What’s better than having toned abs? The healthy benefits that come along with rocking a strong and secure core. A strong core is the center of your body that helps you improve your balance, lift heavier weights, improve resistance to injury, protect your internal organs, and improve your posture. No matter what your fitness goals are, it’s important to start with building the foundation of getting your core strong – and it all starts with incorporating a reliable abs routine! As a result, you will enjoy more core stability and more efficient workouts in the long run, plus all of the other benefits listed above.
So what are core muscles? According to the American Council on Exercise, core muscles are “The major muscles that move, support and stabilize your spine are called the muscles of the core or trunk.” That includes the infamous six-pack in front of your stomach, obliques on the sides of your body, and deeper layers of ab muscles that keep you standing straight and tall.
A well-rounded ab workout will supercharge all of those muscles – and you can do this in just fifteen minutes without any special equipment. However, to really get results, it is important to work your abs with more than one exercise so you can hit every area. With this 15-minute routine, all you need to do is complete three rounds of each exercise (20 reps each). You can literally do these exercises anywhere! At work, while you’re binge watching your favorite new show, while you’re watching a movie – it doesn’t even matter what time of day it is. Ready to get started?
This stretch is very simple and will get your abs warmed up for the rest of your routine. Plus, you can do this stretch anywhere! Try it at work if you need to shake out your body in the middle of the day. Here’s how to do it:
Tip: If you don’t feel your core burning, it’s time to lean back a little bit more to strengthen those muscles!
Modification #1: For a variation on this exercise, open your arms when you move to each side. This will work your abs even harder!
Modification #2: To challenge yourself even MORE, complete this exercise with your legs lifted off of the ground and your arms open.
Modification: If you aren’t quite at this level yet, you can do a half sit-up by putting your hands to your knees instead of to your feet.
Modification: Lower your legs halfway only if going all the way to the starting position is too difficult.
This is the last move!
These simple ab exercises will get easier the more than you do them, and greatly strengthen your core. It’s especially important to remember that if you’re a beginner, start where you are. If you can’t do the full 15 minutes yet, do five minutes and work your way up. Now, we want to see you doing these moves! We’re cheering you on at Teami, so the next time you fire up those abs, tag us in your Instagram selfie using #thankyouteami.