Standing Core Workout: Why You Should Ditch Crunches for These 14 Exercises

Crunches, sit-ups, and other abdominal-focused exercises have long been thought to be the best way to tone and strengthen your core. They aren’t totally ineffective, as consistently doing them can help improve your core strength and build muscle in the abdomen. 

However, if your goal is to build a strong, stable core that will help you move better and prevent injuries, you need to focus on exercises that work all the muscles in your midsection, not just your abs.

This is why we’ve put together this standing core workout.

It hits all the key muscle groups in your core, including your obliques, lower back, and hips, to give you a well-rounded workout. In addition, as it’s all done standing up, it also challenges your balance and stability, which are two important components of a strong core.

The best part? This workout can be done anywhere! No equipment is necessary. So whether you’re at the gym, at home, or traveling, you can always squeeze in a quick core workout.

But first, let’s review the core anatomy so you know exactly which muscles you’re targeting with each exercise.

What’s Your Core?

Your core is made up of more than just your abs. In fact, it includes all the muscles in your pelvis and trunk that stabilize your spine and enable you to move effectively. 

More specifically it’s composed of your (1):

• Abdominal Muscles (rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and internal and external obliques)

These are what people typically think of when they think of “abs”. They help stabilize your spine, protect your internal organs, and help with movements such as bending and twisting.

• Lower Back/Erector Spinae Muscles (spinalis, longissimus, and iliocostalis)

These are the three muscle groups that run along either side of your spine. They work together to keep your spine straight and stable and help with bending and twisting movements.

• Hip Muscles (gluteus medius and minimus, psoas, and iliacus)

These are the largest muscles in your body, and they play a major role in stabilizing your pelvis and keeping your hips level. They also help move your legs in different directions (such as walking, running, and shifting directions while playing sports).

• Pelvic Floor Muscles

These are a group of muscles that run from your pubic bone to your tailbone. They support your internal organs, help with bowel and bladder control, and help your sexual function.

When these muscles are strong and stable, they work together to keep your spine alignment and help you move with more grace, power, and control. Similarly, when they’re weak or unstable, they’re more likely to experience pain or injuries.

Why Should You Do Core Workouts While Standing up?

Many people wonder, “Do standing ab workouts actually work?” The answer is a resounding yes! In fact, several benefits that come with doing core exercises while standing up include:

More Effective Workout

Traditional sit-ups and crunches only work your abs in a limited range of motion, which makes them less effective for building overall core strength. Furthermore, as they’re done lying down, they don’t challenge your balance or stability.

Standing core exercises work your muscles through a greater range of motion, which makes them more effective for building strength (4).

Doing them while standing challenges your balance and stability, which are two important components of a strong core.

Target More Muscle Groups

As previously mentioned, your core includes more than just your abs. They also include your lower back, hips, and pelvic floor muscles. And while sit-ups and crunches target your abs, they don’t do much for the other muscle groups in your core.

In comparison, standing core exercises are much better at engaging all the muscles in your midsection. So, if you want to build a strong and well-rounded core, standing exercises are likely the best way to go.

Prevent Lower-Back Pain

Sit-ups and crunches can actually cause or exacerbate lower-back pain as they put your spine in a flexed position, which can compress the discs in your lower back and lead to pain (2).

However, standing core exercises don’t compress your discs as much as they don’t involve flexing your spine. Overall, this makes them a much safer and more effective way to train your core (3).

Read More: The Art of Standing Pilates Exercises

Improve Posture and Balance

As standing core exercises challenge your balance and stability, they help you develop better posture and balance. 

This is essential for two reasons (5):

• Good posture helps you move more efficiently and with less effort as it puts your bones and joints in the correct position. This allows your muscles to work most effectively and is particularly important when performing exercises. 
• Good balance helps you stay upright and stable, which can reduce your risk of falling and sustaining an injury.

So, if you want to improve your posture and balance, standing core exercises are a great way to do it.

Prevent Neck and Shoulder Pain

Sit-ups and crunches can also cause or exacerbate neck and shoulder pain. This is because they put your head and neck in a flexed position, which can lead to tension and pain in the muscles and joints of your neck and shoulders.

However, standing core exercises don’t flex your head and neck. They can also improve your posture over time, which can also decrease your likelihood of neck and shoulder pain. Therefore, they’re deemed a much safer and more effective way to train your core.

How to Do a Standing Core Workout

Now that we’ve answered the question, “Do standing ab workouts actually work?” it’s time to show you how to do a standing core workout. 

Here are 14 exercises we recommend you include in your routine:

Cross-Body Chop

Targets: Abs, obliques, shoulders, hips

How to do it: 

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms extended in front of you at shoulder height.
2. From here, twist your torso to the right and chop your hands down to the outside of your right leg and virtually to your side pocket
3. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
4. This is one rep. 
5. Complete 10 reps on each side and focus on keeping a tight midsection when chopping. 

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Cross-Body Leg Lift

Targets: Abs, obliques, hips

How to do it: 

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms behind your head.
2. Keeping your core engaged, lift your right leg and your left arm at the same time and bring them toward each other in the center of your body.
3. Don’t hunch over or arch your back, and keep your standing leg slightly bent.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. 
5. This is one rep. 
6. Complete 10 reps on each side and make sure to slow down this movement so you feel the burn in your midsection. 

Standing Bicycle Crunches

Targets: Obliques, rectus abdominis

How to do it: 

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands behind your head. 
2. Bring your right elbow toward your left knee as you straighten your right leg out behind you. 
3. Return to start and repeat on the other side. 
4. Continue alternating sides for 30 seconds.

Standing Russian Twist

Targets: Obliques, rectus abdominis, shoulders

How to do it: 

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. 
2. Hold your arms out in front of you at shoulder height with your palms facing each other. 
3. Keeping your lower back flat, twist your torso to the right, then to the left to complete one rep. 
4. Perform a total of 10 reps.

Standing Side Bend

Targets: Obliques

How to do it: 

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms extended overhead. 
2. Keeping your back straight, bend to the right at your waist and reach your right hand down toward your right ankle. 
3. Return to the start and repeat on the other side. 
4. Do a total of 10 reps.

Read More: Standing Desk Workouts: 10 Exercises For When You’re Stuck At Work

Standing Windmill

Targets: Obliques, shoulders, hips

How to do it: 

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms extended overhead. 
2. Keeping your back straight, bend to the right at your waist and reach your right hand down toward your right ankle. 
3. As you do this, sweep your left leg out to the side. 
4. Reverse the movement and return to the start. 
5. This is one rep. 
6. Do a total of 10 reps.

Lunge Crunch

Targets: Abs, obliques, hips, quads, glutes

How to do it: 

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms behind your head. 
2. Step forward with your right leg and lower into a lunge. 
3. As you do this, bring your right elbow toward your left knee. 
4. Push off your right leg to return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. 
5. Perform a total of 10 reps.

Standing Leg Lift

Targets: Hips, glutes, hamstrings

How to do it: 

1. Start standing with your feet hip-width apart and arms extended out in front of you, perpendicular to your body.
2. Keeping your core engaged, lift one leg at a time to hip height while keeping your pelvis level and not arching your back.
3. Return to the start and repeat on the other side. 
4. Do a total of 10 reps.

Standing Toe Reach

Targets: Abs, shoulders, hips

How to do it: 

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms extended overhead. 
2. Keeping your back straight, hinge forward at the hips and reach your fingertips toward your toes. 
3. Return to the start and repeat. 
4. Do a total of 10 reps.

Standing Bird Dog

Targets: Abs, obliques, glutes, hamstrings, lower back

How to do it: 

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms extended overhead. 
2. Keeping your core engaged, lift your left leg behind you while simultaneously reaching your right arm forward. 
3. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. 
4. Do a total of 10 reps.

Standing Rotation

Targets: Abs, obliques

How to do it: 

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms extended out to the sides at shoulder height. 
2. Keeping your core engaged, rotate your torso to the right, then back to the center. 
3. Rotate to the left and back to the center. 
4. This is one rep. 
5. Do a total of 10 reps.

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Warrior Balance

Targets: Abs, obliques, glutes, hamstrings, quads

How to do it: 

1. Start standing with your feet hip-width and your arms extended out in front of you. 
2. Balance on your left leg and raise your right leg behind you. 
3. Reach both your arms forward, keeping them parallel to the ground. 
4. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

Hip Circles

Targets: Hips, glutes

How to do it: 

1. Start standing with your feet hip-width apart and your arms extended in front of you. 
2. Keeping your core engaged, lift your right leg and circle it clockwise around your body. 
3. Repeat 10 times, then reverse direction and circle 10 times counterclockwise. 
4. Switch legs and repeat.

Standing Bird Dog Raise

Targets: Abs, obliques, glutes, hamstrings, lower back

How to do it: 

1. Start standing with your feet together and your arms down at your sides.
2. Keeping your core engaged, lift your left leg and right arm up, bending your knee while keeping your arm straight. 
3. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. 
4. Perform a total of 10 reps.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Performing Standing Core Workout

Not Engaging Your Core

To get the most out of these standing core exercises, you must keep your core engaged throughout the entire movement. This will help target your abs more effectively and protect your lower back from injury. 

A quick tip to ensure that you engage your core is to breathe out through your stomach and breathe in through your chest. When you breathe out through your stomach, focus on squeezing your core even further. This will suck your belly button in and help tighten those muscles in your midsection. 

Letting Your Back Arch

When performing any of these exercises, make sure to keep your back straight and avoid arching it. This can put unnecessary strain on your lower back and spine.

Not Breathing Properly

It’s also important to remember to breathe properly when performing these exercises. Avoid holding your breath and focus on inhaling through the stomach and exhaling through the chest with each movement instead. See the tip in the “Not Engaging Your Core” section. 

Moving Too Quickly

To get the most out of these exercises, it’s vital to move slowly and deliberately. Avoiding jerky or uncontrolled movements will help ensure that you properly target your muscles and avoid injury.

Not Warming up and Stretching Beforehand

Before you start any workout, it’s important to warm up your muscles and joints. This helps prevent injury and gets your body ready for the upcoming physical activity.

A simple warm-up routine of 5 to 10 minutes of light cardio and some dynamic stretching is all you need. Always remember to stick with dynamic (active) stretching before a workout and leave static (stationary) stretching for after a workout. 

Not Cooling down and Stretching Afterwards

Once you’ve finished your standing core workout, it’s important to take a few minutes to cool down and complete static stretching. This helps your muscles recover and prevents soreness. A light jog or walk to lower your heart rate followed by some static stretches is all you need.

FAQs

• Are standing core workouts effective?

Standing core workouts are effective. The core is made up of multiple muscle groups, including the abdominals, obliques, back muscles, and pelvic floor muscles. These muscles work together to support your spine, maintain good posture, and provide stability for everyday movements.

One of the main benefits of standing core workouts is the fact that they engage all of these muscle groups simultaneously. This means you’re targeting specific areas and also improving overall balance and coordination.

Standing core workouts are more functional than traditional floor exercises. This is because they mimic daily movements such as twisting, bending, and lifting. By incorporating these movements into your workout routine, you can strengthen your core in a way that directly translates to activities you perform in your daily life (6).

Another advantage of standing core workouts is they can help improve posture. When our core muscles are weak, this can lead to poor posture, which can cause a range of health issues that include back pain and neck strain. Standing core exercises target the deep muscles in the abdomen and lower back, which are essential for maintaining good posture (5).

Furthermore, standing core workouts can also be modified to challenge different fitness levels. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced athlete, there are various exercises that can be adjusted to suit your individual needs and abilities.

• Do standing abs workouts reduce belly fat?

Standing abs workouts can be beneficial for reducing belly fat by engaging the core muscles in a variety of ways, which also contributes to overall core strength and definition. While many people turn to ab exercises to lose belly fat, targeted exercises alone are not an effective way to burn belly fat.

According to experts, reducing overall body fat through a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise is the key to losing belly fat (7). This includes incorporating cardiovascular exercises and strength training into your fitness routine.

Spot reduction in body fat isn’t possible. When you lose body fat, you can’t choose the specific region where you’ll lose the fat. Combining any form of exercise with appropriate caloric intake will lead to fat loss. 

• Can you get abs from standing?

Standing alone may not be enough to get visible abs, but standing core workouts can definitely help strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles. To achieve visible abs, it’s important to combine regular exercise with a healthy diet that includes plenty of lean protein, vegetables, and whole grains.

In addition to engaging in targeted standing ab exercises, incorporating full-body strength training and cardiovascular exercises can help reduce body fat and reveal toned abdominal muscles.

• What is the number 1 core workout?

It would be inaccurate to name a specific workout as the “best” for any given region of the body. However, in our opinion, any core-focused workout that includes a variety of exercises that target different muscle groups can be effective for strengthening and toning your core. The most important aspect of any core workout or any workout in general is proper form and consistency. Therefore, the “best” workout will be the one you can do correctly and consistently. This workout may vary from person to person as we’re all unique with different levels of fitness and different limitations. 

Core workouts often contain the same exercises. Some variations include planks, crunches, Russian twists, and leg raises. Each of these exercises targets a different muscle group in the core and can be modified to challenge different fitness levels.

Ultimately, the most effective core workout is one you enjoy and can consistently incorporate into your fitness routine. This will help you stay motivated and see results over time.

The Bottom Line

Standing core exercises are a great way to target your abdominal muscles while also engaging your whole body. Make sure to keep your core engaged, your back straight, and your breathing steady throughout the entire movement.

Start with 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise and gradually increase as you become stronger. Remember to warm up and cool down before and after your workout. Always complete every workout with proper form to limit the likelihood of injury.