8 Essential Exercises to Develop Core Strength

Core strength is essential for everyone who wants to live a healthy, active life. Core muscles are located in the lower back, abdomen and pelvic floor.

Core exercises work these muscles from different angles and have been shown to improve posture and alignment as well as balance of the spine.

Core strength also helps athletes avoid injury when participating in sports activities like running, jumping or cutting on the field.

6 Benefits of building a strong core

To begin with, let’s look at how a strong core is important and the benefits it can offer you:

- Core muscle development can help prevent injuries related to sports

- Core muscles can help with better posture

- Core muscle development can prevent back pain by providing support and improving balance

- Core exercises are important for proper breathing as they allow you to take deeper breaths. When the core is strong, it helps stabilize your spine when making deep inhalations or exhalations.

- Core strength leads to better balance, stability and mobility. Core muscles stabilize the spine when making movements such as bending over to grab something from a lower shelf or reaching up for an item on high shelf

- Core strength can help with endurance

8 Core Exercises that will give you a strong core!

Pike plank

The pike plank is a great way to strengthen your core muscles as well as improve balance. To do the plank position, face down on all fours with hands directly below shoulders and toes tucked under hips. Slowly walk your feet out so that body forms an inverted "V."

How to hold it? Hold this pose for a set time period of 30 seconds or more (timing yourself makes you push harder!) If holding for longer than 60 seconds proves difficult, try doing small sets of planks while resting in between.

Start by performing three rounds of 20 second planks each day! This will also help keep the abs from going flat throughout the day too ;)

Hollow holds

The hollow hold exercise is a core-strengthening move that strengthens your back, obliques and abdominals. It's also called the "dead bug" because it looks like someone who has been knocked out by a rogue ball (ouch!).

To do this exercise: Lie on your back with knees bent at 90 degrees so your heels are on the ground. Lift your stomach off the floor and hold for a few seconds, then lower down to start position.

The more you can lift without arching your back, twisting or bending at the hips, the better!

The plank

The plank is a Core exercise that strengthens the entire core. To do this Core Exercise, get into plank position with hands directly below shoulders and feet together (shoulder width apart).

How to hold it? Hold for desired time period of 30 seconds or more by using your arms to support you! You can make this Core Exercise easier by bending your knees so that they align parallel with your chest but be careful not to let them touch the floor as it will put too much pressure on the lower back!

To increase difficulty try holding planks in different positions such as variations like "side" planks where arm keep body weight off from one side while balancing on opposite leg instead. These are known as "hollow rocks," which are Core exercises that work the muscles in a different way.

Prussian Curls

An excellent Core workout that strengthens stomach muscles is called Prussian Curls. Sit upright with back straight and knees slightly bent.

Lift the arms up and bring them to a tucked position with palms facing each other. Lift upper body off the ground as you curl back while keeping core tight. Slowly return to start position without letting your stomach touch or sag towards floor!

Core plank row

Core Plank Row is an excellent Core workout that strengthens stomach muscles which also helps stabilize spine by strengthening stabilizing muscles of lower back, abdominals and obliques too!

To do Core plank row, get in same basic starting pushup position but this time keep feet on ground (form "V").

How to hold it? To perform Core plank row, begin by bringing one hand behind head so elbow is under shoulder blade; pull arm towards body. Slowly return to start position and repeat with the other hand!

Start out by doing Core plank rows for 20 reps on each side three times per day, then work your way up to 50-100 Core Plank Rows in one set!

Glute bridge

Bridge is a great Core workout that strengthens stomach muscles.

To do bridge, lie down with back straight and knees bent at 90 degrees so thighs are parallel to floor; slowly lift butt off of ground while keeping core tight (keep shoulder blades touching mat!).

Hold this position for desired amount of time or repetitions before returning hips back towards ground (don't let hamstrings touch floor or bend arms).

To make this Core Exercise more challenging, try doing them one leg at a time by alternating legs in an upright fashion as you go!

Superman

A Core Exercise called Superman is also excellent for strengthening the stomach muscles. To do this Core workout, lie on ground with arms extended over head and palms flat on floor.

Slowly raise arms off of mat while simultaneously lifting upper body upwards so that back arches and neck tilts towards ceiling; hold position before slowly returning to start position (keep your lower spine neutral throughout).

For added difficulty, try doing it one leg at a time like traditional sit ups but don't bend elbows too far or else risk injury ;)

Crunches

Crunches are another popular Core exercise that strengthens abdominal muscles. To do crunches, lie on back with knees bent and feet flat on ground.

Place hands behind head or under lower back for support; lift upper body off of floor by curling spine upwards so that stomach muscles are contracted (keep neck in line with spine). Slowly return to start position without letting your butt touch the ground! To make Core crunches more challenging, hold a weight plate against chest as you do them ;)

Reasons to build core strength

Core exercises are essential for a strong Core because they work on stabilizing the spine and preventing back injury. Core strength is also important to help avoid injuries in other areas of the body like knees, hips and shoulders. A strong Core will not only protect your joints but also make you stronger as well!

Core strength is integral for daily living activities from bending over to pick something up off the floor to lifting groceries or children into car seats; having this type of muscular endurance provides stability while performing these tasks which helps prevent things falling out of reach and muscle strain that may come with repeated motion (not everyone has biceps!)

It's excellent exercise for fitness-minded people who want a tight stomach without hours at gym each day - Core strengthening will not only help with Core fitness but also provide benefits to other muscles in the body.

In a nutshell:

Core strength is essential for staying healthy while performing our everyday tasks; Core fitness builds muscle within this region that will provide benefits to other muscles in your body.

Core strengthening helps you avoid injuries related to joints such as knees, hips and shoulders which can come from unstable Core muscles. A strong Core becomes more difficult with age so it's important now than ever before!

With these "Eight Essential Exercises," you'll be able to strengthen your core by stabilizing spine through stabilization of lower back, abdominal and obliques too!