Our abs are important for all kinds of reasons. Found along the front of the stomach, they make up some of the external muscles of our core, and work hard to keep us standing up straight and moving easily.
It’s worth strengthening them if you want to improve your core stability and boost your balance. But you don’t have to stick with grueling options like sit-ups and crunches.
If, like me, you can’t face unrolling your mat for another abs-blasting session, you can try standing exercises instead. By adding weight to functional standing movements like a side bend, you can engage these abs muscles and work to strengthen them without having to get on the floor.
NASM-qualified trainer Elethia Gay has put together this five-move standing abs workout for Fit&Well readers. All you need to do it is a couple of light dumbbells, but you could also use water bottles to add some weight to the movements.
Elethia Gay is a NASM-qualified trainer and yoga teacher. She is the founder of the Roots to Wellness program, a virtual training platform for women, and the non-profit Hiking for Hope group.
How to do this standing abs workout
- Standing toe reach: 10-12 repetitions
- Standing criss-cross crunches: 10-12 repetitions
- Woodchop: 10-12 repetitions
- Side bends with dumbbell: 10-12 repetitions
- Cherry pickers: 10-12 repetitions
Repeat the above routine one to three times, to get a comprehensive standing abs workout.
The exercises
1. Standing toe reach
(Image credit: Elethia Gay)
Reps: 10-12 on each side Sets: 1-3
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
- Slowly lift one leg off the ground and extend it straight out in front of you. While keeping your leg straight, lean forward from your hips and reach towards your toes with the opposite hand. If you can’t reach your toes, go as far as you comfortably can. Hold this position for a few seconds.
- Slowly return to the starting position and switch to the other leg.
2….
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