A strong core is not only needed for a toned stomach, it’s also vital for the health and performance of the body, from giving it support to improving balance, posture, and preventing injury.
When well-conditioned, a strong core makes it easy for you to carry out your everyday tasks, improving your performance in both sports and exercise. And the best part is you don’t need much time or even a gym to build your core.
This 15-minute home exercise will target your abs, obliques and lower back and help you build a strong and toned core easily and quickly- even if you are the busy type.
Let’s take a look into this effective and quick workout routine.
Start this 15-minute workout with a 2-minute warm-up. This step is necessary to relax your muscles, increase blood flow and prepare your body for the main workout.
Perform these two simple but effective exercises to get your body prepared for the core-conditioning exercise.
1. 60 Seconds March In Place With High Knee
Do 60-secs of march in place with high knees exercise, this is to wake up the muscles of your lower body and raise your heart rate. It also works your hamstrings, quads, hip flexors and core muscles.
How to Do the Marching In Place with High Knees Workout
You start by standing with your feet spread hip-width apart with your arms placed by your sides. Start marching in place, lift your knees high up to your chest and swing your arms as you march to increase intensity.
Use your arms and knees together at the same time. Control your movements, keep it quick and steady.
Primary Focus of Marching In Place with High Knees Exercise
The march in place with high knees activates your core by pulling your navel inward to help you stay balanced and make the exercise more effective.
This exercise helps you maintain a straight posture, relaxed shoulders and a lifted chest. Avoid bending to the front or to the back.
2. 60 Seconds of Torso Twists
Torso twists are a very good stretch for warming up the core muscles, especially the obliques and spine.
How to Perform Torso Twists
Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, put your arms out to your sides at shoulder height and keep it straight.
Start twisting your torso to the right and to the left-rotating from your waist, and let your arms follow the movement. Keep your lower body stable and still all through the exercise.
Make sure your twist is done slowly and smoothly without jerking or rushing it.
Primary Focus of Torso Twists Warm-up Exercise
The torso twists uses the core muscles to control movement and makes sure you don’t hurt your back.
This torso twist warm-up keeps your hips facing forward so that only your torso is twisted. This way, the obliques are well-targeted.
It also helps you maintain a steady breathing. Breath-out when you twist to each side and breath-in when you return to the center.
Benefits of Torso Twists Warm-up Exercise
Torso twists help to improve spinal mobility, and activates the muscles surrounding the spine in order to reduce the risk of sustaining injury during an intense core exercise.
It works on the obliques and other core muscles, to get them ready for rotating movement and helps them respond better.
The torso twist exercise also helps to improve posture and balance, which is important for performing core exercises safely and effectively.
By effectively completing these two warm-up exercises, you are ensuring that your body is ready for the core conditioning exercise.
Raising your heart rate and warming-up your muscles helps you exercise better and safer.
Remember that a great warm-up is an excellent investment in your exercises and overall fitness.
15 Minutes of Core Conditioning Home Workout
This exercise involves six (6) different workouts that targets different areas of the core.
Do each of these exercises for 45-secs and follow it with a 15-secs rest
This is to allow your muscles to recover in between each exercise and also maintain intensity.
1. Plank
To perform the plank, start in a forearm position, placing your elbows directly under your shoulders on the floor and keep your body in a straight line from head to heel.
Primary Focus of the Plank Exercise
The plank targets your core, glutes and legs. While performing this exercise, do not let your hips drop or rise, hold the position and keep your body still. This strengthens your entire core including the deep stabilizing muscles.
2. Bicycle Crunches
Lying on your back, place your hands underneath your head with your elbows wide apart. Raise your legs with your knees bent in a 90° position. Bring your right elbow to your left knee while keeping your left leg straight then switch to the other side.
Primary Focus of Bicycle Crunches Exercise
Bicycle crunches help you maintain slow and controlled movements targeting the rectus abdominis and obliques for better muscle engagement.
Make sure your back stays glued to the floor and avoid pulling on your neck.
3. Russian Twists
To do this exercise, sit on a mat with your knees slightly bent.
Lean slightly backwards, but keep your back straight.
With both hands clutch a dumbbell or hold your hands together if you have no equipment.
Then twist your torso from left to right, moving your hands across your body
Primary Focus of Russian Twists
Twist from your core and not your arms and control your movements so as to avoid straining your back. Russian twists target the obliques and improve rotation.
4. Leg Raises
To start, lie on your back flat on the floor and place your hands under your hips for support. Raise your legs straight up to the ceiling then slowly bring them down back without them touching the floor.
Primary Focus of Leg Raises
This exercise works on your lower abs but avoid arching your lower back during the exercise.
5. Mountain Climbers
Begin this exercise by starting in a plank situation, keeping your hands directly underneath your shoulders. Bring your knees towards your chest and quickly alternate as if you’re running but still in a plank position.
Primary Focus of Mountain Climbers Exercise
Tighten your core throughout this exercise and maintain a steady pace. Mountain climbers add a cardio component while working your core, legs and shoulders.
6. Side Plank (Right and Left Side)
For this exercise, Lie on your side and raise yourself up on one elbow and stack your legs together. Raise your hips in a straight line from your head to your feet. Stay in this position for 45 secs, do this for each side.
Primary Focus of Side Plank Exercises
The Side Plank targets the obliques and keeps the hips elevated. Do not let the hips sag. Side planks strengthen the obliques and stabilize the core.
End this 15-minute Core workout with 60 secs of cool down stretch.
This is to help your muscles relax and improve flexibility preventing stiffness.
Child’s Pose (30 secs)
To perform this stretch exercise, kneel on the floor or a mat with your toes touching and your knees apart. Sit on your heels and stretch out your arms straight in front of you on the mat and your forehead is resting on the mat.
Primary Focus of the Child’s Pose Exercise
Take a deep breath and relax your back, your shoulders and your hips. This pose helps in stretching the spine and encourages relaxation.
2. Cat-Cow Stretch (30 secs)
Start by kneeling on your hands, take a deep breath in and arch your back(in a cow posture), raising your head and tailbone towards the ceiling. Then exhale rounding your back, tucking your chin and pelvis under.
Primary Focus of Cat-Cow Stretch
Do the Cat-Cow stretch by moving slowly and match your movement with your breathing. This will increase the flexibility of your spine and relax your back muscles.
Conclusion
Yay! You have finally completed a 15-mins Core-Conditioning Workout that targets all the major muscles of your core.
Including this routine into your exercise sessions will help you to build a stronger and stable core. Improving your overall fitness and posture.
Perform these exercises at least 3 times a week, increase intensity and reps, hold positions longer and incorporate light weights as your progress and become stronger.
Be committed and pay close attention to how your body responds and above all enjoy the process of developing a strong core.
And if you need more insights as to the best home workouts or you want a home workout designed personally for you, chat with an IFBB PRO for free at Anabolic Coach today.
