5 Quick Core Exercises To Do Without Equipment

Are you the one who works from a desk all day? Do you sit in a car for a long commute to and from work? Do you attend lengthy sessions at college sitting? If your answer is ‘yes’ to 3 successive questions, then chances are that you’ll experience the poor posture, muscle stiffness and low back pain.

Today, I would want to share with you all 5 of my favourite exercises that I feel everyone should be doing to maintain a strong and healthy core. You can squeeze in these solid exercises into a short amount of time in your busy schedule, the best thing is you won’t need any equipment to do them.

Is core connected to good posture? How does core strengthening help to achieve a good posture? Let’s learn all that in this article. Here we go…

Having a strong core is key to having a good posture, a flexible body and overall fitness. When I say core workout, it common for most people to connect to 6 pack abs, but guys, core strengthening is more than having a toned stomach or looking good.

CORE STRENGTHENING 

The core is defined as the complex set of muscles that includes everything besides your arms and legs. The core includes transverse abdominus, erector spinae, pelvic floor, obliques. Core, as the word indicates is the core of the body, it is where your centre of gravity is focused. Your core helps stabilize your entire body. The strength of your core determines your movement, body balance, helps stabilize, and control weight every time you exercise. A strong core will bring about better posture, less back pain and more overall stability. To sculpt a stronger, more-defined core, you need to functionally train the 2 dozen plus muscles between your hips and shoulders. Your core muscles completely surround, and support your spine, pelvis and connect your upper body and lower body effectively transferring forces from one to the other.

Incorrect Posture Is Often Characterized By These Signs:

Rounded shoulders

An excessive arch in the lower back

Tight chest muscle and thick thoracic spine

Forward head

Weak glutes

Weak abdominals

Tight hamstrings

Lower back pain

Mid and upper back pain

Specific exercises to develop and strengthen the core muscles will benefit you in a great way…

1. HIGH PLANK

Planks are the basic exercise to do for strengthening your ab muscles. Plank exercise strengthens your core muscles, so your back and pelvis are supported. Keeping a tight core is the key to this exercise.

1. To start with, lay on your stomach on the floor, with your arms bent at the elbow, so that your hands are under the shoulders.

2. Raise up slowly so that your arms are extended and you are on your toes, bringing your body to full extension.

3. Maintain a straight line from head to heels and check that your hands and knees are shoulder-width apart.

4. As you lift up, pull your navel in while slightly tucking your pelvis.

5. Keep your palms directly below your shoulders and pressing them against the ground.

6. Hold the position for 5-10 seconds and gradually work up to 3 sets of 60 seconds each.

Note: For more stability, bring your feet wider than hip-distance apart, and bring them closer for more of a challenge.

2. SINGLE-LEG TOE TOUCH CRUNCHES

1. Start with your back on the ground, your legs fully extended and arms extended outwards with palm down.

2. With your left knee slightly bent, raise up your right leg straight up in the air until your feet are parallel with the floor.

3. Keeping arms straight, crunch up until left fingertips touch toes of the elevated foot.

4. Perform this movement with the opposite leg raise.

5. Exhale when you lean forward and inhale as you slowly reverse the motion back to the starting position.

6. Your raised leg should be 90 degrees from the ground and opposite leg 45 degrees from the ground.

7. Keep your core tight and maintain good posture throughout the exercise.

8. Perform the exercise for 20 sets each leg and 30-50 seconds rest.

Note: For an effective workout, avoid using the body for momentum.

Some may find it tough to touch your toes, however, the act of reaching further and further the ground should improve your flexibility.

3. DOUBLE LEG LOWERS

Double leg lowers is an excellent core exercise that strengthens your lower abs and helps stabilize your core and lower back. The weight of your legs challenges your core strength when you lower your legs to the floor. The plus point of this exercise is that it works your transverse abdominus, hip flexors, quadriceps, gluteal muscles.

1. Lie on your back with your arms on your sides.

2. Extend your legs straight up toward the ceiling.

3. Keep your heels together, point your toes and pull your inner legs in centerline.

4. Inhale as you extend your legs, keeping your abdominals pulled in and pushing your back on the ground.

5. Lower your legs slowly in a way that lowering should longer than the lifting motion.

6. Exhale when you lower your legs and lift your legs to the upright position with a firm and controlled effort, deepening the abs as you return the legs upright.

7. Repeat the exercise 10 times.

4. BICYCLE CRUNCH

The air bicycle crunches are great to work your lower, middle and upper abs while strengthening your quads, hamstring, inner and outer oblique muscles.                                                         

1. Lie on your back with your legs out straight and your hands behind your head.     

2. With your hands gently holding the head, press your lower back to the ground, engage your core to lift your shoulder blades off the ground and bring your right knee towards your chest.

3. Reverse the motion by straightening your right leg and bringing your left knee towards your chest.

4. Rotate your torso as your touch your elbow to the opposite knee as it comes up.

5. You’ll touch your left elbow to your right knee and your right elbow to your left knee.

6. Work your way up to at least 2 to 3 sets of 15-30 crunches for a more challenging workout that builds your abs.                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS

Mountain climbers take their name from the resemblance to the technique used to scale mountain sides. This bodyweight exercise is useful for burning calories, building stamina and strengthening the core. The primary motion focus involved here is supporting the body in plank position, while flexing the knees to work your core. It targets your triceps, deltoids, abs, back, hip flexors, quads, hamstrings and butt.

1. Start in a high plank position with hands directly under shoulders and legs extended behind you.

2. Make sure to distribute your weight evenly between your hands and your toes.

3. Check that your hands are shoulder-width apart, back flat, abs engaged and head in alignment.

4. Pull your right knee into your chest as far as you can.

5. Switch legs, run your knees in and out as fast as you can.

6. Inhale and exhale every time you alternate your leg.

Keep in mind that core workout isn’t just about abdominal strengthening…

You need to eat healthy and get your cardio exercise in addition to great core moves…

Also read: 15 minutes skipping rope workout for fat loss

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