank: Plank is one of the most popular workouts across the world and also one of the best exercises for the core group. You can do plank anywhere. It is an isometric exercise means you get into a position and hold it.
- Direction:
- Start with a plank position. Keep your back straight.
- Your body should form a straight line from head to feet.
Bridge: Strengthen your core muscle with this simple exercise.
- Direction:
- Lie down straight on your back, arms straight and knees bent.
- Pushing with your feet, keeping your lower back arched, lift your buttock off the ground until your glutes are fully extended.
- Slowly back to the neutral position and repeat.
Supermen: This exercise helps to strengthen your lower back.
- Direction:
- Start by lying down on your stomach.
- Lift your legs, torso and arms.
- Hold this position for 10-20 seconds.
Russian twist: Russian twist is an excellent move to train your obliques and warm up your spine.
- Direction:
- Start with sitting down on the floor with knees bent and feet flexed.
- Lean your torso 45 degrees or until you feel your abdominal muscles engaged.
- Keep your back tight.
- Rotate your torso from left to right.
Jackknife: This is a go-to-core exercise as it involves the whole core muscle group.
- Direction:
- Lie down on the floor facing with your arms extended overhead.
- Contract your abs to press your lower back into the floor.
- Lift your legs and upper back while you point your toes and squeeze your thighs together, having your hands meet your feet so that your body forms a V.
- Slowly lower yourself back to your starting position, keeping your core engaged.
Leg raise: This exercise targets your lower abdominals and also strengthens the hip flexors. The hip flexor plays a vital role in core stability and strength.
- Direction:
- Lie down on the floor facing up.
- Slowly raise your legs, keeping them together and as straight as possible, until the soles of your shoes are facing the ceiling.
- Then slowly return to the neutral position.
- Keep your lower back flat on the floor as you perform this move.
- Consider lowering your legs less if you have trouble doing that.
