A strong core is (quite literally) at the center of a fit and functional body, so it pays to dedicate some time to training it. Fortunately, you can do this pretty much any time, anywhere.
This workout from personal trainer Isa Maddocks (opens in new tab) takes just 13 minutes and uses just your bodyweight to work your midsection muscles. While you don’t need any equipment, a yoga mat (opens in new tab) can be handy for providing extra grip on slippery floors.
Maddocks’ session challenges you to work through six exercises as a circuit, performing each one for 40 seconds followed by a 20-second rest. After one round, take a minute-long break then repeat the six-move sequence to complete the session.
Watch Maddocks’ demonstrate each of the exercises in the video below before you get started, then all that’s left to do is lace up your shoes, warm up (opens in new tab), and get started.
Watch Isa Maddocks’ bodyweight core workout
There are some notable absentees from Maddocks’ six-move circuit which you might expect to see in a core workout (opens in new tab)—this is one of the reasons we’re such big fans of the session.
Not only do her selected core strengthening exercises (opens in new tab) provide a fun new challenge, bucking the status quo of sit-ups (opens in new tab) and crunches (opens in new tab), they also hit a range of muscles across the core rather than focusing on the rectus abdominis (responsible for the six-pack shape).
Training your whole core can boost your stability and balance, improving your performance in multi-muscle compound exercises (opens in new tab) like the squat (opens in new tab) and deadlift (opens in new tab). It also takes some strain off your lower back, relieving pain and preventing injuries in this area.
If that brief bio has you ready for more core training, consider saving this simple three-move session (opens in new tab) for a later date. Or you can find out more about why core muscles are important (opens in new tab)…
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