If you’re looking to build real core strength – the kind that will support your spine, improve your gym lifts, build better posture, and power everyday movements – then it’s time to focus on your deep core muscles. According to Fitness Coach, Elise Young, these four simple bodyweight exercises can lay the foundation for building a stronger, more resilient core. The best bit? It doesn’t involve endless crunches, sit-ups, or the plank.
Your ‘deep core muscles’ are the muscles that help support your spine and pelvis, keeping it more stable. These include the transverse abdominis – the deepest abdominal muscle that wraps around the trunk of your body like a corset – the multifidus, which runs along your spine, the pelvic floor muscles, the diaphragm, and the internal obliques. When these are strong, your entire body works better in your favour; you have better balance, can move pain-free, and perform everyday tasks far more efficiently with less niggles.
While no planks or dreaded crunches are included in this workout, all the exercises are floor-based, so make sure you have an exercise mat, or something soft beneath you. Perform three rounds of the workout below, resting for 20-30 seconds between each exercise and 60-90 seconds between rounds. Here’s your workout:
- 20 deadbugs
- 15-second deadbug hold
- 12 bridge marches
- 10 side plank abductions
Remember, progressive overload is key to getting strong, so once these exercises feel easy it’s time to increase the intensity – you can do this by increasing the reps, adding some resistance in the form of a pair of light dumbbells, or even slowing down the exercise. If you struggle with floor-based exercises, then here’s a three-move standing core workout you can do instead.
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