11 Best Core Exercises To Add To Your Workouts & Improve Your Strength

The core is often referred to as the body’s powerhouse. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s crucial for overall functional fitness and maintaining a healthy posture. Your core includes various muscle groups that work together to provide stability, protect your spine, and enable efficient movement.

Whether you’re looking to increase your performance or increase your general day-to-day health, these 11 best core exercises will definitely help – and the best part is you can do them all from the comfort of your own home!

In this post, we’ll explore:

• The importance of a strong core
• The different parts of the core
• 11 of the best core exercises

Let’s take a look!

Why a Strong Core Matters

Before we delve into specific core exercises, it’s essential to understand why having a strong core is so crucial for your overall well-being. The core plays a central role in various aspects of daily life, physical activities, and even injury prevention:

1. Posture and Balance

A strong core helps you maintain good posture by supporting your spine. This, in turn, reduces the risk of developing back pain and other musculoskeletal issues.

2. Stability

Core strength is the foundation for stability during physical activities. Whether you’re lifting weights, running, or even just picking up your child, a strong core helps you maintain balance and control.

3. Injury Prevention

A robust core minimizes the risk of injuries, particularly lower back injuries. It acts as a natural protective shield for your spine and helps absorb and disperse forces that could otherwise lead to injury.

4. Athletic Performance

Athletes across various sports rely on their core strength to generate power and transfer energy efficiently from their lower body to their upper body. It can make a significant difference in your performance.

5. Your Breath

A strong core supports the diaphragm and other respiratory muscles, allowing for more efficient breathing. This not only benefits your overall physical performance but also aids in reducing stress and promoting a sense of well-being through better oxygenation of the body.

The Parts of the Core

The core isn’t just about the front “six-pack” muscles. It’s a complex system of muscles that can be divided into four main groups:

Rectus Abdominis

These are the six-pack muscles and are responsible for flexing the spine, such as when you perform a sit-up.

Obliques

There are two sets of oblique muscles, the external and internal. The external obliques are on the sides of your abdomen and allow for trunk rotation and lateral flexion. The internal obliques are beneath the external obliques and assist in these movements.

Transverse Abdominis

This muscle is like a natural corset. It wraps around your midsection and provides stability, helping to maintain good posture and protect your spine.

Erector Spinae

These muscles run along your spine and play a critical role in extending your spine and keeping you upright.

Now, let’s explore some of the best core exercises that target these muscle groups and help you build a strong, balanced core.

11 Best Core Exercises

1. Plank

The plank is a classic core exercise that engages multiple core muscles simultaneously.

1. Start in a push-up position with your forearms on the ground.
2. Maintain a straight line from your head to your heels.
3. Hold this position for as long as you can, aiming to increase your time gradually.

The plank primarily targets the transverse abdominis and rectus abdominis.

2. Russian Twists

Russian twists are excellent for working your obliques and improving trunk rotation.

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your heels touching the ground.
2. Lean back slightly while keeping your back straight.
3. Hold a weight or a household item (like a water bottle) in your hands, or if you’ve never done this exercise before it’s best to start with nothing.
4. Twist your torso to one side, bringing the weight or item close to the ground beside you.
5. Return to the center and twist to the other side.

Russian twists focus on the external and internal oblique muscles.

3. Bicycle Crunches

Bicycle crunches are a dynamic core exercise that engages your entire abdominal region.

1. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, elbows wide.
2. Lift your legs off the ground, and bring your right knee toward your chest while simultaneously twisting your torso to bring your left elbow toward your right knee.
3. Straighten your right leg while bringing your left knee to your chest, twisting your torso in the opposite direction.
4. Continue this pedaling motion, engaging your obliques.

Bicycle crunches are excellent for working the rectus abdominis and obliques.

4. Dead Bug

The dead bug exercise is great for core strength, as it challenges your ability to maintain a neutral spine position.

1. Lie on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling.
2. Lift your legs off the ground, bending your knees to a 90-degree angle.
3. Lower your right arm and left leg toward the ground, keeping them hovering above the floor.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.

The dead bug targets the transverse abdominis and rectus abdominis while emphasizing core stability.

5. Superman

The superman exercise strengthens the erector spinae muscles along your spine, promoting back health and overall core balance.

1. Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended in front of you.
2. Simultaneously lift your arms, chest, and legs off the ground, aiming to create a slight arch in your back.
3. Hold this position briefly, then lower back down.

6. Hanging Leg Raises

Hanging leg raises are an advanced core exercise that works your lower abs and challenges your grip strength.

1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended.
2. Lift your legs, keeping them straight, until they are parallel to the ground.
3. Lower your legs back down, but do not let them touch the ground.

Hanging leg raises primarily target the rectus abdominis.

7. Bird Dog

The bird dog exercise helps improve your core stability and balance.

1. Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position.
2. Extend your right arm forward and your left leg backward, keeping them both parallel to the ground.
3. Hold this position for a moment, then return to the starting position.
4. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg.

Bird dogs engage the transverse abdominis and erector spinae, promoting core stability.

8. Side Plank

The side plank is a fantastic exercise to target the obliques and improve lateral core strength.

1. Lie on your side with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder.
2. Lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from your head to your feet.
3. Hold this position, and then switch to the other side.

Side planks focus on the external and internal obliques.

9. Swiss Ball Rollouts

Swiss ball rollouts are an advanced exercise that challenges your core’s ability to stabilize during dynamic movement.

1. Kneel on the floor with a Swiss ball in front of you.
2. Place your forearms on the ball.
3. Slowly roll the ball forward, extending your arms while keeping your back straight.
4. Roll the ball back toward your knees to return to the starting position.

Swiss ball rollouts primarily target the transverse abdominis and rectus abdominis.

10. Standing Cable Wood Chop

The standing cable wood chop is an effective way to work your obliques, mimicking the motion of chopping wood.

1. Attach a rope handle to a high pulley at the gym.
2. Stand with your side to the pulley and grasp the rope with both hands.
3. Pull the rope diagonally across your body, twisting your torso as you do, as if you were chopping wood.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

The standing cable wood chop targets the obliques.

11. Reverse Crunches

In a standard crunch, you perform a flexion movement, where you curl your upper body towards your lower body. This primarily engages the upper rectus abdominis, the muscle responsible for creating the “six-pack” appearance.

In contrast, reverse crunches involve a posterior pelvic tilt and the lifting of the pelvis and lower body toward the upper body. This movement puts greater emphasis on the lower rectus abdominis, also known as the lower abs. It’s a more effective exercise for strengthening and toning the lower portion of the abdominal muscles, which is often a challenging area for many individuals.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands by your sides or under your hips for support.
3. Lift your feet off the ground, keeping your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
4. Contract your lower abs and curl your hips off the floor, bringing your knees towards your chest.
5. Lower your legs back down, but do not let them touch the ground.
6. Repeat

Start Slowly

A strong core is essential for overall health, stability, and performance. It encompasses various muscle groups, and targeting them with a variety of exercises is the key to building a balanced and robust core.

Remember to start slowly, particularly if you’re new to core exercises. Rushing into a rigorous routine can lead to strain or injury. It’s crucial to begin at a level that matches your current fitness and strength. Your core is your body’s foundation, so make sure it’s as strong as it can be.

Don’t be discouraged if you can’t hold a plank for long or struggle with advanced exercises at first. The key is to steadily increase the intensity and duration of your workouts. Gradual progression is the path to achieving the best results and reducing the risk of overexertion or setbacks.