Goal: To challenge core stability and strength through various exercises targeting the abdominal region and supporting muscle groups.
Daily Benefits: A stable and strong core enhances posture, functional movements, and helps reduce the risk of lower back pain.
Core Stability Warmup
- Plank Walk-outs
- Instructions: From standing, hinge at the waist, walk hands out to a plank position, and walk back up.
- Duration: 5 reps
- Standing Cross-body Knee to Elbow
- Instructions: Touch opposite knee to elbow while standing, alternating sides.
- Duration: 10 reps per side
Main Core Workout
- Forearm Plank
- Instructions: Hold a forearm plank keeping the core engaged and the body in a straight line.
- Duration: 30 seconds
- Side Planks
- Instructions: Transition into side planks, holding each side to work the obliques.
- Duration: 20 seconds per side
- Russian Twists
- Instructions: Sit on the floor, lean back slightly and twist the torso side to side with hands together or holding a weight.
- Duration: 15 reps per side
- Bicycle Crunches
- Instructions: Lie on your back, touch opposite elbow to knee while pedaling the legs.
- Duration: 30 seconds
- Reverse Crunches
- Instructions: Still on your back, lift your knees towards the chest and then extend the legs out without touching the floor.
- Duration: 15 reps
- Mountain Climbers
- Instructions: From a plank position, alternate driving the knees towards the chest at a quick pace.
- Duration: 30 seconds
Core Cooldown
Finish the session with gentle stretching targeting the abdominals, lower back, and hip flexors to ensure muscle recovery and flexibility.
Keep track of your core workouts, including reps, sets, and how you felt during each exercise in a workout planner. Complement your workout with adequate nutrition and hydration, and consider additional support like daily vitamins for men or daily vitamins for women to cover any nutritional gaps. Modify the duration and number of reps according to your fitness level and be mindful to not strain the neck during core exercises.
