Core Exercise

What is core exercise?

Core exercises are a set of exercises which strengthen your core muscles. What are these core muscles? Core muscles comprise of your abdominals, back, hips and back of your shoulders. Basically, everything apart from your arms, legs, and head. The abs are also a part of your core muscles. Core muscles aid in body movements and help improve your balance and stability.

So how do you build a core like superman? There is no easy way out. You need a high intensity workout. To begin with, let us start with the benefits of core exercises.

1. Flatten and strengthen your abs - Core exercises help to flatten your stomach and strengthens your abdominal muscles. Strong abdominal muscles are the foundation for building great abs. A great set of abs keeps the body stable and upright. With a six-pack, not only do you feel good but look good as well. A few exercises such as crunches and planks strengthen your core muscles. Practicing a mix of yoga and traditional push-ups can also help your body improve its core stability.
2. Stabilize the lower back - A straight spine is a good indicator of core stability. Core exercises improve the movement of the abdominal muscles and strength in the hips, thighs and glutes which not only stabilize the lower back but also prevents back pain and relieves the aches. A strong core helps people perform simple tasks like lifting a box, gardening, or sitting at a desk correctly. Also, when you have a straight spine, you tend to bend less, which leads to minimal wear and tear of muscles.
3. Improve balance and coordination - Having a difficult time in balancing? Well, you need to strengthen your core muscles. When you indulge in high intensity sports such as football and swimming, you tend to exert more pressure on your limbs. To deal with the same, a strong core is necessary. A strong core improves balance and coordination and makes the body adapt easily to sports performance and high-intensity situations such as running, jumping, and any other situation that requires a quick reaction.
4. Enhance flexibility - The core comprises of your entire trunk, including the back and front muscles. The best way to enhance the overall flexibility of your body is through strong core exercises. With enhanced flexibility, your body can stretch better and helps maintain your range of motion with respect to your limbs.
5. Promote better breathing - When you have a set of strong core muscles, you develop stronger breathing muscles which hold the diaphragm and lungs in place. A strong core enables your diaphragm and lungs to sit properly. This in turn helps you breathe properly.
6. Strengthen your body - Strengthen your core and you will strengthen your entire body. A good core distributes the weight evenly throughout the body. This results in a good posture and stronger back.
7. No gym needed - You don't need to visit the gym for working on your core abdominal muscles. You can try different types of simple but strong core exercises within the vicinity of your home. To name a few - planks, sit ups and fitness balls are an excellent way to stabilize and strengthen your core. For example, you can start with a bridge exercise. – For this, you start with lying on your back with bent knees. Next, you need to keep your back in a neutral position and then raise your hips off the floor until they are aligned with your knees and shoulders. The longer you hold onto this position, the better the core.
8. Athlete’s body - If you want to get an athlete’s body, you need to train the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen to begin with. A strong core leads to better balance and stability, especially when playing a sport.
9. Daily activities - With a strong core, your daily activities are completed easily. Activities like swinging a golf club, bending down to lift things up or getting a glass from a top shelf are easier than ever. On the contrary, a weak core can lead to poor posture, lower back pain, fatigue, less endurance and muscle injuries., A strong core can help reduce the chances of experiencing back pain.
10. Fitness goals - Almost all fitness programs have core exercises as a part of their course. A mix of core exercises and weight lifting is an ideal combination for reaching your fitness goal faster.
11. Reduces pain - Having a strong core means that your connective tissues and muscles such as joints and ligament are fit and stable. This leads to lesser pain and prevents arthritis in the long run. Additionally, when you strengthen your upper back and shoulders you are less likely to have a hunch.
12. Improves mental function - When you have a stable and aligned core, the spinal cord is able to receive the body’s messages more accurately, thus, improving mental function. A strong core also keeps your body aligned.
13. Better swimming - Fast swimming depends upon your ability to use your legs and arms in a proper manner as you knife through the water. Core muscles help in developing a streamlined torso and body position which is critically important for swimming performance. If you want to swim better and faster, work on your core muscles.

Core is everything from your torso down to the hips. The following muscles comprise of the core

1. Hip adductors
2. Gluteus Medius
3. Gluteus Minimus
4. Erector Spinae
5. Rectus Abdominis
6. Gluteus Maximus
7. Hamstrings
8. Piriformis
9. Hip Flexors
10. Transverse Abdominals
11. Internal Oblique
12. External Oblique
13. Multifidus

1. Plank - Planking is one of the simplest yet the best core strengthening exercise. Planking works on the following core muscles - Abs, glutes, quads, shoulders, hamstrings, and biceps. In order to conduct a plank, you begin in a push-up position with your elbows flexed, forearms and toes on the floor, and your body in a straight line. Next, ensure that the elbows are kept right below the shoulders and look down on the floor. Stay in this planking position for 10-30 seconds to complete a set.
2. Dead bug - Named after a dead beetle’s position as it lays on it back, it is an excellent exercise to strengthen your core without hurting your back. You start by lying flat on your back with your arms held out in front of you and then bring your legs up so your knees are bent at 90-degrees. Now, lower your right arm and left leg at the same time and keep going until your arm and leg is right above the floor. Do this with the opposite set of limbs to complete a set.
3. Boat - The boat is more of a pose which has to be maintained other than an exercise. It is an excellent ab building exercise for strengthening your core. You sit with your knees bent with your legs under your thighs. Next, lean back lift your feet and extend your arms at shoulder length. Now, keep your knees bent for 30 seconds as it will result in a V shape pose. Holding this position for 30 second to one minute will complete a set.
4. Beginner core workout - These set of exercises are perfect if you have never set foot in a gym or are working out for the first time. One of these is a bird-dog crunch. As the name suggests you need to get on the floor on all fours with your hands placed directly below the shoulders and hips in line with your knees. To begin the movement, extend your opposite arm and leg, repeat and continue the same with on the other side. Five reps on each side will complete a set.
5. Intermediate core exercises - A level ahead of the beginner set. This set involves a larger range of movement. It includes ball push-away, hanging knee raise and dumbbell plank drag.
6. Ball push-away - For this you will need the support of a gym ball. You start in a plank position with your feet spread and your forearms resting on a gym ball. Next, you are required to push the ball away with your forearms, then pull it back it, in the same plank position.
7. Hanging knee raise - For this exercise, you will need the support of dip bars. To begin with, hold yourself steady with the arms extended then raise your knees towards the chest and lower them slowly and repeat the same to complete a set.
8. Dumbbell plank raise - Take a dumbbell on the ground to the right of your torso and try to reach below and across your left hand to grab the dumbbell and drag it to your left side. Repeat the same with right hand.
9. Intermediate core workout - This plan combines the above mentioned three exercises which you can do one by one to complete a set. You can start with a ball push-up for 8 seconds then rest and move to a high knee raise for 10 seconds and complete it with a dumbbell plank raise for 12 seconds.

This is the toughest set of exercises from the lot. It is therefore advisable that you start with the beginner route before jumping in to this set.

1. Strict toes to the bar - This is a difficult movement not recommended for novices. In this movement, you are required to hang from a pull-up bar while bending at the hips and keeping your legs together as you move.
2. L-sit - This set should be conducted in a gym with a pair of parallettes as a core cruncher where you need to lift and hold your body above the parallettes by extending your arms. You are required to keep your legs straight so you form an L-shape.
3. Wall plank - To begin with, you need to get into an elevated plank position but with your feet on the wall so that you form a flat horizontal line from head to toes.
4. Bicycle kicks - Also known as bicycle crunches, it is a combination of crunches and bicycle motion with your legs. You start by lying straight on the floor with your legs extended. Next, keep your elbows outward and perform the basic crossover crunch motion.
5. Plank jack - Excellent for your core, the plank jack is a combination of jumping jacks and planking. To begin with, hold your body up on your forearms and toes in a standard plank position. Next, you need to splay your legs out like a jumping jack and return to the original position. Now repeat to complete a set.
6. In and out crunches - This is an excellent core exercise which strengthens your lower and upper abdominals along with your hip flexors. You begin by lying on the floor with your arms and legs up and extended. Next, lift your upper back and lower your legs towards the floor while reaching your arms above your head. Repeat the crunch motion to complete one set.
7. Scissor crunches - A scissor crunch is a variation of a regular crunch which strengthens the lower back, abs, core, obliques and leg muscles. You start by lying flat on the floor with your legs extended and your right leg crossed over your left ankle similar to a scissor. Next, position your hands behind your head with elbows to the sides and engage your core muscles to lift your shoulders and upper back off the floor. Repeat this motion 10 times then switch your leg positions and repeat the same to complete a set.

Well, a great set of abs and core can also be built at home, you don’t need to hit the gym. All you need is motivation and the floor. Therefore, we have curated a list of ab specific workouts which you can do at home.

1. Plank tap - A simple plank position exercise where you need to tap on each shoulder in an opposite fashion while working on your core.
2. Dog down tap - You lift your right hand off the floor and try to reach your left ankle, the similar motion is to be repeated with the opposite arm and ankle. The importance is to maintain the downward dog position throughout the movement.
3. Plank up - This is like a plank push up but with your elbow and forearm. In a plank up, you need to bend your forearm followed by your elbow in a 90-degree angle so that it feels like a forearm plank. You need to keep alternating this movement from one arm to the other for completing a set.
4. Warrior balance - A balance-based movement where you stand on a single foot and extend both arms ahead with your torso and leg so that the body is horizontally aligned and becomes parallel to the floor. Now, repeat the same movement with the other leg and do the warrior balance.
5. Plank with T rotation - A variation of a high plank where you rotate your entire body to one side like a side plank then extend your arm towards the ceiling until the body and torso forms a shape of ‘T’. Now, repeat the same with the other arm.
6. Reverse lunge with front twist - You begin by taking a step back with one leg and bend the knees to lower into the lunge then twist your upper body to either of the sides. Do the same movement with the opposite arms and legs and repeat to complete the set.
7. Plank to dolphin - You begin in a forearm plank position with your arms parallel and palms on the floor. Next, you need to lift your hips up and back, creating a ‘v’ shape. Then, get back to a forearm plank to complete a set.
8. Down dog abs - A variation of a downward-facing dog position where you move your knee towards your torso in a right angle, you need to alternate this movement between the legs, elbows and knees. Make sure to do both sides.
9. V up - A simple exercise where you lie down flat on floor with your arms extended and you try to bring the arms and legs together by lifting them up in a shape of ‘V’.
10. Mountain climber - As the name suggests, you begin with a high plank and bring your knee to your torso as if you are climbing a mountain or an inclined plane.
11. Plank jack - This is a combination of a plank and jumping jack. You start in a high plank position and jump your feet out and in like you do in a jumping jack.
12. Mountain climber twist - A variation of a mountain climber exercise. You begin in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders. Next, you need to bring your right knee towards your left elbow. Do the same with the opposite sides to complete one set.
13. Plank hops - Just like a high plank, you need to keep your feet together and jump them up by bringing your knees close to your right elbow. Jump back and repeat on the other side to complete a set.
14. Bird dog crunch - A more of a pose-based movement than an exercise. You start-off in a table top position and extend your right arm forward and left leg back so that it forms a horizontal line as you inhale. Next, exhale as you draw your right elbow towards your left knee. Repeat on the opposite limbs to complete a set.
15. Lateral plank walk - It literally means walking sideways in a plank position. You begin in a high plank position with your entire arms straight and abs tight. Next, simply start moving your right foot and hand to the right and then do the same with your left foot and the left arm. You can keep on reversing the directions every few steps.
16. Forearm side plank twist - It is not as complicated as it sounds. You begin in a forearm plank position on the left side. Next, you need to bring your right elbow to meet your left hand. Do both sides in order to complete a set.
17. Core roll-up exercise - Perfect for the core, you lie down straight on the floor with your arms straight above the head. Next, try to get up like an Egyptian mummy with your arms and wrists straight at par with your shoulders. Repeat as many times as you can.
18. Boat pose - As the name suggests, you are required to maintain a boat-like position for 30 seconds. To begin with, you sit with your knees bent and feet flat. Next, lean back a little and lift your feet so that your shins are parallel to the floor. Now, extend your arms up along with raising your legs towards the ceiling until your body forms a V.
19. Pilates 100 - Named after Joseph Pilates, you lie with your legs raised and knees bent like a right-angle triangle. Next, lift your head and shoulders and extend your legs while lifting your arms at shoulder height and palms down. You need to ensure that you inhale and exhale at the right time.
20. Scissor switch - To begin with, you lie on your back with your legs straight. Next, you extend your right leg and try to reach for the thigh. Repeat the same, this time with the other leg.
21. Forearm side plank - A variation of a plank, you start in a side plank position with your elbow below your shoulder and feet stacked. Now, lift your hips into the air and repeat the same on both sides.

Building a strong core is not easy, you need a good combination of exercise, nutrition and regular sleep along with limited stress. If you cannot come up with a workout plan, it is okay, do not feel bad as everyone takes their own time to commit. Down the line, you can always try again the day after tomorrow. Staying healthy is not worth it if you are not happy. So be happy and healthy.

*Disclaimer: The tips & exercises suggested are the personal opinion of the writer. Kindly consult a licensed physician/dietitian/practitioner before implementing the same.