4 Abs Workout You Can Do in Your Living Room

Having strong core muscles is essential for protecting your spine, so make sure to include an ab workout in your routine. This quick ab workout is a great way to strengthen your core and keep your spine safe.

Even if you are spending most of your time at home, your core is still working hard for you. When you carry something up the stairs, sit up in bed, or even just walk around, your core is helping you out. Make sure to give it the support it needs by taking a few minutes each day to do some ab exercises. Doing so will help you stay healthy and fit, even when you are stuck indoors

Strengthening our core muscles can help reduce lower back pain that can arise from sitting or slouching for extended periods of time. A strong core can act as a protective barrier for our spine, providing support and stability which helps keep our spine upright and better able to withstand the pressure of long periods of sitting or slouching.

Strong core muscles can help protect our spine include the transverse abdominis (the deep muscles on the front and side of the abdomen), internal and external obliques (the sides of the abdomen), and rectus abdominis (running vertically on the front of the abdomen). Building a strong core can help reduce back pain, improve posture, and improve overall health.

There are plenty of exercises you can do to strengthen your core muscles, even if you’re not doing as much “normal” movement. You can incorporate short core workouts into your training schedule, such as planks, sit-ups, Russian twists, and bridges. These exercises can really challenge those core muscles, helping to strengthen and tone them for better posture and less back pain.

Mixing together stability and movement-based exercises is one of the most functional ways to do a core workout, according to Jamison. This approach provides a comprehensive workout that mimics the activities of daily life. For example, when you pick up groceries and put them in the car, you are performing a dynamic movement that requires core strength. On the other hand, simply carrying heavy items requires a different kind of core stability that can be achieved through the use of static exercises. By combining exercises that focus on both stability and movement, you can ensure that your core is strong and ready for whatever life throws at it.

For this circuit-style workout, you’ll do 40 seconds of each exercise, followed by 20 seconds of rest. The exercises you’ll be doing are:

• Spinal Flexion: While lying on your back, bring your knees to your chest and hold for 40 seconds.
• Spinal Extension: While lying on your stomach, arch your back and hold for 40 seconds.
• Lateral Flexion: Stand up and bend your upper body to the side, making sure to keep your hips facing forward, and hold for 40 seconds.
• Trunk Rotation: Sit on the floor with your legs crossed and your arms outstretched, then twist your torso to the side and hold for 40 seconds.

For each exercise, make sure to maintain proper form and keep your core engaged. Doing this workout two to three times a week can help you strengthen your core muscles, improve your posture, and reduce lower back pain.

For this abs workout in your living room, you’ll need:

• An exercise mat
• A set of comfortable workout clothes
• A pair of light weights (optional)
• A timer

The Exercises

• Forearm side plank with twist
• Plank jack
• Reverse crunch
• Russian twist

Directions

• Perform each exercise for 40 seconds, and then rest for 20 seconds before moving on to the next exercise.
• Complete two rounds total.

Forearm side plank with Twist

1. Start in a side plank position with your feet stacked, your right forearm on the floor, and your left arm raised up toward the ceiling.
2. Engage your core, glutes, and quads and press your hips up toward the ceiling.
3. Reach your left arm up and over your body, twisting at the torso.
4. Hold this position for 40 seconds before returning to the starting position.
5. Continue for 40 seconds. During the second round, perform the exercise on the opposite side.

This is an anti-lateral flexion move, which keeps your hips from falling toward the floor, and targets your internal and external obliques, says Jamison. The twist adds some trunk rotation to spice it up a little more.

Plank Jack

Plank Jacks are a great full-body exercise that strengthens your core, shoulders, back, and legs. This exercise helps to improve your balance and coordination while also increasing your heart rate and burning calories

1. To do a Plank Jack, start in a plank position with your arms straight and your core engaged.
2. Jump your feet out to the side and then jump them back in.
3. Repeat this movement for 15-20 reps at a moderate pace.
4. Make sure to keep your core tight and your back straight throughout the movement.

The plank jack is an anti-extension exercise, so you’re trying to resist your spine’s extension by keeping those hips up and not sinking to the floor. The jack motion is a cardio component, which will build some heat in the body.

Reverse Crunch

1. Lie flat on your back on a flat surface, with your legs extended straight up in the air.
2. Place your hands either at your sides or behind your head, with your elbows pointed out.
3. Contract your core muscles and use your lower abdominal muscles to curl your legs towards your chest.
4. Once your knees are tucked towards your chest, hold for a few seconds.
5. Slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.
6. Repeat for 1-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

The reverse crunch is an excellent exercise to target your transverse abdominis, the deep core muscle found on the front and sides of the abdominal region. It is a flexion exercise, meaning that your legs and torso move towards one another while maintaining core engagement. This makes it an especially effective exercise for isolating the lower core area. This exercise is one of the best ways to target this muscle group.

Russian Twist

The Russian Twist is an abdominal exercise used to strengthen the core and oblique muscles. It is usually performed with a medicine ball, weight plate, or no weight at all. Russian Twist is a great way to strengthen the core muscles, including the abs, obliques, and lower back. It Improves Posture, Balance and Coordination, Enhances Flexibility Increases Range of Motion and Athletic Performance.

1. Start by sitting with your knees bent out in front of you, feet flexed, and heels on the floor.
2. Place your hands on your chest and lean your torso back until you feel your abdominal muscles engage.
3. To make the exercise more difficult, hold a dumbbell in your hands.
4. Slowly twist your body from one side to the other, keeping your core tight and remembering to breath. Continue for 40 seconds.