Blog Fitness Workouts Core Workouts Standing Core Workout: Why You Should Ditch Crunches For These 15 Exercises

Standing Core Workout: Why You Should Ditch Crunches For These 15 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 and give you a set of six-pack abs.

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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 put together this standing core workout.

It hits all the key muscle groups in your core, which includes your obliques, lower back, and hips, to give you a well-rounded workout. Other than that, since 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! Plus 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.

Read More: How To Brace Your Core And Why

Core Workout: 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 assist with movements like 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, as well as assist 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. Moreover, they help move your legs in different directions (such as walking, running, and shifting directions while playing sports).

  • Pelvic Floor Muscles
See also
Planks For Abs: Exercises That Will Set Your Core On Fire

These are a group of muscles that run from your pubic bone to your tailbone. They support your internal organs, assist your 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. On the other hand, when they’re weak or unstable, they’re more likely to experience pain or injuries.

standing core workouts

Why Should You Do Core Workouts While Standing Up?

Many people wonder, “do standing abs actually work?” The answer is a resounding yes! In fact, several benefits that come with doing core exercises while standing up are as follow:

More Effective Workout

Traditional sit-ups and crunches only work your abs in a limited range of motion, making them less effective at building overall core strength. Furthermore, since 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 at 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 we mentioned earlier, your core includes more than just your abs. It also includes your lower back, hips, and pelvic floor muscles. And while sit-ups and crunches do 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 the way to go.

Prevent Lower Back Pain

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

On the other hand, standing core exercises don’t compress your discs as much because they don’t involve flexing your spine. This makes them a much safer and more effective way to train your core (3).

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See also
Kettlebell Leg Workout To Build Strong Legs And Core

Improve Posture And Balance

Since 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 since it puts your bones and joints in the correct position. This allows your muscles to work most effectively.
  • Good balance helps you stay upright and stable, which reduces 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.

On the other hand, standing core exercises don’t flex your head and neck. Hence, they’re deemed as a much safer and more effective way to train your core.

standing core workouts

How To Do A Standing Core Workout?

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

Here are 15 of the best exercises to 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.
  3. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
  4. That’s already one rep. 
  5. Complete 10 reps on each side.

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 towards 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. That’s already one rep. 
  6. Complete 10 reps on each side.
See also
28-Day Abs Challenge That Will Rock Your Core And Leave No Trace Of Belly Fat

Read More: Hollow Hold Crossfit: How Do You Master The Crossfit Hollow Hold For A Stronger Core?

standing core workouts

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 towards 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. Do 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 towards your right ankle. 
  3. Return to start and repeat on the other side. 
  4. Do a total of 10 reps.

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 towards your right ankle. 
  3. As you do this, sweep your left leg out to the side. 
  4. Reverse the movement and return to start. 
  5. That’s already 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 towards your left knee. 
  4. Push off your right leg to return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. 
  5. Do 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 start and repeat on the other side. 
  4. Do a total of 10 reps.
See also
Crunch Vs. Sit-Up: Which Is The Best Exercise To Work Your Core And Why?

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standing core workouts

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 towards your toes. 
  3. Return to 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. That’s already one rep. 
  5. Do a total of 10 reps.

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 your both 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 out 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

See also
Pilates Exercises For Beginners: 10 Moves To Build Your Core Strength

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. Do a total of 10 reps.

Common Mistakes To Avoid While Performing Standing Core Workout

Not Engaging Your Core

In order 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 also protect your lower back from injury.

Letting Your Back Arch

When performing any of these exercises, be 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 while performing these exercises. Avoid holding your breath and focus on inhaling and exhaling with each movement instead.

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 are properly targeting your muscles and avoiding injury.

Not Warming Up And Stretching Beforehand

Before beginning any workout, it’s important to warm up your muscles and joints. This helps prevent injury and also 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 that you need.

Not Cooling Down And Stretching Afterwards

Once you have finished your standing core workout, it’s important to take a few minutes to cool down and stretch. This helps your muscles recover, as well as prevents soreness. A light jog or walk followed by some static stretches is all that you need.

The Bottom Line

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

Start with 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise and gradually increase as you get stronger. Remember to warm up and cool down before and after your workout.

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DISCLAIMER:

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!

SOURCES:

  1. Core Muscle Activity during Physical Fitness Exercises: A Systematic Review (2020, nih.gov) 
  2. Core strength training for patients with chronic low back pain (2015, nih.gov) 
  3. Does the performance of five back-associated exercises relate to the presence of low back pain? A cross-sectional observational investigation in regional Australian council workers  (n.d., bmj.com) 
  4. Effects of core strength training on core stability (2018, nih.gov) 
  5. The Power of Good Posture (n.d., rush.edu)
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