With New Year’s celebrations just over a month from now on, if you want to sport a flat stomach with washboard abs or just want to get toned, focusing on core exercises might be a good choice. Not only will it help you lose weight, it will also add to your strength, balance, and stamina.
The core, composed of the oft-mentioned upper and lower abdominals as well as the side, back, psoas, and glutei muscles, provides a muscular framework that protects internal organs, aids movement, and lends balance and stability to the whole body.
We have compiled a list of core exercises for you to try out.
Front Planks
Rest your body on your elbows and toes, don’t let the hips sag or pike up. The goal should be to not give up for 60 seconds at least.
Side Plank
Side planks are great for the obliques. Lie on your right side with your legs straight. Prop yourself up with your right forearm so your body forms a diagonal line. Rest your left hand on your hip. Brace your abs and hold for 60 seconds at least. Repeat on the other side.
Verticle Leg Crunches
Take a mat and lie flat on the floor with lower back pressed to the ground. Extend legs straight up and place your hand behind your head. Now, try to move up towards your toes, crunching the stomach. Exhale as you contract upward, inhale as you return to the starting position.
Flutter Kicks
Lie on the mat face up with legs extended, toes pointed, and hands tucked underneath glutes to support the lower back. Lift both legs off the floor by a few inches and alternately kick legs up and down or in a criss-cross motion.
Russian Twist
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold arms straight out in front of the chest, with palms facing down. Lean back so that your torso is at a 45-degree angle with the floor. Twist to the right as far as you can, pause, then reverse movement and then twist to the left.
Keep these core exercises in mind the next time you pull up your mat.
