3 Exercises In Under 10 Mins: Workout To Strengthen Your Core (No, It’s Not Plank)

Your ‘core’ is not just the abs; it’s every part of your body, except for your limbs. It’s important to hit these notoriously harder to get muscles. Today, on Day 3, we will focus on lower abs. Technically speaking, we don’t really have separate ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ abs. These are just different areas of your abdominal muscle. It’s important to work out all your core muscles (including upper and the lower sections), but if one of these portions are weak, the other becomes overactive. If you also spend long hours sitting down at work, your hips and lower back get strained. So even if you do exercises for your upper abs, working on lower abs and strengthening them becomes important to make sure your core is putting in all the work it should.

So, shall we begin?

Leg Raise

POPxo

POPxo

When I started working out, I could hardly complete 15 leg lifts in one go. So if you’re a beginner trying out leg lifts, it’s okay to take breaks in between lifts. What’s important is to stick to your routine, the number of lifts you can do in one would gradually increase.

How it’s done: Lie down on a mat, your face up and your legs extended. Your arms should be on the floor by your sides. However, if you need support for your lower back, place your hands underneath your butt. Now, lift your legs slowly–toward your face–keep them together and stop when they are at 90 degrees. Next step is to slowly lower them back down to the ground. Your back should be flat on the floor while you lower your legs. But if you feel the tension in your lower back, don’t lower your legs as far down.

Repeat 15 times for four sets. Rest 30 seconds in between sets.

Lying leg raises help to reduce lower back pain as these lifts improve the overall strength and stabilise your core.

Also Reads: How to reduce hip fat 

Deadbug

POPxo

Kinda sounds like an insect education course, right? But I promise you this one has nothing to do with a dead insect. Deadbug actually helps you keep your core stable while you move the rest of your body. You do a proper whole-body movement!

How it’s done: Lie on your back with your arms extended over your chest and legs bent 90 degrees. Keep your lower back pressed to the floor, then slowly lower your right leg until your heel nearly touches the floor and simultaneously take your left arm overhead until your hand nearly touches the floor. Pause for a few seconds and then return to the starting position, repeat the same movement for your left leg and right arm. That’s one rep.

Target at least 10 reps in two sets.

This exercise is great if you want to strengthen your core as deadbug gives you more control over your arm and leg movements.

Also Read: Best Weight Gain Exercises

Core Roll Up

POPxo

POPxo

How it’s done: Lie faceup with your arms resting on the floor and extended above your head.
Bring your arms up so your wrists are directly over your shoulders. Now, begin to slowly curl your spine up and off the floor–starting with your shoulders and ending with your lower back.
Curl up to a sitting position, fold your torso over your legs. Remember to keep your core tight while you’re doing the movement. Now, roll back down to the floor, lowering from your lower back to your shoulders. Once you lower down, that’s one rep.

Repeat 10 times for two sets. Roll-ups help you strengthen your spine, increasing its flexibility.

So ladies, work it from all angles today and set your core on fire!

                                                                       Also Read: Health Benefits of skipping 

Featured Image: POPxo

Start your 2020 right with our cool new planners and statement-making sweatshirts that are fun, fab and 100% you! Psst… there’s an additional 20% off too, so head to POPxo.com/shop and take it up a POP!