How To Strengthen Your Core Muscles: 7 Best Exercises

The muscles of the core, or the muscles of the center, form the so-called "corset" of the skeletal system. These include both internal and external muscles - rectus and oblique abdominal muscles, back extensors, gluteus muscles, adductor, and many others. The core muscles help to keep the body in the correct position, stabilize the position of the pelvis and spine, and play a major role in maintaining the well-coordinated functioning of the vital systems of the body.

Together with the fitness trainer of the TRIB3 studio Yana Degtyareva, they compiled a super effective set of exercises for strong core muscles.

Warm up (3-5 min, 5-7 reps)

Shoulder circles back and forth.
Body bends to the sides, arms along the body.
Tilt down, return to the starting position while standing. Hands on the belt.
Stretch your arms alternately to the right foot, in the middle between the feet, to the left foot and again to the starting position standing.
Rotation (twisting) on the sides.

Main part

1. Raising the body (repeat 15-20 times)

Starting position - lying on your back. The legs are bent at the knee joints. Hands parallel to the body or behind the head. On exhalation, slowly raise the shoulder blades to the lower corner. While inhaling, we also slowly return to the starting position lying.

Important: a smooth rise comes from the cervical spine. Lift the shoulder girdle vertebra by vertebra. The distance from your chin to your chest is equal to the length of your fist.

2. Raising the legs (repeat 15-20 times)

Starting position - lying on your back. Hands parallel to the body or under the hip joint. Bend your legs to 90 degrees (feet to the ceiling). The knees are straight or slightly bent up to 15-20 degrees. As you exhale, lower your legs to a 45-degree angle. While inhaling, return them to their original position. To complicate things, lift your shoulder blades off the floor.

Important: when lowering the legs down, the lower back should be pressed as much as possible to the floor.

3. Plank on straight arms (1 minute)

Place your hands clearly under the shoulder joints. Feet hip-width apart, look down, belly tucked up.

Important: exclude deflections in the lumbar spine (not only down, but also up) and do not fall into the shoulder blades. To complicate things, try making the plank alternately on different hands (also read: Plank Exercise: 5 Key Positions).

4. Statodynamic changes of legs with small amplitude (15 sec active - 15 sec rest, 3 laps = 1.5 min)

Starting position - lying on your back, hands under the hip joint. The shoulder blades must be raised from the floor, the gaze is directed to the feet. Fast execution of low-amplitude leg changes. The level of the feet is 30 degrees from the floor.

Important: watch your lower back. If it is difficult, try raising your legs to 90 degrees.

5. Dynamic body lifts (15-30 times)

Starting position - lying on your back, knees bent, arms behind the head. Perform dynamic body lifts as you exhale, keep your lower back pressed to the floor.

Important: lift the body strictly on exhalation and control the lumbar region.

6. Alternate upward twisting (15-20 times on each side)

Starting position - lying on your back. The right leg is bent at the knee joint, the foot is on the floor. The left leg (as straight as possible) is directed towards the ceiling. The left arm is directed to the side and creates support (on the elbow, forearm) to lift the body. With the right hand we reach up to the left heel.

Important: do the exercise consciously and in a controlled manner. Raising the body is carried out clearly for exhalation, lowering for inhalation.