Your core plays a crucial role in maintaining balance and ensuring a confident, fluid walk. A strong, stable core not only improves posture but also helps prevent falls and discomfort.
Whether you’re walking, running, or standing, the strength of your core affects how well you move. Here are 15 core exercises that target key muscles to improve your balance, strengthen your core, and give you that steady, confident stride you’ve been looking for.
Plank
The plank is a classic core-strengthening exercise that engages your entire torso, from your shoulders to your hips. Hold a straight line from your head to your heels, with your elbows beneath your shoulders.
Keep your abs tight and your back straight. This move builds overall core strength, essential for balance and stability in your daily movements.
Dead Bug
The dead bug is great for building core stability and improving coordination. Lie on your back, lift your legs to a tabletop position, and extend your arms overhead.
Slowly lower your right arm and left leg toward the ground, keeping your lower back pressed into the floor, then return to the starting position and switch sides. This exercise targets the deep core muscles that help maintain balance.
Like The Style Trunk’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Bird Dog
Start in a tabletop position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Extend your right arm and left leg simultaneously, keeping your body in a straight line.
Hold for a moment, then return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. This exercise improves stability and strengthens your lower back, which is key for better balance.
Side Plank
Side planks are fantastic for targeting the obliques and improving lateral stability. Lie on your side, with your forearm on the ground, and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line.
Hold the position, keeping your core engaged. Side planks enhance balance by strengthening the muscles that support your spine and torso.
Russian Twists
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight, and clasp your hands together in front of you.
Twist your torso to the right, then to the left, tapping the floor with your hands each time. This move strengthens the obliques and helps with rotational balance, improving overall stability.
Like The Style Trunk’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Leg Raises
Leg raises are effective for engaging the lower core muscles. Lie flat on your back with your hands at your sides or under your hips for support.
Lift your legs to about a 45-degree angle and slowly lower them back down without touching the floor. This targets the lower abs and helps improve balance by stabilizing the pelvis.
Glute Bridge
Glute bridges strengthen your glutes, lower back, and core all at once, which is crucial for good posture and balance. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Push through your heels, lift your hips toward the ceiling, and squeeze your glutes at the top. This exercise stabilizes your core and helps with walking posture.
Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are a dynamic, full-body exercise that engages the core, shoulders, and legs. Start in a high plank position and alternate bringing your knees toward your chest in a running motion.
This exercise not only strengthens the core but also improves coordination and overall body balance.
Like The Style Trunk’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Superman
Lie face down with your arms extended overhead and legs straight. Lift both your arms and legs off the ground, squeezing your glutes and lower back muscles.
Hold for a moment, then lower back down. The Superman exercise targets your lower back and glutes, essential muscles for maintaining balance while standing or walking.
Bicycle Crunches
Bicycle crunches are an effective way to work both your upper and lower abs. Lie on your back and bring your knees toward your chest.
Extend your left leg while twisting your torso to bring your right elbow toward your left knee, then switch sides. This move strengthens the core and helps stabilize the body for smoother, more balanced movement.
Standing Oblique Crunch
This exercise targets the obliques, which are key for lateral stability and balance. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and place your hands behind your head.
Lift your right knee toward your right elbow while simultaneously crunching your torso to the right. Repeat on the other side. This move helps strengthen the core for better posture and coordination while walking.
Like The Style Trunk’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Reverse Crunches
Lie flat on your back with your arms at your sides and your knees bent. Lift your legs off the ground and curl your hips toward your chest, then slowly lower back down.
Reverse crunches focus on the lower abs, helping improve the stability of your pelvis and spine, essential for balance.
Flutter Kicks
Lie on your back with your legs extended straight out. Lift both legs off the ground a few inches and alternate kicking them up and down in a flutter motion, keeping your core tight.
This exercise engages the lower abs and strengthens the hip flexors, helping you maintain balance and stability while walking.
Wall Sit with Core Engagement
Perform a wall sit by leaning your back against a wall, with your knees at a 90-degree angle. Engage your core and hold the position.
This exercise works the legs and core simultaneously, helping with overall stability and improving your ability to maintain balance when walking or standing.
Like The Style Trunk’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Box or Step Jumps
Stand in front of a sturdy box or step, bend your knees, and jump up onto the box. Step down slowly and repeat.
This explosive movement engages the core while improving balance and coordination, as you need to control your body to land smoothly. This exercise helps increase stability and confidence in your movements.
More from The Style Trunk
- 25 Stylish Short Haircuts for Women Over 60 Who Want to Look Younger
- 16 Haircuts Men Find Incredibly Attractive on Women
- Seniors, Stop Making These 17 Fashion Mistakes for a More Flattering Look
- Want to Firm Up Your Skin? Try These 15 Superfoods
- 20 Eye Makeup Faux Pas That Can Add Years to Your Face
Like The Style Trunk’s content? Follow us on MSN.
