Anything that work on body stability and balance is great for your core. Crunches have a big name when it comes to abs workouts. Granted they work on the core muscles that helps give you the much-coveted six-pack abs. But crunches aren’t the only ones that give your core a great workout. Anything related to balance will help in strengthening the core. Exercises that work on throwing you off your centre of gravity will give the midsection a workout to stabilise the body, thereby giving your core strength. The key is to engage the abs, lock in the core while doing these workouts. Not every exercise that work on the core will lead to a burning sensation but it’s a must to keep working. It is to be kept in mind that you need to master the basic core exercises before moving to more compound ones. Here are a few ab exercises if crunches are not your thing. One legged balance tap: Stand with your feet together, arms at the side. Slowly hinge at your hips, raising the right leg behind you and your arm down towards the floor. The torso and the right leg should be straight and parallel to the floor. Keeping your core tight, straighten up. Repeat the process the left leg. Kettlebell swings: Kettlebell swings are favourite for a reason. It is an explosive burst of energy where the movement comes form the hips and the core. The core not only keeps you helps with the movement but also helps you stabilise the body while you swing the kettlebell between your legs, Seated Russian twists: As simple as it looks, seated Russian twists can be pretty challenging. Be seated with a 45-degree angle to the floor, with your legs bent and feel touching the floor, arms extended in front of you. Engage your core and move your arms to the left and right. Make sure not to lean or bend forwards or backwards. Planks: Planks work on the core muscles isometrically – which means the core is engaged even though there is no movement involved. It not only works on the rectus abdominus but also on other core muscles, including the muscles that run from the pelvis along the spine to the shoulder muscles. Jumping rope:Jumping rope is the whole package that works on the arms, legs, calves and core, along with a full body workout. The core gets engaged every time your feet touch the ground. The core needs to be tightened during the exercise.
