Whether you started your fitness journey to get stronger, feel confident in a swimsuit, lose weight, or improve your overall health, you won’t get very far without building a strong core. Good news is you don’t have to do a million tedious crunches to get there. In fact, you’ll be neglecting some of the essential muscles in your core if you do. Instead, we want you to focus on a combination of simple yet effective exercises that improve the function as well as the appearance of your midsection. To get you started, we put together a list of our top five trainer-approved beginner core workouts.
The Benefits of Having a Strong Core
First, let’s talk about the fact that there’s a reason we call our midsection our “core”. Aside from getting a flat and toned stomach, your core is your foundation.
Building these muscles (which include your transverse abdominis, multifidus, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae, and diaphragm) can help with the following:
- Reduce your chance of injury by building better core stability.
- Improve your posture through strengthening your core. Better posture also means improved confidence!
- Reduce back pain. Having a weak core often leads to back pain, giving us one more good reason to do those beginner core workouts to get our core muscles strong.
- Help your tummy look flatter and more defined (and who doesn’t want that?).
Trainer-Approved Beginner Core Workouts
Gone are the days where situps and crunches were the only way to get those six-pack abs. With moves such as standing bicycle crunches, planks, and heel taps, you can get that toned midsection you’ve been working on for what seems like forever.
Here are our go-to core workouts you can clock in with less than 20 minutes of your time.
#1 Beginner Cardio & Core
This workout is a core and calorie-blasting workout all wrapped up in under 15 minutes. Danielle Pascente will walk you through challenging and effective core exercises like the sweat dripping plank and squat bicycle crunches to get those core muscles fired up.
Grab a mat and an optional pair of dumbbells and get ready to sweat!
#2 Sexiest Abs Ever
This may be one of your new favorite beginner core workouts. These effective low impact exercises create a 20-minute routine that targets every inch of your midsection. You’ll be sweating with moves like reverses and half get-ups.
All you need is a mat and a set of dumbbells for this one!
#3 Yoga Core
This yoga-inspired workout will activate ab muscles you didn’t know you had and leave you feeling refreshed and energized to tackle the next part of your day. Talk about getting ‘centered!’ Get it?! Add this to your beginner core workout lineup!
#4 Quick Abs
In a time crunch? Here’s your go-to core workout to effectively work your center in 10 minutes with moves like heel taps for the obliques and extended crunches to really fire up those upper abs. Grab a set of lightweight dumbbells if you have them for this quick ab blast.
#5 Kiss my Abs
In need of another quick, yet highly effective core burn? This beginner core workout will get your abs burning in just 10 minutes, using just your body weight with exercises like slow motion situps and some standard crunches.
Strong Core = Strong Body!
Don’t underestimate the difference a strong core can make not only in your workout routine but in your life.
You use your core to do many of your day-to-day activities (cleaning, sitting in a chair, walking, picking something up off the ground), and if it’s not strong, you are far more likely to get injured both in and out of the gym. So, if you are looking to add some core work to your fitness routine, consider getting started with these eight beginner core workouts.
