Your core is a complex set of muscles that extend beyond your abs. These interconnected muscles, which extend from the pelvis and diaphragm to the back and hips, provide strength and stability to the upper and lower body. These include the pelvic floor muscles, transverse abdominis, erector spine, and oblique muscles. Core workouts at home strengthen these complex muscles, enhancing your body’s stability and coordination.
Stronger core muscles make it easier to perform many physical activities. Building a solid core is the same as developing any other muscle group. Focus on squeezing your deepest abdominal muscles and the muscles you feel when you cough (also known as the transverse abdominis). Strong core muscles support the pelvis and stabilise the spine, reducing the risk of back pain and improving athletic performance. Improved balance and stability mitigate the risk of falls and injuries.
This blog covers the best core strengthening exercises at home without equipment. We've curated a list of 13 intensive core workouts that require minimal to no equipment, making them accessible for everyone. From dynamic exercises that target multiple muscle groups to targeted manoeuvres for sculpting those abs, this list has something for all fitness levels. Keep reading to know more!
Table Of Contents
1. How Can I Train My Core At Home? 10 Best Core Workouts At Home?
2. What Are 3 Exercises That Will Strengthen Your Core?
3. Do Core Workouts Burn Belly Fat?
4. Expert’s Advice
5. The Final Say
6. FAQs
7. References
How Can I Train My Core At Home? 10 Best Core Workouts At Home
The core is the central part of the body, including the pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen. The abdominal muscles are sometimes called abs. You train your core muscles to work cordially by doing home workouts. This results in better balance and stability, also called stability. Stability is essential whether on the field or in general activity. Most sports and other physical activities rely on core stability.
Here are some tips for core workouts at home:
- Use a mat or lie on a carpet for basic exercises.
- Breathe in and out deeply and slowly, powering the movement to activate your core muscles.
- Try yoga or Mat Pilates. These classes require engaging your core muscles, building strength, and improving balance and flexibility.
- Indulge in a comprehensive fitness program that includes core exercises and aerobic, plyometric, and strength training.
- Apart from following the above tips, here are some core workouts at home to train your core muscles:
1. Planks
Planks come on top of the list of targeted abs exercises as they work your abs and obliques and challenge your core muscles deep inside your body, promoting stability and strength. They can also reduce back pain and improve balance and posture.
How to do it?
1. Lower yourself into a push-up position with your feet behind you and your hands under your shoulders.
2. Straighten your arms and legs, tighten your core muscles, and keep your body tense for as long as possible.
3. Try a forearm plank with your arms extended before you for a more challenging variation.
4. Place your forearms on the floor and your elbows below your face, not at shoulder height.
2. Side Planks
To further strengthen your obliques, try this challenging side plank variation.
How to do it?
1. From the plank position, twist to one side.
2. Keep your body straight and relaxed, leaning on your elbow and one leg.
3. Hold this position for as long as possible to tense your core.
4. Switch sides and repeat to avoid muscle imbalances.
3. Reverse Crunch
Regular abdominal crunches are great exercise, but if you want to work your abs and core strength, you must choose much more challenging movements. If you can do 50 crunches without problems, it’s probably time to try something new. Reverse crunches are a powerful exercise that strengthens your lower abdomen and can be done anytime, anywhere, just like regular crunches.
How to do it?
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent in a crunch position.
2. Place your hands on the floor next to you and lift your hips, pulling your knees towards your face and lowering them back down.
3. Place pressure on your lower abdomen, not your lower back.
4. Do several sets of 12 to 20 repetitions.
4. Fluttering Kick
The fluttering kick is a dynamic core exercise commonly used in swimming and various fitness routines. Engaging the abdominal muscles and legs simultaneously helps improve core strength, stability, and endurance while promoting better coordination and body control.
How to do it?
1. Lie on your back with your legs elevated and your arms at your sides or on the floor.
2. Raise your legs to about 6 inches off the floor, then lower and raise them a few inches in quick succession.
5. High Arm Sit-ups
High-arm sit-ups are a variation of traditional sit-ups where the arms are extended overhead throughout the movement. This exercise engages the upper abdominal muscles more intensely, helping to strengthen the core and improve upper body stability. It's an effective way to target upper and lower abdominal muscles for a more comprehensive core workout.
How to do it?
1. Lie sitting on the floor, bend your knees and place your feet flat before you.
2. Raise your arms to the sky and hold them while performing several squats.
6. L-Sit
Doing the L-Sit is incredibly difficult, but the results will be excellent if you can build strength here. You need a stable surface to push up onto to perform an L-Sit. You can do this on the floor, but standing up on a pair of dumbbells, a couple of sturdy chairs, or something similar will be more accessible.
How to do it?
1. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you.
2. Place your arms at your sides and press your palms against the ground or surface.
3. Use the tension in your bent arms to lift your legs until they are perpendicular to your torso.
4. Hold this position for an intense strength training workout as long as possible.
7. Stomach Vacuums
Stomach vacuums are a core-strengthening exercise that involves contracting the abdominal muscles inward towards the spine while simultaneously pulling the diaphragm upward. By tightening the transverse abdominis muscle, this exercise helps to strengthen the deep core muscles, improve posture, and create a flatter appearance in the abdominal region.
How to do it?
1. Stand straight and tall.
2. Exhale all the air from your body and simultaneously draw in your stomach. Imagine that you are pulling your belly button back toward your spine.
3. You will be able to feel your transverse abdominal muscles becoming activated.
4. Hold for as long as possible, rest, and repeat.
8. Star Planks
Planks are so effective that you can’t help but include several variations in your routine. The star plank uses the same muscles as the traditional plank but is much more challenging to maintain over time.
How do it?
1. Spread your legs and arms in a push-up or standard plank position.
2. Your body should be in an X position.
3. You must lift your body off the ground and hold it tight for as long as possible.
9. Boat Posture
Yogis know all about core strength, so take a page from the yogi’s playbook if you want a toned stomach. The boat pose is a challenging isometric pose that develops excellent balance and core strength. So, include it in your core workouts at home.
How to do it?
1. Star in a sitting position.
2. Stand up to your knees and lift your legs off the floor until they parallel your face.
3. Balance on your hips, tighten your core and hold this position for as long as possible.
4. Your body should assume a V shape, with your hips being the only point of contact with the ground. Maintaining the boat attitude will be difficult, but consistently practising will allow you to do it.
10. Mountain Climbers
Abdominal exercises alone will not help you lose belly fat. But combining abs and cardio can do something magical. Mountain climbers are for you to tone your abs while sweating.
How to do it?
1. Get into the plank position. With your hands clenched and your body tense, lift one knee off the floor toward your chest, then return to the starting position.
2. Repeat in quick succession. It will feel like you are walking up a hill and will be exhausted in seconds!
Also Read: 25 Impactful Abs Exercises For Women To Build A Strong and Defined Core!
What Are 3 Exercises That Will Strengthen Your Core?
Following are the best three exercises that are good core workouts at home:
Exercises | Instructions | Benefits |
Hollow grip | Start by lying on your back with your arms extended overhead and your toes pointed. Lift your head and legs off the floor simultaneously so your arms can follow the extended position above your head. Keep your core tight, and don’t forget to breathe! Maintain this position for as long as possible. When you reach a failure, rest for 1 minute and repeat for 3 sets. | It is best for all four major abdominal muscles, emphasising the lower rectus abdominis (lower abs). |
Dead bug | Lie on your back, bend your legs at a 90-degree angle and extend your arms toward the ceiling at a 90-degree angle with the floor. Place your lower back on the floor and straighten your right leg and left arm simultaneously. Be careful not to lift your lower back off the floor while exhaling. Slowly return to the starting position and straighten your left leg and right arm simultaneously. Replace every time. 6. Perform 3 sets of 10 times. | It is best suited for the rectus abdominis and transversus abdominis muscles. |
Bird dog | Start on your hands and knees and place your hands under your shoulders at a 90-degree angle. Maintain a neutral posture from head to pelvis, strengthen your core, and straighten your right leg and left arm simultaneously. Straighten your shoulders and extend them as far forward as possible, parallel to the floor. (Be careful not to raise your arms too high or let them droop.) Straighten your legs, fully straighten your knees and tighten your buttocks. Slowly return to the floor and change direction. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions. | Best for: All four abdominal muscles and good for stability. |
Also Read: 10 Dynamic Ab Exercises With Dumbbells For A Sculpted Midsection!
Do Core Workouts Burn Belly Fat?
Fat loss is an entire process; everyone stores fat in different amounts and distributions. The idea that ab exercises burn belly fat comes from the idea that they burn target fat. In other words, you choose where to lose fat by training different muscle groups close to where fat tissue originates. The term ‘spot reduction’ refers to the misconception that training a specific body area can help you lose fat in one location. Spot training will leave you feeling “hot” while your muscles grow and strengthen. However, studies have shown that it does not help lose belly fat.
One study involved 24 people who did abdominal exercises five days a week for six weeks. This training alone did not reduce subcutaneous belly fat. Another study tested the effectiveness of a 27-day sit-ups program. It was found that neither the size of fat cells nor the thickness of subcutaneous fat decreased. Several studies have shown similar results. This applies not only to the abdomen but to all parts of the body. Fat loss doesn’t happen that way. Fat loss occurs when stored fat is released from adipocytes (adipocytes) into the circulation to meet the body’s energy needs.
It would help if you created an energy deficit to lose fat with your abs. Where your body loses fat first depends on your unique fat distribution and genetic makeup. Generally, when you start losing fat, you will inevitably lose belly fat.
If the basic principle of fat loss is to maintain a net energy deficit, you need a strategy for creating that energy deficit in the first place. This means you need to burn more calories than you consume; thus, core workouts at home become necessary to burn stubborn belly fat.
Expert’s Advice
Consistency is essential for core strength. Start with the correct posture and gradually increase the intensity. If you are new to exercise or have a health condition, consult a fitness professional or doctor before starting a new exercise program. If you already exercise regularly, try including core workouts at home in your workout routine to improve your posture and reduce the risk of injuries.
Health Expert
Lavina Chauhan
The Final Say
A strong core protects your spine, improves performance in other exercises and movements, and provides a robust and stable base for all other activities. Practical core workouts at home can be simple and simple. Focus on your core for 20 minutes with the proper programming and movements, and you'll see results. Following these steps will help you get results faster, so add this routine to your current routine twice a week for the best results.
FAQs
1. What are some exercises for core workouts at home for beginners?
Here is what you can included in your core training at home:
- Crunches
- Reverse crunch
- Bear crawl
- Side plank
- Bird-dog pose
- Mountain climbers
2. How to do core workouts at home with weights?
Here are some abs exercises at home with weights:
- Russian Twists
- Dumbbell side bend
- Dumbbell swing
- Overhead squat
- Crunch
- Plan pass through
3. How to do abs exercises at home?
Here are some best ab exercises at home:
- Mountain climbers
- A/B rollout
- Crunch kicks
- Dead bug
- Heel taps
- Half sit-up
4. Can I do core training at home?
Yes, you can do core workouts at home, preferably on a mat. Here are some abdominal exercises at home to strengthen your core:
- Scissor kicks
- Leg raises
- Hollow hold
- Side plank
- Reverse crunch
5. Can you name some easy core workouts at home for men and women?
The following are the good core workouts at home for women and men:
- Planks (Elbow And High)
- Plank Jacks
- Mountain Climbers
- Russian Twists
- Dead Bug
- Bicycle Crunches
References
- https://www.health.com/best-ab-exercises-7506964
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/try-these-ab-workouts-to-strengthen-your-core
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