Skip the crunches – this five-move upright ab workout builds a strong, stable core

Crunches may be good for sculpting your six-pack muscles, but if you’re looking to build well-rounded core strength that’s going to help you move better, make daily tasks easier, lift heavier and reduce your chances of injury, they’re not the one. This standing core workout, however, will tick these boxes; all you’ll need is a light to moderate dumbbell or kettlebell (a heavy water bottle will also do the trick) and 15 minutes on the clock.

If you are someone who's been blasting out endless crunches, don’t worry, they’re not a terrible exercise – they’re great for your external abdominal muscles. However, they don’t hit those deeper internal abdominal muscles, or the muscles in the lower back and pelvis, which also make up your core muscles, helping to stabilise and support the body. Standing core exercises, however, require you to move the joints through a greater range of motion, challenging your balance and stability more, thus firing up your entire core.

Work your way through the reps and sets of the first exercise below, and take a rest for 45-60 seconds between each round. Once you’ve completed all the sets, rest for 90 seconds, then move on to the next exercise. Oner Active athlete, Hayley Madigan, who created this workout also mentions to engage your core correctly during each exercise – by tucking your ribcage down and tilting your tailbone forwards slightly. You'll want a light to moderate weight for all these exercises – nailing your the correct form is far more important than the amount of weight you're moving. Here’s the workout:

• Overhead hold with knee raise – 6-8 reps per leg for 2-3 sets
• Pass around the body – 6-8 reps per direction for 2-3 sets
• Suitcase carry hold – hold for as long as possible each side for 2-4 sets
• Single arm overhead hold – hold for as long as you can for 2-4 sets
• Standing woodchoppers – 8-10 reps per side for 2-3 sets

Need something that’s a little shorter that you can easily tag onto the end of your longer workouts? Give this 8-minute standing core circuit a go – again, dumbbells or water bottles are all that’s required. Alternatively, if you’re after a floor-based workout, give this Pilates core session a go – it may only consist of three exercises, but we guarantee your mid-section will be left on fire afterwards.