Three Standing Ab Exercises for a Solid Core

For improved fitness and health, it is imperative to incorporate core exercises in your workout routine. You use your abs or core muscles for just about everything! Sitting upright, standing, walking, weightlifting: you name it, your core does it. Improving your core strength can help you make progress with your range of motion, balance, and stability and can even improve back pain. You can strengthen your core by doing common exercises (such as planks) on the floor on a mat. However, you can also try doing standing ab exercises, which are easier on your neck and hip flexors. Standing ab exercises are highly underrated! They can help engage deeper core muscles and are simply more useful to everyday life as most daily activities involve standing, not lying on the floor. Here are three effective standing ab exercises that you can start implementing in your fitness routine today!

1. Leg lift

Once you are in your workout clothes and warmed up, go ahead and stand up straight. Stretch your arms out straight in front of you, keeping them in line with your shoulders, parallel to the floor. Lift your right leg up towards your hands. You may want to keep a slight bend in your knee for better balance and range of motion. Lower your leg and repeat this with the other leg, completing as many reps and sets as necessary for your fitness level.

2. Squat

Although it is typically categorized as a lower body exercise, squats are a dynamic movement that also fully work your core muscles! As mentioned before, the core is involved in almost everything we do. You can do a body weight squat or a weighted squat. If you are new to fitness, start with a body weight squat. Stand straight up with your feet shoulder-width apart. Start to sit into your hips by bending your knees and dropping your bum toward the floor. You can stretch your arms out in front of you for balance, hands clasped, or just stretched straight out. Once your thighs are parallel to the ground, push through your heels to get back to a standing position.

3. Knee lift

Lifting your knees and legs requires core strength and solid balance. The high knee lift is an effective exercise for your core. To do this exercise, stand up straight and stretch your arms out so they are parallel to the floor. Lift your right knee up to the height of your waist and slowly lower it back down. Repeat this with the other leg. You will surely feel the burn with increased reps.