3 exercises for your core workout routine at home for stronger, tighter abs

Brenda Braslow, MS, RDN, LDN, CDCES - Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES)

Doing a core workout routine is one of the best ways to build stronger, tighter abs that will help prevent injuries and provide better balance and stability. Check out these three core exercises you can do at home that require no additional equipment unless you prefer that perfect purple mat to the hard floor!

A real-results core workout routine at home: Simple!

Just because you do core exercises, it does not mean you will build a chiseled six-pack. But if that is the goal, intensive core work is required, of course. However, in general, we recommend a core workout routine that can be done at home or the gym for better and safer daily living.

Core strength is about getting the muscles around our trunk and pelvis in shape. Through core exercises, you train the muscles around your pelvis, abdomen, lower back, and hips to work together. This is what gives you better balance and agility.

In fact, a strong core can make doing nearly any activity easier, from swinging a golf club to household chores. Without good core strength, we tend to have worse posture, lower back pain, and more muscle injuries.

What's nice about core exercises is that you can do them without needing fancy gym equipment. In fact, you can do them in the morning before work, while on your lunch break, or before bed. More than just sit-ups, mat core exercises like the ones below improve your strength, balance, and posture.

Bridge pose

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor while keeping your back in a neutral position–not arching and not pressed into the floor. Do not tilt your hips. Now tighten your abdominal muscles and raise your hips off the floor until your hips are aligned with your knees and shoulders. Hold the position for as long as you can without breaking form. Work up to holding the pose for at least 15 seconds. Increase repetitions as you progress.

Plank

Click the "Plank" heading for a link to variations of plank pose. For a basic plank pose, lie face down on a mat while resting on your forearms, with palms flat on the floor. Push off the floor, raising up on your toes and resting on the elbows. Keep your back flat. Now tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominal muscles to prevent your trunk from sticking up or sagging in the middle. Hold this pose for 20 to 60 seconds, lower, and repeat three to five times.

Bicycle exercises

Lie faceup on a mat, placing your hands behind your head and lightly supporting it with your fingers. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Bring your knees in toward your chest while lifting your shoulder blades off the floor–all without pulling on your neck. Now rotate your right elbow to the left, bringing it toward the left knee as you straighten the opposite leg above the floor. Now switch sides, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee as your left leg extends out parallel to the floor. Continue alternating sides in a pedaling motion for one to three sets of about 15 reps.

Keep these core exercises as part of your regular workout routine at home, and you will notice a difference in your overall strength and balance.