6 Best Core Exercises for Beginners

Guide to the best core exercises for beginners (Photo via Unsplash/ Olivia Bauso)
Guide to the best core exercises for beginners (Photo via Unsplash/ Olivia Bauso)

The best core exercises for beginners are ones that help in laying a foundation. These exercises focus on allowing the abdominal muscles to get used to being worked on.

Additionally, core exercises for beginners are the best way to understand how to engage the core muscles during an abs workout.


Why Do You Need Strong Core?

It goes without saying that core exercises help build a strong core. One of the primary reasons you should have a strong core is for balance and stability.

Your abdominal muscles play an important role in several compound movements, such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, and others by ensuring stability during the exercise.

Furthermore, a strong core helps with various daily movements and allows you to function better.


Best Core Exercises for Beginners

Here are six best core exercises for beginners that should be included in your abs workout routine:

1) Sit-up

Sits-ups are one of the most common core exercises. However, you need to be careful when doing sit-ups, as you don’t want to injure yourself.

To do the exercise, lay down on the mat with your back flat. Your legs and feet should be properly grounded, and keep your hands beside yourself or behind your neck.

Pull yourself up towards your knees, using your core muscles. Don't use your hand or body’s momentum to do the exercise; instead, use your abdominal muscles. Otherwise, you'll not be able to benefit from the exercise at all.

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2) Seated Leg Lift

Leg lift is important for building core strength and are a popular pick in core exercises for beginners. It helps you with developing the balance needed for other lifts.

To do the exercise, sit on a mat keeping your back straight. Place your palms on either side of your upper body on the mat, and lift one leg at a time. Keep your core engaged during the entire exercise. Hold each lift for at least six seconds, and lift your leg approximately five to six inches off the ground.

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3) Spider Plank Crunch

The spider plank crunch works on the abdominal muscles and obliques.

To do the exercise, move to a shoulder plank position, and bring your right knee close to your right elbow. At the top of the motion, the knee should be facing outwards. Hold this stance for two seconds. Move your right leg back to the starting position, and repeat on the left side.

The core muscles should be engaged throughout the exercise, and you should be able to feel the stress on your obliques while doing it.

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4) Bird-dog Crunch

The bird-dog crunch is essential to strengthen the core muscles and lower back.

To do exercise, go on your palms and knees on a mat, keeping the back straight. This is the starting position. Extend your right hand forward and left leg backwards. At the top of the motion, your body should be in a straight line from the right hand to the left toe.

Use your core muscles to pull your right hand and left leg towards each other. There should be a slight reverse crunch when you’ve completely pulled them together.

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Do this exercise at least ten times on one side before repeating the same on the other side.


5) Mountain Climber

Mountain climber is another great pick from core exercises for beginners. To do a mountain climber, move to a shoulder plank position, and pull each knee towards the same elbow or between your arms.

Do that with alternate legs consecutively. Ideally, one rep would mean you’ve done the mountain climber exercise with both legs.

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It’s important to keep your core engaged during this exercise and your back straight.


6) Bicycle Crunch

Bicycle crunches are a great way to strengthen the core and obliques. It helps with overall core muscle development, making you stronger from the hips and waist.

To do the exercise, lay on a mat on your back. Put your hands behind your head. This is your starting position. Pull your right elbow and left knee towards each other, trying to touch the elbow with the knee. Essentially, the entire pull should be done using the core muscles and not the body’s momentum.

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Do each side alternatively for at least 15 to 20 reps.

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