How Can You Work Out Your Abs at Home?

Building your abs not only gives you a toned look but also helps improve stability, posture and balance.

A strong core also prevents sports-related injuries, eliminates lower back pain and makes everyday tasks easier. Fortunately, to work out your abs, you don’t even need a gym membership, as most exercises that primarily target your core muscles can be easily done at home.

All you need for an effective abs workout and to sculpt your core is to incorporate exercises that work on all the major muscles in your midsection, including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques.

So, are you ready to sweat it out?

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Best Ab Workouts for Home

Here are some of the best abs workouts you can perform at home:

1) Bicycle crunch

How to perform?

• Lie down with your face up and your legs in a tabletop position. Your knees should be bent and directly over your hips.
• Put your hands behind your head and your elbows pointing out to your sides.
• Engage your abs and curl your shoulders off the ground.
• Now twist and bring your left elbow to your right knee, while straightening your left leg.
• Twist again and now bring your right elbow to your left knee, while straightening your right leg. This completes 1 rep.
• Continue doing this with alternating sides.
• Keep the movements slow so you can feel your abs contracting.

2) Hardstyle plank

How to perform?

• Lie face down on the floor and take a forearm plank position.
• Your elbows should align underneath your shoulders and your hands should be balled up into fists.
• Make sure your forearms are parallel to each other.
• Hold the position for at least 10 to 15 seconds per set.

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3) Mountain climber

How to perform?

• Take a high plank position with your palms on the ground, hands at a shoulder-width distance, core engaged, shoulders directly above your wrists and legs extended straight behind you.
• Now tighten your core and bring your left knee to your chest.
• Return to the initial position and simultaneously bring your right knee to your chest.
• Continue to alternate the movement and speed up.
• Just make sure to keep your abs engaged and back straight throughout the exercise.

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4) Flutter kick

How to perform?

• Lie down on the floor with your face up and your arms by your sides. You can also place your hands underneath your hips on each side.
• Engage your core muscles and slowly lift both legs off the floor.
• Make sure to keep your lower back absolutely flat on the ground.
• Now kick your feet for a few breaths and then lower your legs.

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5) Oblique crunch

How to perform?

• Lie down straight on your back. Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the ground.
• Put your left hand behind your head, your right palm down and perpendicular to your torso and your elbows flared out.
• Now tighten your abs and lift your shoulders off the ground. Simultaneously, rotate your body and bring your left elbow towards your right knee.
• Slowly lower your legs and repeat by swapping sides.

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6) Russian twist

How to perform?

• Sit straight with your feet directly in front of you and your knees bent.
• Engage your core and lift your feet a foot off the floor.
• Twist your upper body to the right side, while keeping your lower body stable and your legs in front of you.
• Repeat the same on the opposite side.

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7) Half sit up

How to perform?

• Sit straight with both your feet flat on the floor directly in front of you and your knees bent. Lower your upper body slowly at least five to six inches away from your feet.
• Hold the posture for a few seconds before returning to the initial position.
• Repeat.

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8) Side hip bridge

How to perform?

• Lie on your left side with your right foot on top of your left foot and left forearm on the mat. Keep your elbows under your shoulder.
• Place your palms flat on the ground and your fingers spread. Keep your right hand on your hip.
• Engage your abs and lift your hips off the floor until your body creates a straight line from head to toe.
• Pause for a few seconds and then lower your hips back to the start. This completes 1 rep.
• Perform at least 8 reps on the left side and then flip to the right to complete 8 more reps.
• Repeat and continue switching sides.

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Takeaway

Attempt the above-mentioned abs exercises two or three times a week to achieve sculpted and toned core muscles without leaving your home.

Just be careful while performing these exercises, and consult your doctor before starting your workout session if you have health issues.