Best Exercises to Build Core Strength
Strong core muscles are essential whether you’re an athlete or just trying to get body into shape. That’s because your core connects the lower and upper body and helps you perform many movements efficiently and safely.
To build a strong core, you must strengthen all the major muscles in your abdomen, back, and hips. These best exercises will help you achieve that goal.
Planks
A plank is one of the best exercises to build core strength because it’s an isometric exercise, meaning that your muscles are contracting but not moving. It’s also a great way to improve balance and strengthen your shoulders and hips.
This is especially important for powerlifters and other athletes who put a lot of pressure on their spines. This is because a strong core keeps the spine neutral.
Planks are also an excellent way to get your mind in the present and stay focused, which can help you improve your mental health and stamina. They also strengthen your abs, which helps improve posture and reduce back pain.
Crunches
Crunches are one of the best exercises to build core strength because they target various muscles. These include the abdominal muscles (medically known as the rectus abdominis) that define your midsection and the other critical core muscle that wraps around your trunk in a 360-degree manner — the transversus abdominis.
A strong core helps you move your body effectively and efficiently during everyday activities like walking, sitting, and bending over. It also protects your spine from back pain and injury and improves your posture.
However, a crunch is only for some because it may strain your neck or put too much stress on your lower back. For these reasons, I was talking to a personal trainer about modifications or alternative moves for safe, effective core workouts.H is a good idea, Bridges.
Hip bridges are one of the best exercises to build core strength. They strengthen your lower back, abs, and glutes and can help reduce your back pain.
They also boost stability so that you can move more confidently.
Plus, they stretch your front line of muscles (including quads and hip flexors) as they strengthen.
To perform a hip bridge, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Push down through your heels and squeeze your glutes to press your hips up, then hold them high for a count.
Tucks
Tucks are one of the best exercises to build core strength. They also help correct your posture and alleviate back pain.
Yoga and Pilates trainer Kelley Fertitta-Nemiro tells Bustle that tucks target the internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, and hip flexors.
Seated knee tucks can be tricky, but they’re worth the effort to improve your posture and strengthen your core.
Doing them slowly and thoroughly extends your legs every time is critical.
A common mistake people make when doing seated knee tucks is rounding their back as they bring their knees in and extend them out.
This removes the stress from your abs, which can lead to injury if you do too many reps or move too quickly through the motion.
Abdominal Crunch
Abdominal crunches are one of the best exercises to build core strength. They strengthen the rectus abdominis, the muscle that forms the six-pack, and train your obliques and transverse abdominis.
This simple yet effective exercise you can do anywhere, including at home. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
Then, contract your abs and slowly lift your shoulder blades off the ground an inch or two.
As you twist, you’ll feel a tightening from your bottom rib to your top hip bone. It’s essential to hold this position as long as possible.